Archives for August 2013

The season is winding down fast for those of us here in Minnesota, but BBRT still has a “watch list” for the weeks ahead.  Here are a few developments that will hold my interest.

Can Max Scherzer … 18-1 … make history?

Can Max Scherzer break Pirate’s reliever Elroy Face’s MLB record for single-season winning percentage (minimum 15 decisions)?

Face went 18-1 (.947) in 57 appearances for the Pirates in 1959.  Scherzer stands at 18-1 (2.82 ERA) right now, so he needs at least one more win – and can’t afford a loss. The AL record (and record for a starter) sits with the Cleveland Indians Johnny Allen, who went 15-1 (.938) in 1937. BBRT expects Scherzer will pick up a loss in the final weeks.

Will Baltimore’s Chris Davis deny Miguel Cabrera repeat Triple Crown bid?

Cabrera at .360 seems a lock for the AL batting title and holds a five RBI edge over Davis (120-115).  Davis, however, holds a five-homer lead over Miggy (45-40) and has been matching Miggy HR-for-HR lately.  BBRT anticipates MLB will remain without a Triple Crown repeater. BBRT will also be watching to see if Davis can reach 61 home runs (the record Davis recognizes) for the season.  I expect he will fall short as the season wears on and pitchers pitch around him even more.

Who will win the AL Rookie of the Year?

A special look at slick-fielding Detroit SS Jose Iglesias, hitting .317 in 80 games.  If Iglesias could win the ROY, he would be the first player to capture the award in a season in which he was traded.  (The Tigers acquired Iglesias from Boston in July as insurance against the pending suspension of Johnny Peralta.)  Right now the main competition comes in the form of Kansas City outfielder Wil Myers, called up in mid-June and hitting .310-9-37, with five steals in 51 games.  While Iglesias had the early nod, his bat has cooled, while Myers’ stock is on the rise.  Should be a close race, but Myers power will likely swing the award his way.

Post season at PNC this year?

Will the Pirates top .500?

After 20 consecutive non-winning seasons, the Pirates now stand at 73-51 and this should be the year they break the streak (despite the late-season slumps we saw over the past couple of years.) Within this “watch,” BBRT is paying attention to the resurgence of former Twin Francisco Liriano – a Pittsburgh reclamation project (coming off two consecutive seasons with an ERA north of 5.00 and an off-season broken arm). Liriano didn’t make his first 2013 appearance until May 11.  He now stands at 14-5, 2.53 with 126 strikeouts in 121 innings. (And, this includes a disastrous August 9 start at Colorado, when he gave up 10 earned in 2 1/3 innings – without that start, Liriano’s ERA would be 1.80). BBRT will be watching to see if Liriano, despite his late start, can crack the top five in NL Cy Young voting.

Who wins the NL Central? AL West? AL East?

Three exciting races to watch as we move through the dog days of August.  Pittsburgh leads the Cardinals by one game in a back and forth race; Texas has a half-game lead over Oakland; and Boston has a slim one-game margin over Tampa Bay. If  BBRT had to choose – Cardinals edge Pirates, Texas holds on against Oakland, and Boston fades a bit down the stretch and falls behind Tampa.  Should be lots of exciting baseball.

How do the remaining Red Sox/Yankees games play out?

New heat has been added to a long-time rivalry.  These two clubs will be at each other no matter what the standings.  (Does Dempster get another start against the Yanks?)  Should be exciting and controversial.

Can Puig – the rookie with the big number (66) and big swing – win the NL ROY?

Who wins NL Rookie of the Year?

Unlike the AL, competition is deep.  Leading the pack may be Dodgers’ outfielder Yasiel Puig, as much for the new swagger he has brought to the now streaking Dodgers as for his results (.351-11-27 in 67 games).  But you can’t count out Miami’s 20-year-old sensation Jose Fernandez, with his 9-5 record, 2.41 ERA and 157 punch outs in 145 1/3 innings for the last-place Marlins.  Also in the running are hurlers Shelby Miller (11-8, 2.98, 145 strikeouts in 132 2/3 innings for the Cardinals) and the Dodgers’ Hyun-Jin Ryu (12-4, 2.95, with 126 strikeouts in 155 2/3 innings.)  Looking at the pitchers, Fernandez seems to have an edge.  Miller has given up seven runs (five earned) in 13 innings, since being hit in the elbow by a line drive on August 7 – although all appears okay; Ryu does not have the strikeout numbers of Miller or Fernandez; and Fernandez recently topped Ryu in a heads-up match-up.  More likely, however, the three pitchers split votes and Puig takes the award, despite not making his MLB debut until June 3. (There is a precedence, Willie McCovey won the 1959 NL ROY, despite not making his first appearance until July 30.  He then went .354-13-38 in 51 games).

Will Yadier Molina join the short list of catchers who have won batting titles?

Atlanta third-baseman Chris Johnson currently leads Molina .335 to .334.  If Molina wins, he will join Joe Mauer (three titles); Ernie Lombardi (two titles); Bubbles Hargrave; and Buster Posey among catchers with battling titles.  BBRT likes Molina’s chances, although with their big lead, Atlanta may rest Johnson down the stretch, keeping his bat fresh.  Should be a close one.

Will Clayton Kershaw keep ERA under 2.00 for streaking Dodgers?

Will Clayton Kershaw finish with an ERA under 2.00?

Only two pitchers (ERA qualifiers) have turned in ERA’s under 2.00 since 2000. Roger Clemens (Astros) was the last to do it – 1.87 in 2005. In the AL, Pedro Martinez (Red Sox) posted a 1.74 ERA in 2000.  Martinez’ achievement was, perhaps, the most spectacular.  The second best ERA in the AL was 3.70 (Clemens, with the Yankees), giving Martinez the largest ERA edge ever at 1.96. Kershaw current stands at 12-7, 1.80, and had posted a 1.35 ERA in three August starts.  BBRT expects a sub-2.00 season.

There’s plenty more to keep and eye on, but these are a few stories of interest for BBRT.  Care to share what intrigues you as MLB moves toward October?

On this day (August 16) in 2002, a group of Little Leaguers – all pushing 60-years-old – was honored at the Little League World Series.  They were a group that, as 11- and 12-year-olds, made the trip to Williamsport as a team, but never had the opportunity to play a game.  Still, this team – the 1955 Cannon Street YMCA All Stars (Charleston, South Carolina) – has been recognized for its contributions racial understanding and equality on and off the field.

Jackie Robinson may have broken Major League Baseball’s “color line” in 1947, but in 1955, there was still plenty of controversy surrounding integration – as evidenced by the events surrounding the 1955 Little League World Series.

In the summer of 1955, there were more than 62 chartered Little League programs in South Carolina.  All but one of those leagues – the Cannon Street YMCA Little League in Charleston – was made up entirely of white players.  As the season progressed, the Cannon Street League played its full schedule and then selected a team to represent the league in the tournament leading up to the Little League World Series.

You can learn more about their season …

Cannon Street’s All Star squad advanced in the tournament without losing a game – not because they overpowered the opposition, but because all of the teams representing South Carolina’s “white” Little League simply refused to play them.  Cannon Street won their city and state championship tournaments by forfeit.  Then, when championship teams from the seven other Southern Region states refused to play the Cannon Street team, Little League declared the squad the regional champion as well.  (The “white” leagues eventually went so far as to leave Little League and form a new association, Dixie Baseball for Boys.)

Little League, to its credit, held firm to its non-discrimination policy, rejected the South Carolina affiliate’s request for an all-white tournament and ruled that if a team refused to play against a duly franchised Little League, that team would not be allowed to participate in the Little League tournament. That left only one team standing in North Carolina – the Cannon Street squad. The next step should have been competing in the Little League Series – but here’s where rules overruled common sense.  Little League officials also held firm on a rule prohibiting teams from playing for the World Series title after advancing by forfeits.

The organization did, however, invite the Cannon Street team to Williamsport as guests.  The story has it that the team made the 750-mile trip to Williamsport in an old school bus that broke down a few times and even caught fire along the way.  Once in Williamsport, the team stayed in the dorms with other teams and took part in the festivities surrounding the World Series (even on-field warm-ups) – but were not allowed to play a game.

Notably, after their on-field warm-ups, the crowd in the stands (estimated at about 5,000) began a stadium-rattling chant of “Let them play! Let them play!”  (A shining moment for a crowd of Little League families.)  Clearly, the team may have not won a game in Williamsport, but they won quite a few hearts.  And, over the years, members of the team lived their lives and told their story with dignity – opening quite a few eyes (and hearts) as well.

Forty-seven-years later, members of that team were honored at the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Little League World Series.  At that ceremony, Little League president and CEO Stephen Keener told the crowd and the team,  “There is no way to right the wrong perpetrated on the boys of the Cannon Street YMCA Little League team, just as there is no way to right the wrongs perpetrated throughout history on people because of their skin color.  Little League will be honored to have the Cannon Street team with us as our special guests.”  A big day for Little League.

And there have been other accolades.

In 2006, the team was inducted into the Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame and, in 2012, the city of Charleston unveiled an historical marker honoring the players for their accomplishments and contributions on and off the field

Earlier this year, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), read the following tribute into the Congressional Record:

In the heart of Charleston, SC, lies Cannon Street; it’s a modest street spanning just a few city blocks. However, within its history lies the story of what Dr. Creighton Hale, the former CEO of little league baseball, called “the most significant amateur team in baseball history.”

In 1955, the area surrounding this street was one of economic blight and social unease. In an effort to keep kids out of trouble and teach skills that only team sports can provide, the local YMCA organized four little league teams for the neighborhood kids. The Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars consisted of seventeen players: John Bailey, Charles Bradley, Vermont Brown, William Godfrey, Vernon Grey, Allen Jackson, Carl Johnson, John Mack, Leroy Major, David Middleton, Arthur Peoples, John Rivers, Norman Robinson, Maurice Singleton, Leroy Carter, George Gregory, and Augustus Holt. They were coached and founded by: Lee J. Bennett, Walter Burke, Rufus Dilligard, A.O. Graham, Robert Morrison, R.H. Penn, and Benjamin Singleton. The team would advance to the Charleston City Little League playoff games, but would never be given the opportunity to earn a spot in the Little League World Series. It was not because they were unworthy players or because they could not afford to go. The color of their skin stifled the dreams of these twelve-year-old boys.

The Charleston playoff games were boycotted in 1955 to preserve racial segregation. Because teams again refused to play against them, the Cannon Street All-Stars advanced past the state and regional playoffs. The National Little League invited the All-Stars to the Little League World Series as special guests; they could not compete for the title because technically they hadn’t played their way to the championships. They returned to Charleston, dismayed and disappointed.

As children, they embodied the very characteristics that organized sports aim to impart–teamwork, courage and respect. As adults they have worked in productive and valuable careers such as architecture, law enforcement and education. As they have grown older, they are now volunteers in their communities–giving back, yet again. While they never had the opportunity to compete, their story has demonstrated where we have come from as a nation.

Last month members of my staff had the opportunity to meet several of the original Cannon Street Little Leaguers who traveled to Washington, DC to be recognized at Nationals Stadium before the Nationals-Phillies game. Their story remains powerful more than 65 years later, and I know my staff will never forget having the opportunity to meet them.

Today, the neighborhood that encompasses Cannon Street has developed into an integral part of the Charleston education and science community. It is home to a number of colleges and universities and a world-class research hospital. The boys of the Cannon Street Little League Team are men who through their careers and service to the community have become assets to their neighborhoods. In spite of the adversity they encountered and the challenges they confronted, these young people illustrated to the world the absurdity of segregation and the hatred inherent in racism.

In the 55 years since they were excluded from competing to earn a spot at the Little League World Series in their own right, America has matured. I would like to believe that a handful of twelve-year-olds contributed to our maturity.

It is with great admiration that I share their story and my respect for these men with you, my colleagues.

You can learn more about the Cannon Street YMCA All Stars in William Godfrey’s book, “The Team Nobody Would Play,” in the film “The Cannon Street Boys,” in Margo Theis Raven’s children’s book “Let Them Play” and in Carole Boston Weatherford children’s book “Champions on the Bench.”

My Minnesota Twins (BBRT hails from Minnesota) are currently excited about 27-year-old rookie lefthander Andrew Albers, who has started his major league career with 17 1/3 scoreless innings pitched (two starts, two wins, one complete game shutout, six hits, one walk, four strikeouts).   Albers, in fact, might have two complete game whitewashes to his credit, except Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire thought he was tiring and pulled him from his last start with one down and two runners on (single, walk) in the ninth.

Gardenhire didn’t prove to be much of a prognosticator before Albers took the mound yesterday for his second start, noting that “If he goes out and tries to duplicate what he did before, he’ll get in trouble.”  Albers not only duplicated his first start, he took it to the next level, in a 102-pitch, 3-0 win over the Indians.

The publicity surrounding Albers’ start got BBRT to thinking about the MLB record holder for scoreless innings at the start of a career – current Diamondbacks’ reliever Brad Ziegler, who came up with the A’s in 2008 and pitched 39 major league innings before being touched for a run.  Albers and Zeigler, it turns out, have a lot in common – including college stardom, significant injuries, being released by the MLB team that originally signed them, stints in independent league ball, making the best of second chances and PERSEVERANCE.  Note:  It’s stories like these that help fuel BBRT’s love of the game.

Albers, who was a standout hurler at the University of Kentucky, was drafted in the tenth round (Padres) of the 2008 draft, and made five appearances in the 2008 Arizona Rookie League.  He injured his pitching elbow during 2009 Spring Training and missed the entire season (and was released by the Padres) after Tommy John surgery.  In 2010, Albers pitched (and pitched well … 3-0, 17 saves, 1.40 ERA) for the Québec Capitales of the independent Can-Am Association.  After a 2011 tryout, the Twins signed Albers to a minor league contract.  He went on to put up a 24-10 record, with a 2.91 ERA over the past three minor league seasons, 11-5 with a 2.86 ERA in 22 Triple A starts this year.

Brad Ziegler, despite two skull fractures, he is giving HITTERS headaches.

Ziegler, like Albers, was a standout pitcher in college, setting Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State) records for starts, wins and strikeouts.  He was drafted by the Phillies in the 20^th round of the 2003 MLB draft.  Ziegler, however, threw only six minor-league innings, before being sidelined by shoulder tendinitis.  Like Albers, Zeigler was released by his first MLB organization (just before the start of the 2004 season) and ended up pitching in the independent leagues (Schaumburg Flyers of the Northern League) – where his performance (four starts, three wins, 1.50 ERA) earned him a spot in the Oakland A’s organization.  (Oakland had originally drafted Zeigler in 2002, but he elected to return for his senior year at MSU.)

Zeigler pitched well at Oakland’s Modest0 (High A) club in 2004, going 9-2, 3.90, as Modesto made the playoffs. Then, while pitching in the playoffs, injury struck again – in the form of a line drive that fractured Ziegler’s skull.  Zeigler, however, recovered and pushed.   From 2005 until his call up in 2008, he moved steadily up the A’s minor league ladder.

It was during this time, actually in 2007, that the A’s asked Ziegler to try more of a sidearm approach – and Ziegler went 12-3, 2.41 as a reliever (Double A and Triple A) in 2007.   He continued to refine his new delivery in 2008 and was 2-0, 0.37 ERA in 19 appearances at Triple A Sacramento, when the A’s called him up in late May. (Note: If all of Ziegler trials weren’t enough, he also suffered a second skull fracture in January of 2008, the result of a deflected throw at a youth baseball camp.)

In his first MLB game, Ziegler pitched one-third of an inning (giving up a single) in an 8-4 loss to Texas.  Twenty-eight appearances, and 38 2/3 innings pitched, later, Ziegler still had not given up an earned run.  In those 39 innings, he gave up just 21 hits, while walking 11 and striking out 18 – and, as of August 8, earned the A’s closer role.

Ziegler’s streak came in the ninth inning of an August 14^th game against the Tampa Bay Rays.  After pitching a 1-2-3 eighth, Ziegler gave up a run on a single by Akinori Iwamura and a double by B.J. Upton (the first extra base hit Ziegler had allowed).  Ziegler ended the season with 47 games pitched, a 3-0 record, 11 saves and a 1.06 ERA.  He remains active today, pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he has a 6-1 record, with seven saves and a 2.19 ERA.

Zeigler and Albers, persevering, despite the odds.