Archives for May 2019

Red Rover. Red Rover. Let Max (or Cliff) Come Over.

May 30, 2019 by David

On this date (May 30) in 1922, the Cubs and Cardinals made a trade that made MLB history. The two squads were facing off (in Chicago) in a Memorial Day doubleheader. Remember those?

The Cubs won Game One 4-2 – and batting fifth in their lineup (collecting one RBI, despite going 0-for-4) was RF Max Flack. The CF for the Cardinals that game (batting seventh) was Cliff Heathcote – who went 0-for-3. Flack was in his ninth season for the Cubs, while Heathcote was in his fifth season for the Cardinals.

In between Games of the twin bill, Flack and Heathcote were traded for each other. The two outfielders each crossed over to their new team’s clubhouse and suited up against their previous team for Game Two – becoming the first two players to take the field for two major league teams in a single day. Both collected hits for their new teams in the second game (Flack a single in four at bats, Heathcote a pair of singles in four trips to the plate).

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Everyone Loves Barney – Well, Maybe Not Casey Stengel

May 25, 2019 by David

Not everyone loves Barney – Dreyfuss, that is. On this date (May 25) in 1919, Casey Stengel famously gave Pittsburgh Pirates’ owner Barney Dreyfuss the “bird.” It has been reported that Stengel – a former Brooklyn Robin (Dodgers) – was aiming this bit of wildlife sarcasm at the Brooklyn fans. Here, however, is the tale of that day, as told by someone who was there – one of Casey’s Pittsburgh teammates. After the video, BBRT will also share some Stengel trivia and, of course, quotes.

With that out of the way, here’s piece of trivia to, perhaps, stump your friends.

What New York outfielder – and future Hall of Famer – hit Yankee Stadium’s first-ever post-season inside-the-park and over-the-fence home runs? (Both game winners, by the way.)

Nope, it wasn’t Babe Ruth, although he was there. The batsman was New York Giants’ center fielder Casey Stengel – and here’s the story.

Photo by The Library of Congress

On October 10, 1923, Yankee Stadium hosted its first-ever post-season game. Appropriately, the first World Series in “The House that Ruth Built” featured a six-game Yankees’ victory and three round trippers by the Babe himself. However, New York Giants’ outfielder Casey Stengel nearly stole the show.

In Game One, Stengel (playing center field and batting sixth) Casey Stengel (one-for-two with a walk at the time) came up in the top of the ninth with the score knotted at four apiece, two out and no one on. Stengel hit a drive to deep left-center and dashed around the bases – losing a shoe along the way – to score the winning run (and record the first post-season home run in Yankee Stadium history).

The Series then went to the Polo Grounds for Game Two (the home sites would alternate game-by-game for this all-NY World Series), where Ruth would poke a pair of home runs as the Yankees prevailed 4-2. Then back to Yankee Stadium, where Stengel hit the second-ever post-season home run in that ballpark – a seventh-inning, over-the-fence shot that provided the winning tally in a Giants’ 1-0 victory. The Yankees went on to win the Series four games to two.

By the way, Stengel, who hit .339 in 75 regular-season games for the Giants that season, hit .417, with two homers and four RBI in the Series.

Here, before we look at some Stengel quotes, are a few tidbits about “The Ol’ Perfessor.”

Stengel was a solid athlete. At Central High School in Kansas City, Missouri, he played football, basketball and baseball (pitcher/third base/second base).
Stengel had intended to be a dentist – and actually attended dental college.
In his first MLB game (September 17, 1912, with Brooklyn), Stengel collected four singles and a walk – and stole two bases – in five plate appearances.
In 14 MLB seasons (Dodgers, Pirates, Phillies, Giants, Braves), Stengel hit .284, with 60 home runs, 535 RBI and 131 stolen bases. Although often platooned (he played 100 or more games in just seven seasons), he hit .300 or better in four campaigns and, in 1914, led the NL in on-base percentage (.404). He also notched double-digit triples in five seasons.
Stengel managed in the major leagues for 25 seasons (Dodgers, Bees/Braves, Yankees, Mets) – running up a 1,905-1,842 record.
In the 12 seasons from 1949 through 1960, Stengel managed the Yankees to 10 American League pennants and seven World Series Championships.

Now, how about a few of those famous/infamous Stengel quotes.

He (Lyndon B. Johnson) wanted to see poverty, so he came to see my team (1964 New York Mets).
He’d fall in a sewer and come up with a gold watch. (About Yogi Berra.)
He threw the ball as far from the bat and as close to the plate as possible. (About Satchel Paige.)
Being with a woman all night never hurt no professional baseball player. It’s staying up all night looking for a woman that does him in.
There comes a time in every man’s life, and I’ve had plenty of them.
Good pitching will always stop good hitting and vice-versa.About Casey Stengel

“Casey (Stengel) knew his baseball. He only made it look like he was fooling around. He knew every move that was ever invented and some that we haven’t even caught on to yet.”

Sparky Anderson

More Stengel quotes:

This club (1969 New York Mets) plays better baseball now. Some of them look fairly alert.
All right everyone, line up alphabetically according to your height.
Most people my age are dead at the present time. You can look it up.
They told me my services were no longer desired because they wanted to put in a youth program as an advance way of keeping the club going. I’ll never make the mistake of being seventy again.”
Never make predictions, especially about the future.

My Favorite Casey Stengel Quote

When you are younger you get blamed for crimes you never committed and, when you are older, you begin to get credit for virtues you never possessed. It evens itself out.

Primary Resrouces: Baseball-Reference.com; Society for American Baseball Research; Baseball-Almanac.com

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Roger Maris Take Your Base – Four Intentional Walks in a Game

May 22, 2019 by David

On this date (May 22) in 1962, the Yankees Roger Maris set an MLB record (since broken) by drawing four intentional walks in a single game. As the Yankees squeezed by the Angels 2-1 in 12 innings (in New York), Maris drew five walks (four intentional) in six trips to the plate. (Andre Dawson, Cubs, drew five intentional passes in a 16-inning game on May 22, 1990. Maris still holds a share of the AL record.)

Here’s how Maris ’evening went it went:

Second inning – Fly out to center, leading off (facing Dean Chance)

Fourth Inning – Walk with no one on and one out (Chance)

Sixth Inning – Intentional walk with runners on second and third and no outs (Chance)

Eighth Inning – Intentional walk with a runner on second and one out (Ryne Duren)

Tenth Inning – Intentional walk with a runner on second and two out (Jack Spring)

Twelfth Inning – Intentional walk with a runner on third and one out (Tom Morgan).

A BIT OF IRONY

While Maris set the record for intentional walks in a single game in 1962, he did not draw a single intentional pass in 1961 – when he hit 61 round trippers (the most home runs ever by a player not drawing a single intentional pass in a season). In fact, his 61-home run season is the only season in his MLB career that Maris did not draw a single IBB. (It helps to have Mickey Mantle hitting behind you.)

Barry Bonds – King of the Intentional Walk

Notably, when you talk intentional walks, the conversation pretty much has to focus on Barry Bonds. (We need to keeping in mind, however, that IBB’s did not become an official statistic until 1955.) Bonds holds the records for:

IBB in a season – 120 with the Giants in 2004. (Bonds, in fact, holds the top three spots. The first non-Barry on the list is the Giants’ Willie McCovey with 45.) In 2004, Bonds also set the single-season mark for total walks with 232. Note: Only three players had as many total walks as Bonds had intentional walks in 2004 – Bobby Abreu, Lance Berkman, and Todd Helton (127 each).
IBB in a career – 688. Second Place goes to the still active Albert Pujols of the Angels with 310 as this is written. Stan Musial comes in third at 298.
Most seasons leading the league in IBB – 12.
Most IBB’s in a nine-inning game – four (twice) on May 1 and September 22, 2004.

Barry Bonds hit .362 with 45 home runs and 101 RBI the year he drew an MLB record 120 intentional walks (2004). The season he hit 73 home runs (2001), he drew only 35 free passes. That season, Sammy Sosa led MLB with 37 free passes (and hit 64 dingers).

A few other free-pass marks:

Most IBB in a season in the American League – 33 by Ted Williams in 1957 and John Olerud in 1993.
Most IBB to a rookie – 16 to Mariners’ OF Al Davis in 1984, when he hit ..284-27-116 and was the AL Rookie of the Year.
Most intentional walks received by a team in a game – Six, provided by the Cardinals (to the Giants) in a 5-2 loss On July 19, 1975 – with three going to number-eight hitter catcher Dave Rader.

WHAT SKIPPER? PUT HIM ON? THERE’S NO PLACE TO PUT HIM?

Six players have received intentional walks with the bases loaded: Abner Dalrymple (August 2, 1881); Nap Lajoie (May 23, 1901); Del Bissonette (May 2, 1928); Bill Nicholson (July 23, 1944); Barry (of course, he did) Bonds (May 28, 1998); and Josh Hamilton (August 17, 2008).

Primary Resources: Baseball-Almanac.com; Baseball-Reference.com; MLB.com.

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Running Wild in Cleveland – A Couple (a trio, actually) of Unexpected Steals of Home

May 21, 2019 by David

On this date (May 21) 22 years ago (1997), thought I’d save you the math), Jim Thome – he of the 612 home runs – won a game for the Indians, not with his bat, but with his feet.

Photo by Keith Allison

It came about in the bottom of the fourth inning of a scoreless tie (versus the Royals). Thome (playing 1B and batting third) that day opened the inning with a single off Royals’ starter Kevin Appier. Indians’ third baseman Matt Williams followed with a single, with Thome moving up one base. DH Julio Franco then grounded to second base, with Williams forced at second, Thome going to third and Franco safe on the fielder’s choice.

On the fourth pitch to RF Brian Giles, Franco broke for second arriving safely ahead of Royals’ catcher Time Spehr’s throw. During the play Thome scampered (Would lumbered be a better word?) home – stealing home and scoring what turned out to be the only run in a 1-0 Indians’ victory. The two hits in the fourth inning were, in fact, the only hits the Indians would get off Appier, who pitched a complete game (with eight walks and seven strikeouts), while four Indians’ pitchers shut out the Royals.

How unexpected was the 6’4”, 250 pound Thome’ swipe of home? Consider:

1) It was his only stolen base of the 1997 season – he only attempted two;

2) He only stole 19 bases in his 22-season career – and was thrown out 20 times;

3) It was his only career steal of home; and

4) After that steal of home, he only stole four more bases (over the next 15 seasons.)

Thome’s steal of home is not the most momentous – and, perhaps, not the most surprising – in Cleveland Indians’ lore. On this August 14, 1958, Indians’ 3B Vic Power became just the eleventh player in MLB history to steal home twice in one game – a feat that has not been accomplished since. What makes this momentous is that (like Thome’s steal) Power’s second steal of home was a game winner. It came in the bottom of the tenth and gave the Tribe a 10-9 “run-off” victory. What made it surprising is that Power stole only one other base all season.

Here’s how it went down. The Tigers were leading the Indians 7-4 going into the bottom of the eighth inning. Cleveland RF Rocky Colavito started the inning with his second home run of the game (his 26th of the season). Then pinch-hitter Gary Geiger (hitting for SS Woodie Held) walked. Next up was another pinch hitter – Vic Wertz – for pitcher Morrie Martin. Wertz tied the contest with a two-run long ball.

After a Detroit pitching change – Bill Fischer in for Tom Morgan – Indians’ 2B Bobby Avila reached on an error by Tigers’ 1B Gail Harris. Cleveland 1B Mickey Vernon sacrificed Avila to second and Power singled him home – moving to second on an error by Detroit catcher Charlie Lau. And, the pesky Power was just warming up. He went to third on a wild pitch by Fischer and then stole home (after a short fly out to center by catcher Russ Nixon) to run the lead to 9-7. LF Minnie Minoso was up next and was hit by a pitch and stole second before CF Larry Doby flied out to end the inning.

The Cleveland bullpen, however, could not hold the two-run lead – and the Tigers tied it in the top of the ninth. That opened the door for Power’s historic second steal of home – which came in the bottom of the tenth, with the bases loaded, two outs and one of the AL’s most dependable RBI men (Rocky Colavito, with 74 driven in on the season) at the plate.

Here’s how that tenth went. Vernon grounded out. Then, Power singled to right (his third hit of the day, raising his average to .319). Nixon followed with another single, Power moving to second. Minoso grounded to short, with Power moving on to third, Nixon forced at second and Minoso reaching first on the fielder’s choice. Larry Doby was intentionally walked, loading the bases and bringing Colavito to the dish. On the fourth pitch to the Indians’ slugger, Power – who had been scampering up and down the third base line – broke for the plate and ended the game on steal of home.

Hmmm? That seems a bit odd.

Both Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth notched double-digit steals of home in their MLB careers (15 and 10, respectively). Among those who did not reach ten steals of home plate? Rickey Henderson, Lou Brock and Maury Wills.

Going into that August 14 tilt, Power had exactly one stolen base on the season – and he did not steal a single a bag (after the two steals of home) that campaign. The fact is, he was much more likely to beat you with his glove (seven Gold Gloves) or his bat (.284 career average) than his legs. In twelve MLB seasons, Power stole just 45 bases (and was caught 35 times).

Hmmm? This seems to make sense.

Ty Cobb stole home an MLB-record 54 times – 21 more times than runner up Max Carey. Cobb also holds the MLB and AL record with eight steals of home in a season (Tigers, 1912). Pete Reiser holds the NL record at seven (Dodgers, 1946).

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Grassroots Baseball – Where Legends Begin … A BBRT Review – Capturing Baseball Played for the Love of the Game

May 18, 2019 by David

Grassroots Baseball

Where Legends Begin

Photographs by Jean Fruth

Sports Publishing, 2019

$60.00

Home sweet home. What makes baseball such an important part of our lives is that the game constantly pays tribute to where the heart is. After all, the only way to score runs is to leave home and then return.

From the foreword to Grassroots Baseball

If anyone can bring home the special passion that beats in the heart of our national pastime, it is photographer Jean Fruth – one of baseball’s preeminent photographers. In her book, Grassroots Baseball … Where Legends Begin, she does just that – presenting more than 250 heart-touching images from amateur fields and ball parks across the United States and from baseball-loving communities around the globe. You will be carried, visually, from the hot and dusty amateur ball fields of the Dominican Republic to the urban youth diamonds of New York City to the site of the Little League World Series in Williamsport to the colorful fields in Mexico upon which Caribbean Series is played – and plenty of places in between. BBRT Note: At the end of this post, you will find a BBRT interview with photograph Jean Fruth.

Jean Fruth’s photographs tell an uplifting story about baseball in its purest form – played for the love of the game. If you are a fan of the national pastime, you should have this book.

Baseball Roundtable

Fruth’s photos tell the story of growing up with baseball – in communities and circumstances ranging from places where home plate is a discarded license plate and baseball gloves are fashioned from old milk cartons to communities where youngsters can take advantage of batting cages and pitching machines. But the real story here may be what the youngsters who play on these diverse fields and in these widely varying conditions have in common. As you look at the faces of the young ballplayers in these photos, you will see grit, determination and concentration; elation and disappointment; quiet reflection and fierce competition; but mostly you will see wide-eyed joy – the joy of being on the ball field playing a game they all love.

The culture of Baseball is much more than what happens on the field. Shooting action is wonderful, but what makes baseball special and photo-worthy is how the sport shapes the culture in which it is played, and how local culture reflects the sport. The stories you can tell through pictures are often a direct reflection of the places in which the game is being played.

Jean Fruth

How good is Jean Fruth’s art? How well does her lens capture the heart and soul of the game? The list of those contributing the words that open and close the book and set the stage for each of its visual chapters tells that story.

Consider this lineup of contributors:

Introduction – Cal Ripken, Jr.

New York – Whitey Ford

Mexico – Fernando Valenzuela

Mobile, Alabama – Hank Aaron

Japan – Ichiro Suzuki

Cape Cod – Craig Biggio

Oakland – Rickey Henderson

Cuba – Tony Pérez

Williamsport, PA – Randy Johnson

Puerto Rico – Iván Rodríguez

Tampa, FL – Wade Boggs

Caribbean Series – Juan Marichal

Aberdeen, ML – Cap Ripken, Jr.

Curaçao – Hensley Meulens

Texas – Nolan Ryan

Afterward – Johnny Bench

And what stories they share! Not so much about their accomplishments on the major-league level, but how they (like most of those pictured in the book) grew up with the game. I won’t share too much, but here are a few examples from their stories.

Whitey Ford’s earliest memories involved a broomstick bat, a pink rubber Spaldeen ball – and “fields” laid out on the streets of New York.
Hank Aaron was discovered playing semi-pro softball.
Ricky Henderson was born in the back of an Oldsmobile.

Randy Johnson – from Grassroots Baseball

“I remember my very first Little League practice. My parents were at work. My five brothers and sisters and I were raised to do things on our own, so I took myself to practice. There we so many people there that I just became confused and went home without playing. Fortunately, when I walked through the door my mom was there. She took me by the hand and made sure my life in baseball started that day … Thanks for getting me to practice, Mom.

Valdimir Guerrero left school in the fifth grade to help take care of his brothers and sisters.Wade Boggs began playing Little League ball (age 5),hit bat was taller than he was. Oh yes, and he had 26 hits in his last 32 high school at bats.
Juan Marichal, while playing amateur ball, was one put in jail for six days (along with his teammates), after losing a doubleheader.

Iván Rodríguez– from Grassroots Baseball

I always had a good arm, even as a little kid. When I was nine-years-old, I set my youth league record for strikeouts and no-hitters. At a regional tournament in La Llanura, I hit three batters. My dad pulled me from the game and told me from then on I was going to be a catcher.

By that enough about words – it’s Jean Fruth’s pictures that really tell the story. And, it’s a great and uplifting story about baseball in its purest form. Her photographs capture the colors and drama of the game – whether it’s played on dusty sandlots or in stadiums that hold 45,000; whether the game action unfolds under blue skies and bright sunshine or against the contrast of blue-black skies and bright ballpark lights; and whether that participants are youngsters in short and T-shirts or adolescents in full uniforms. But mostly, again, Fruth’s photographs capture the joy of the game, as it can only be expressed when you are playing for the love of the game. Again, if you are a fan of the game, you should have this book.

Maybe Ken Griffey, Jr. put it best, “Photography and baseball are both arts. Jean beautifully captures the youthfulness and charisma of the game of baseball.”

You can order Grassroots Baseball – Where Legends Begin (a signed copy for $55, including shipping and tax at www.grassrootsbaseball.com

Below is a brief biography and a Baseball Roundtable interview with Jean Fruth..

___________________________________________________

About Jean Fruth

Jean Fruth is one of baseball’s preeminent photographers. A talented and creative portrait, studio and on-location photographer, she first turned her focus intensely on baseball covering the Giants and A’s for more than a decade. She then turned her attention to the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, helping to build the museum’s profile and photo archive by contributing her work to the Hall over a three-year period. While shooting for the Hall of Fame, her year-round baseball calendar started with the Caribbean Series; moved on to Spring Training, the MLB regular season and post season; and, finally, to winter ball in Latin America.

Jean is a traveling photographer for La Vida Baseball and is honored to be recognized by Sony as one of its 41 Sony Artisans of Imagery, worldwide.

—–BASEBALL ROUNDTABLE INTERVIEW WITH JEAN FRUTH.—–

BBRT: Your guest writers for each section provide readers with insight into how they developed their interest in baseball. Can you share some insight into how you first became interested in photography? And, later, what drew you to focus – bad pun intended – on baseball?

Fruth:

I started with a portrait photography business that I owned with two women partners in Healdsburg, California. This was in the pre-digital era, so we worked exclusively with film. We offered portraits in-studio and on-location. We worked with black-and-white film, had a darkroom and would print all of our own work.

While in the portrait business, I started coaching my son’s rookie ball and Little League teams and started shooting his games for posterity. I later sent images of the League’s All-Star games to the local paper and eventually they asked me to shoot high-school sports for them. I shot all sports, but mainly football and baseball. My love for baseball photography started with my son and blossomed when I began shooting Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants games – and then for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

BBRT: Baseball has often been called the most literary of sports, worthy of all the words written about it. From your perspective what also makes it photo-worthy?

Fruth:

The culture of Baseball is much more than what happens on the field. Shooting action is wonderful, but what makes baseball special and photo-worthy is how the sport shapes the culture in which it is played, and how local culture reflects the sport. The stories you can tell through pictures are often a direct reflection of the places in which the game is being played.

BBRT: What do you try to capture when you are taking pictures of the game and those who play and watch it?

Fruth:

My goal is to tell stories. With action photos I want to capture the athlete in peak moments: ball on bat; jumping high in the air against the wall making a catch; running with a helmet flying off; or making the tag at home on a close play. With those shots, ideally they also give a sense of place. Fenway Park has the Green Monster; Wrigley has the ivy; the ballpark in Pittsburgh is surrounded by beautiful bridges; and the Giants have the signature Coca-Cola bottle in left field.

For grassroots baseball, in the south, maybe there was a church in the background to include. In Texas, a billboard promoting barbecue. And then there are the stories. A father and son sitting in a dugout taking a breather from practice in the late afternoon sun. In the Dominican Republic, maybe it’s a kid catching with one shin guard because equipment is hard to come by, or a training facility where players are pulling tires with a rope around their waist to strengthen legs and core, versus having access to a weight room.

BBRT: Is there anything you find especially unique about baseball – from a photographer’s perspective – versus other sports?

Fruth:

Baseball’s ties to community tend to run deep, because of the long connection the sport has in helping to shape culture and values. Those intrinsic links allow photographers to story-tell in more expansive and interesting ways that extend well beyond the ball field.

BBRT: You have quite a lineup of players sharing their stories in the book. How did you choose them?

Fruth:

The goal was to have a legend from each area tell his “grassroots story.” There are so many wonderful legends from all of these areas. Each legend was asked to participate for different reasons. The wonderful part was that when the project was explained and they learned that focus was on kids and the grassroots game, everyone happily accepted my invitation. I already had relationships with many of the legends from photographing them and seeing them in ballparks over the years.

Pudge Rodriguez was one of them. Because we knew each other well, he allowed me to join him when he returned home to Puerto Rico from the New York City press conference announcing that he would be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I had the privilege of spending a week documenting his return, not only to his home town, but everywhere on the island that he was celebrated.

I had the wonderful opportunity to meet and take portraits of so many Hall of Famers including Craig Biggio, Hank Aaron, Whitey Ford, Tony Perez and their families during Hall of Fame Weekend, and develop relationships with them all.

BBRT: Finally, any hints you’d give to all of us amateurs who occasionally try to capture a baseball scene?

Fruth:

Think about your backgrounds. Can you give your image a sense of place?

Think about your angle. Don’t shoot in the same old place each time. Everyone shoots from down first or third base lines. Can you shoot from a different angle? There are lots of images to be made behind a fence. Can you put your lens against the fence around home plate? Try to capture the batter with the runner on third base taking a lead. Can you get the beautiful chalked lines in your shot “down the line?” Can you get down at a low angle making your subject look heroic? Or from up high with a bird’s-eye view?

For additional baseball book reviews, click here.

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Edwin Jackson – Now MLB’s Most Traveled Player

May 15, 2019 by David

Photo by Keith Allison

When Edwin Jackson took the mound for the Blue Jays today, he pitched his way into the MLB record books – becoming the first player ever to take the field for 14 different MLB teams. (Jackson had been tied at 13 with Octavio Dotel). In this post, we’ll look at Jackson’s path (and record) through 14 teams in 17 major league seasons, as well as the record holders for teams played for in a season and even in a single day,

Here’s Jackson’s record – team by team.

How did he do it?

2001

Drafted by the Dodgers in June.

2003

Debuted with the Dodgers on September 9.

2006

June 14 – Traded by the Dodgers to the Rays. (Jackson and Chuck Tiffany for Danys Baez and Lance Carter.)

2008

December 10 – Traded by the Rays to the Tigers. (Jackson for Matthew Joyce.)

2009

December 8 – Went from the Tigers to the Diamondbacks in a three-team trade. (The Tigers sent Curtis Granderson to the Yankees; the Yankees sent Phil Coke and Austin Jackson to the Tigers; the Yankees sent Ian Kennedy to the Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks sent Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth to the Tigers. So, ultimately, the Tigers turned Jackson and Granderson into Coke, Austin Jackson, Scherzer and Schlereth.)

2010

July 30 – The Diamondbacks traded Jackson to the White Sox. (Jackson for David Holmberg and Daniel Hudson.)

2011

July 27 – Jackson was traded by the White Sox to the Blue Jays and (on the same day) from the Blue Jays to the Cardinals. (Jackson went to the Blue Jays – with Mark Teahen – for Jason Frasor and Zach Stewart. He then went to Cardinals – with Octavio Dotel, Corey Patterson and Marc Rzepczynski – for Trevor Miller, Colby Rasmus, Brian Tallet and P.J. Walters.)
October 30 – Granted free agency

2012

February 2 – Signed with the Nationals.
October 29 – Granted free agency.

2013

Signed with the Cubs.

2015

July 27 – Released by the Cubs.
August 14 – Signed with the Braves.
November 2 – Granted free agency.

2016

January 13 – Signed with the Marlins.
June 2 – Released by the Marlins.
June 29 – Signed with the Padres.
November 3 – Granted free agency.

2017

April 5 – Signed with the Orioles.
June 13 – Granted free agency.
June 16 – Signed with the Nationals.
November 2 – Granted free agency.

2018

January 11 – Signed with the Nationals.
June 1 – Released by the Nationals.
June 6 – Signed with the A’s.
October 29 – Granted free agency.

2019

April 11 – Signed with the A’s.
May 19 – Purchased from the A’s by the Blue Jays.

________________________________________________

—–Most Teams Played for in a Season—–

In 2018, 32-year-old right-hander Oliver Drake set a new major-league mark by playing for five MLB teams in a single season (previously more than dozen players shared the record at four).

Drake began the season with the Brewers (where he finished the previous campaign), After going 1-0, 6.39 in eleven appearances, he was designated for assignment on May 2 and, on May 5, purchased from the Brewers by the Indians.

He was with Tribe until the final week in May – going 0-0,with a 12.46 ERA in just four appearances – before again being designated for assignment.

May 31, he was selected off waivers by the Angels. Sixteen days (and 0-1, 10.13 record), later he was again designated for assignment. He went unclaimed and reported to the Angels’ Salt Lake City Triple-A affiliate – where he was pretty much lights out. That earned him a trip back to Anaheim, where he added four more appearances, with an 0-0, 3.00 record – and was again designated for assignment.

He was picked up (off waivers) by the Blue Jays on July 26 and was there for just two appearances (giving up three runs in 1 2/3 innings) before again being designated for assignment.

On August 3, he was selected off waivers by the Twins – his fifth MLB team of the season – where he found a bit more success and stability. Pitching for his fifth MLB team of the year, Drake finished the season with Minnesota, getting in 19 games and posting a 2.21 ERA an fanning 22 batters in in 20 1/3 innings pitched.What did that get him? In the off-season, he was again designate for assignment.

Oliver Drake finished the 2018 season with an 1-1 record, a 5.29 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings.

So, have things settled down? Drake was picked up by the Rays (waivers) on November 1, 2018; he was then designated again and picked up (waivers, November 26) by the Blue Jays; before being purchased by the Rays from the Jays on January 4, 2019).

Oliver Drake spent his first nine season in the Baltimore Orioles’ system. He was signed in the 43rd round of the 2008 Amateur Draft by the Orioles and made his MLB debut with the O’s in 2015. He also pitched for the Orioles in 2016 (and part of 2017).

As of this writing Drake is pitching for the Durham Bulls (Rays Triple A affiliate), where he is 1-1, 3.05, with six saves in 16 appearances.

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—-Most MLB Teams Player for In a Single Day—–

Taking the Field for Two Teams in a Single Day

Three players share the record for the most franchises played for in a single day at two. The first two to accomplish this feat were Max Flack and Cliff Heathcote, who were traded for each other between games of a Memorial Day 1922 Cubs/Cardinals doubleheader. The two outfielders each suited up against their previous team for Game Two. Both went hitless in game one of the doubleheader and both collected hits for their new teams in the second game (Flack a single in four at bats, Heathcote a pair of singles in four trips to the plate).

Joel Youngblood tied the record for teams played for in a single day in 1982, adding a twist – he played for and recorded hits for two different teams in two different cities on the same day. Let’s look at Youngblood’s unique achievement.

On August 4, 1982, Youngblood started his day as a member of the New York Mets, who were playing an afternoon game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Youngblood opened the game in center field, batting third. After striking out in the first inning, Youngblood drove in two runs with a single in the top of the third. Youngblood was unexpectedly replaced in center field by Mookie Wilson in the bottom of the fourth – and told by Mets’ manager George Bamberger that he had been traded to the Expos (for a player to be named later).

The Expos were scheduled to play in Philadelphia in Philadelphia that night, and Youngblood immediately set out to join his new team. He managed to catch a 6:05 p.m. flight to Philadelphia – eventually arriving at Veterans Stadium with the game in progress. To his surprise, there was an Expos uniform, with his name already sewn on the back, waiting for him. The Expos wasted no time getting there newest player into the game. Manager Jim Fanning sent Youngblood into right field and the number-two spot in the batting order (replacing Jerry White) in the sixth inning. In the top of the seventh, Youngblood singled in his first Expos’ at bat. Thus, Youngblood collected base hits for two different teams in two different cities in one day.

Youngblood’s feat is even more startling when you consider the pitchers he touched for his two safeties. In Chicago, it was future Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins; while in Philadelphia, it was future Hall of Famer Steve Carlton.

MOST MLB TEAMS PLAYED FOR IN A SINGLE DAY

Max Flack – May 30, 1922: Cubs (RF); Cardinals (RF).

Cliff Heathcote – May 30, 1922: Cardinals (CF); Cubs (RF).

Joel Youngblood – August 4, 1982: Mets (CF); Expos (RF).

Primary Resources: MLB.com; Baseball-Reference.com

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Filed Under: BB Fun Facts, Uncategorized

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Announces 2019 Hall of Game Electees

May 9, 2019 by David

Eric the Red – The Crime Dog – The Cobra – Smoke

Seventy-one MLB seasons – 13 All Star selections – 6 Gold Gloves – A National League MVP Award – A World Series MVP Award – Two All Star Game MVP Awards – A Pair of Batting Titles – A Pair of Home Run Crowns – Four Twenty- Win seasons. Those are just a few of the considerable – and well-earned – credentials of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) 2019 “Hall of Game” class.

The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) this week (May 7) announced its sixth annual “Hall of Game” induction class. This year’s class includes multi-year All-Star and Gold Glove and Silver Slugger honoree Eric Davis; five-time All-Star Fred McGriff; 1978 NL MVP Dave Parker; and 1989 World Series MVP Dave Stewart. The group will be inducted into the NLBM Hall of Game during ceremonies at Kansas City’s Gem Theater on Saturday, June 29, at 8 p.m. Hy-Vee, Inc. will be the presenting sponsor for the sixth consecutive year.

This four 2019 electees will join previous honorees (listed alphabetically): Dick Allen; Lou Brock; Orlando Cepeda; Roberto Clemente; Andre Dawson; Jim “Mudcat” Grant; Ricky Henderson; Fergie Jenkins; Kenny Lofton; Joe Morgan; Eddie Murray; Tony Oliva; Al Oliver; Tony Perez; Tim Raines; J.R. Richard; Lee Smith; Ozzie Smith; Louis Tiant, Jr.; Maury Wills; and Dave Winfield. Ceremonies are scheduled for 8:00 p.m., June 9 at the Gem Theatre, 1615 18th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

NEGRO LEAGUES BASEBALL MUSEUM HALL OF GAME

The NLBM established its Hall of Game in 2014 to recognize MLB greats “who competed with the same passion, determination, skill and flair exhibited by the heroes of the Negro Leagues.”

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Now, here’s a look at this year’s Hall of Game electees.

Eric Davis (OF, 1984-2001 … Reds, Dodgers, Tigers, Orioles, Cardinals, Giants)

Eric Davis, who combined speed and power, was a two-time All Star, three-Gold Glover and two-time Silver Slugger. He spent nine of his 17 MLB seasons with the Reds; hence, the nickname “Eric the Red.”

At his peak with Cincinnati, Reds’ manager Pete Rose described Davis as the greatest raw talent he had seen since Roberto Clemente.

In 1987, Davis had the best season of his MLB career – hitting .293, with 37 home runs, 100 RBI and 50 steals for the Reds (while also winning a Gold Glove for his outfield play). In the process, he became the first MLB player to hit at least 30 home runs and steal at least 50 bases in the same season.And, he accomplished all despite playing in just 129 games.

Davis all-out style of play resulted in a number of injuries during his career. In 1990, he suffered a lacerated kidney (requiring surgery) diving for a ball in Game Four of the World Series. He also had off-season surgery on a balky knee. A series of injuries continued to hamper his play and he eventually missed the entire 1995 season. In 1996, he returned (with the Reds) and hit .287, with 26 home runs, 83 RBI and 23 stolen bases – earning NL Comeback Player of the Year recognition.

Then, in 1997 (while with the Orioles), Davis was diagnosed with colon cancer in late May and left the team in for treatment. He returned, still undergoing treatment, in mid- September – and hit .310 in eight September games. (Davis was .304-8-25, in 42 games for the season). He also hit a game-winning home run in the ninth inning of Game Five of the American League Championship Series.

In 1998, Davis hit .327, with 28 homers and 89 RBI – also compiling a in 30-game hitting streak,

Upon retirement, after the 2001 season, Davis had .289 career average (1,430 hits), 282 home runs, 934 RBI and 349 steals. He had eight seasons of 20 or more home runs and seven of 20 or more steals (a high of 80 in 1986). He was a proven five-tool player, with an equally well-proven record of bouncing back from adversity.

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Fred McGriff (1B, 1986-2004 …Blue Jays, Padres, Braves, Rays, Cubs, Dodgers)

If you were looking for a consistent source of power Fred McGriff – the “Crime Dog” (Thank you, Chris Berman) – was your man. He hit 30 or more home runs every season from 1988 through 1993 – leading the AL and NL once each during that time. In his 19 MLB seasons, he hit at least 30 home runs ten times, and drove in 100+ runs eight times.

Fred McGriff’s 493 put him 28th all-time, tied with Lou Gehrig.

McGriff was a five-time All Star and a three time Silver Slugger. He retired with a solid .284 average (2,490 hits), 493 home runs, 1,305 RBI and 1,349 runs scored.

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Dave Parker (OF, 1973-1991 … Pirates, Reds, A’s, Brewers, Angels, Blue Jays)

At 6’5”, 230-pounds, Dave “The Cobra” Parker was an imposing figure at the plate. Once he put his bat in motion, he proved even more lethal.

Parker brought power at the plate, speed on the bases (and in the field) and a rifle-like right arm to his game. Anyone who saw him play will attest to that. If you didn’t see him in action, consider: he was a seven-time All Star (the first selection at age 26, the seventh at 39); a two-time batting champion; a three-time Gold Glover; and a three-time Silver Slugger.

Dave Parker (Pirates) was the NL MVP in 1978, when he led the league in batting average (.334), slugged 30 home runs, drove in 117 tallies, swiped 20 bases and earned a Gold Glove in RF. Oh yes, he also led the league with 23 intentional walks.

Over his career, Parker had six full seasons with a batting average of .300 or better; hit 20 or more home runs nine times; and twice stole 20 bases. He led his league in hits once; doubles twice; extra-base hits twice; total bases three times; RBI once; batting average twice; and intentional walks twice. In 1977, he led NL right fielders with 26 assists. He also was the 1979 All Star Game MVP.

Parker’s career stats: .290 average (2,712 hits); 339 home runs; 1,493 RBI; 154 stolen bases.

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Dave Stewart (RHP, 1978-95 … Dodgers, Rangers, Phillies, A’s, Blue Jays)

Nicknamed “Smoke,” Dave Stewart could put the heat on batters when it counted most –clutch grit that earned him the American League Championship Series MVP recognition in 1990 and 1993 and the World Series MVP Award in 1989.

Stewart, best known for his time with the Oakland A’s (eight of his 16 MLB seasons), did alright in the regular season, too. He won 20 or more games for the A’s in four straight season (1987-1990, leading the AL with 20 wins in 1987. In that span, Stewart was 84-45, with a 3.20 earned run average, 41 complete games and seven shutouts.

Dave Stewart threw a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays on June 29, 1990.

In the 1981 National League Championship Series, as a Dodger, 24-year-old Dave Steward went 0-2, with a 40.50 ERA – lasting just 2/3 of an inning in two games (three earned runs). He toughened up after that, going 10-4, with a 2.58 ERA in 20 more post season appearance – and, of course, winning the 1978 World Series MVP Award, when he went 2-0, 1.69.

Stewart retired with a career record 168-129, 3.95. He led his league in games won once; games started four times; complete games twice; and innings pitched twice.

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In announcing the selections, NLBM President Bob Kendrick said, “We’re thrilled to induct four former Major League Baseball greats into our Hall of Game. These great athletes were thrilling to watch every time they took the field, and they played with the same spirit, passion and style that made the Negro Leagues so exciting.”

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“In addition to the Hall of Game inductions, the NLBM also will be presenting the Jackie Robinson Lifetime Achievement Award for “career excellence in the face of adversity” to the award namesake’s daughter, Sharon Robinson. Just-7=years old when her father retired from baseball, Robinson grew up watching the iconic barrier-breaker embrace key roles in the Civil Rights Movement. Following in his difference-making footsteps, Robinson now serves as the educational consultant for Major League Baseball and manages Breaking Barriers: In Sports, In Life, a baseball-themed national character education curriculum that helps empower students to face obstacles in their lives.

“With this year being the centennial of Jackie Robinson’s birth, there’s no one we would rather honor during this special anniversary year than his remarkable daughter, Sharon Robinson,” Kendrick said. “She’s been a phenomenal voice and champion for diversity in sports and is carrying on her father’s legacy in a powerful and effective way. She has continued to make a positive difference not only in the sport of baseball but also in American culture as a whole. It’s our honor to present her with this award.”

The establishment of the Hall of Game and its annual celebration event holds two purposes: 1) to provide an avenue for the NLBM to continue garnering attention for one of the greatest stories in American history, and 2) to serve as a significant fundraiser to increase the NLBM’s ability to stay relevant with technology and community programming, and to complete the Buck O’Neil Education Center.

THE NEGRO LEAGUES BASEBALL MUSEUM

The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is the world’s only museum dedicated to preserving and illuminating the rich history of black baseball. The museum, built in conjunction with the adjacent American Jazz Museum at the famous 18th & Vine Jazz District, has become an iconic piece of Kansas City’s social and entertainment culture. The NLBM is a privately funded, 501c3 not-for-profit organization incorporated in 1990. The museum’s inception brought together the vision of a group of Kansas City business leaders, historians and former baseball players, headed by the legendary John “Buck” O‘Neil. For more information, visit www.nlbm.com, and follow the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum on Twitter @nlbmprez.

Primary Resources: The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; Baseball-Reference.com

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Filed Under: News

2019 Baseball Reliquary Shrine of the Eternals – Two Hard Throwers and an Ahead-of-the-Curve Executive

May 7, 2019 by David

May 5, the Baseball Reliquary announced the 2019 electees to the its Shrine of the Eternals. This annual announcement is a highlight of Baseball Roundtable’s year. (This commentary is a couple days late, as the announcement came as I was in transit to California.) Anyway, let’s start with a glimpse into The Baseball Reliquary and its “Shrine” to the game – then go on to this year’s electees, the BBRT ballot, the final 2019 vote totals and a list of all the “Shrine” members. When you consider the Shrine of the Eternals, it all starts with a question.

What do the following have in common – a pitcher who once threw a no-hitter while high on LSD; a team owner who sent a midget to the plate; a man in a chicken suit; a member of Major League Baseball’s 3,000-hit club; an MLB catcher who one season led the National League in passed balls, despite starting only 59 games behind the plate; another backstop known as much for his malapropisms as his record 71 World Series base hits; an MLB manager who won eight World Championships; a one-armed outfielder; a one-handed pitcher; a cartoon character who managed and pitched his team to more than 1,000 losses (and just a handful of wins); a baseball card designer; a surgeon and his pitcher-patient; a labor leader; an organist with a razor-sharp wit; a statistical wizard; and more than one best-selling author?

These diverse individuals are all among the past electees to The Baseball Reliquary’s Shrine of the Eternals – an honor that recognizes individuals who have had impact on our national pastime that goes beyond statistics and touches upon the culture and character of the game. In essence, the Shrine of the Eternals is our national pastime’s fan-focused Hall of Fame. (This year, you can add the first National League right-hander to record 300 whiffs in a season; a General Manager who was far ahead of the curve in applying advanced analytics to the game; and the greatest female softball pitcher to ever take the mound.

The 2019 inductees – who will be enshrined during ceremonies Sunday, July 14, at the Donald R. Wright Auditorium, Pasadena Central Library, 285 E. Walnut Street, Pasadena, California – include former MLB pitcher, J.R. Richard, “Moneyball” legend Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane and four-time All American (fast pitch softball) and three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Lisa Fernandez.

Before taking a closer look at this year’s electees, I’d like to provide a brief overview of both the Baseball Reliquary and its Shrine of the Eternals.

Spoiler Alert: Unabashed membership recommendation to follow. If you are a baseball fan, I would highly recommend you consider membership in the Baseball Reliquary – a truly free-spirited (if somewhat eccentric) organization dedicated to celebrating the human side of baseball’s history and heritage. The Baseball Reliquary is an open and fan-focused organization, committed to recognizing baseball’s place in American culture and to honoring the character and characters of the national pastime. It pursues that mission through its collection of artifacts, traveling exhibitions, ties to the Whittier College Institute for Baseball Studies and its own version of the Baseball Hall of Fame – the Baseball Reliquary Shrine of the Eternals. For more on the Baseball Reliquary, and why you should become a member, click here.

Now, to the Shrine of the Eternals. Here’s what the Reliquary has to say about this honor.

Similar in concept to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Shrine of the Eternals differs philosophically in that statistical accomplishment is not the principal criterion for election. The Baseball Reliquary believes that the election of individuals on merits other than statistics and playing ability will offer the opportunity for a deeper understanding and appreciation of baseball than has heretofore been provided by “Halls of Fame” in the more traditional and conservative institutions.

Criteria for election shall be: the distinctiveness of play (good or bad); the uniqueness of character and personality; and the imprint that the individual has made on the baseball landscape. Electees, both on and off the diamond, shall have been responsible for developing baseball in one or more of the following ways: through athletic and/or business achievements; in terms of its larger cultural and sociological impact as a mass entertainment; and as an arena for the human imagination.

Each year, the Baseball Reliquary submits a list of candidates to its members and the top three vote-getters are honored. Reliquarians can vote for up to nine nominees.

——-2019 Shrine of the Eternals Electees—–

J.R. Richard (1950 – ) … 27 percent of the vote

J.R. Richard. Photos courtesy of The Baseball Reliquary.

At 6’8” and 222-pounds, Astros’ righty J.R. Richard was one of the most intimidating moundsmen ever. He hit his stride, literally, at age 26 in 1976 – when he went 20-15 with a 2.75 earned run average. That campaign, he fanned 214 batters in 291 innings, but the best was yet to come.

Richard won 18 games in each of the next three seasons, becoming (in 1978) the first NL right-hander to fan 300 batters in a season (303 strikeouts in 275 1/3 innings). In that 1978 campaign, Richard was the only MLB pitcher to fan more than 260 batters. He topped his K total the following season, with 313 whiffs in 292 1/3 innings and a league-best 2.71 earned run average. In that 1979 season, the next best MLB whiff total was 223 by Nolan Ryan. That season, Richard also allowed MLB fewest hits per nine innings (6.77), notched the most strikeouts per nine (9.64); threw the second-most innings (292 1/3) and the second-most complete games (19); and had the second best strikeouts-to-walks ratio (3.19).

Richard started 1980 with ten wins against four losses and a 1.90 ERA, before suffering a mid-season stroke. Richard had been feeling under-the-weather for some time, but his concerns were not taken seriously. (He was, in fact, at times accused of malingering.) The stroke not only ended his MLB career, but put him on a downhill slide (two broken marriages and some bad investments) that ultimately saw him living under an overpass near the Astrodome. He has since gotten “back on his feet,” is the subject of the film “Resurrection: The J.R. Richard Story” and spent time counseling at-risk youth, the homeless and others in need.

Richard’s final MLB line was 107-71, 3.15, with 1,493 strikeouts in 1,606 innings pitched.

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Billy Beane (1962- ) … 26.5 percent of the vote.

Billy Beane. Photo courtesy of The Baseball Reliquary.

Billy Beane was a ballplayer before he was a baseball executive – if he disappointed at the former, he excelled beyond expectations at the latter. Beane was a first-round (23^rd overall) draft choice (Mets) in 1980 – out of Mount Carmel High School (Rancho Bernardo, CA). In high school, Beane excelled in baseball, football and basketball – and was recruited by Stanford University on a joint baseball-football scholarship. He chose instead to sign with the Mets and was considered a top prospect. Note: Beane played in 148 MLB games over six seasons – going .219-3-29. He played for the Mets, Twins, Tigers and A’s. Between 1980 and 1989, he also logged 965 games in the minors – with a .262-91-482 line.

Tiring of the ups-and-down of a career of bouncing between the major and minors, Beane signed on as an advance scout for the A’s in 1990 and stayed the position until 1993, when he was promoted to Assistant General Manager. At that time, he and GM Sandy Alderson were faced with building a team with a shrinking payroll. That budget pressure continued as Beane succeeded Alderson as GM in 1997. This led Beane to look for new (sabermetric-based) ways to generate the maximum victories for the dollar. Turns out he was pretty good at it. He looked for pitchers who kept batters off base and hitters who got on base (no matter what the means for either). He didn’t want stars, he wanted empty bases on defense and base runners on offense. And, it worked. The budget-restricted, no-name A’s made the playoffs every year from 2000 through 2003, even logging a 20-game winning streak in 2002 (winning 103 games that season). In December 2009, Sports Illustrated named Beane one of the Top Ten GM’s/Executives of the decade across all sports. And then, of course, there was the 2003 book and 2011 movie ‘Moneyball.” I mean, here’s a guy who saw the romance in baseball, was played in film by Brad Pitt and who changed the way many front-office executives evaluate “talent.”

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Lisa Fernandez (1971 –)

Lisa Fernandez. Photo courtesy of The Baseball Reliquary.

Sandy Koufax was sometimes referred to as the “left arm of God.” If that’s the case, Lisa Fernandez was the supreme right arm – the most dominating fast pitch softball hurler of all time. Fernandez was a four- time All-American for UCLA, where she also won the Honda-Droderick Award as the top female college athlete (In any sport) three times.

How good was she? In her senior year, she went 33-3, 0.23 on the mound and hit .509, with 11 home runs and 45 RBI. For her college career, Fernandez went 93-7, from the bump – including a 97-inning scoreless streak and 42 consecutive wins. With Fernandez leading the charge, UCLA won the NCAA Championship in 1990 and 1992 and finished as runner up in 1991 and 1993. She also led the U.S. women’s softball team to the Gold in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics – and was a 2012 inductee to the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.

Fernandez currently coaches softball at UCLA (her 21^st season with the Bruins) and devotes time to conducting softball clinics and encouraging female athletes. Lisa Fernandez – a great athlete, a leades on and off the field and worthy role model.

—–BASEBALL ROUNDTABLE’S 2019 SHRINE OF THE ETERNALS BALLOT—

Unfortunately, none of the ten nominees BBRT voted for finished in the top three. But here’s my ballot, and justifications, alphabetically.

Luke Easter (1915-79)

“Luscious” Luke Easter was one of the most prodigious home run hitters of all time – whose titanic blasts were known as “Easter Eggs.” Among his notables:

Easter was the first player to a homer into the farthest reaches of center field in the Polo Grounds;
He hit the longest home run in the history of old Cleveland Municipal Stadium – clearing the distant right field scoreboard; and
Luscious Luke was the first player to hit a drive over the CF scoreboard in Buffalo’s Offerman Stadium (at age 42) and proved it was no fluke by becoming the second to achieve the feat just a month later.

Easter began his baseball career in 1937, with as an OF/1B and cleanup hitter for the St. Louis Titanium Giants (a company team) – and didn’t play his final game until 27 years later. Everything about the 6’4”, 240-pound Easter was big – his stature, his bat, his love of the game, his love of life, his relationship with teammates and the fans and, later, even his Buick.

While he began showing his prowess at the plate in the late 1930’s, he really began making name for himself after getting out of the military in 1943.

In 1945, he starred with the barnstorming Cincinnati Crescents (for whom he hit the Polo Grounds home run noted above).

In 1947, he joined the Homestead Grays, where he hit .311, with 10 home runs in 219 at bats. Research by Society for American Baseball Research Member Justin Murphy indicates Easter followed that up by hitting .363 for the Grays and tying teammate Buck Leonard for the Negro National League (NNL) lead in home runs (13) – helping the Grays to the NNL World Series Championship.

In 1949, Easter signed with the Cleveland Indians and made his major league debut on August 1 of that season – at age 34 – just the eleventh black player in the major leagues. While he hit only .222 in 54 games for the Indians, due in great part to an injured knee, Easter showed his (already long-proven) power by going .363-25-92 in 80 games at Triple A San Diego.

Then, in 1950, he hit .280-28-107 in 141 games for the Indians – earning recognition from the Sporting News as the AL’s Most Outstanding Player. In 1951, he went .270-27-103 for the Tribe and, in 1952, .263-31-97. Age and injuries were already taking their toll on Easter, however, and on May 4, 1954, the 38-year-old Easter played his final MLB game – ending his MLB career with a .274-93-340 line in 491 games.

Ah, but Luscious Luke was not done. He played on in the minor leagues until 1964 – putting up four seasons of 30 or more home runs and 100+ RBI – earning his way into the International League Hall of Fame.

Over his career, also played winter ball in Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Mexico and Hawaii. A Winter-League star, Easter hit .402 for Mayaguez in the Puerto Rican League in 1948-49 (winning league MVP honors); led the Mexican Pacific Coast League (for Hermosillo) in homers in 1954-55; and lead the Puerto Rican Winter League in homers in 1955-56 and 1956-57.

Easter, later serving as a Union Steward for TRW in Ohio, was murdered during a payroll robbery in 1979.

Why did Luke Easter get my vote? Consider that non-other than Bill James rated him the second-best Negro Leagues’ first baseman of all time (behind only Buck Leonard) and Al Rosen (a teammate of Easter on the Indians, as well as a four-time All Star, two-time AL home run leader, 1953 American League MVP and 1989 National Executive of the Year) maintained, “Had Luke come up to the big leagues as a young man, there’s no telling what numbers he would have had.” Easter comes up big on the BBRT “Shrine” ballot.

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Rube Foster (1879-1930)

Andrew “Rube” Foster was an outstanding hurler, confined – by history – to pitching primarily for Black teams; such squads as the Chicago Union Giants, Cuban X-Giants and Philadelphia Giants. How good was Foster on the mound? Records are sketchy, but the Baseball Hall of Fame reports that, in 1902, Foster ran off a streak of 44 straight victories and the Negro League Baseball Museum credits Foster with a 54-1 record that season.

Rube Foster’s tireless efforts earned him the unofficial title of “The Father of Black Baseball.”

Foster’s contributions to the national pastime, however, went beyond the mound. In 1911, he partnered with John Schorling (son-in-law of Charles Comiskey) to establish the Chicago American (Black) Giants – who, under Foster’s leadership, became Black baseball’s most dominant team.

But Foster wasn’t done yet. In 1920, he was a key player (cited by many as THE key player) in the founding of the Negro National League. As the league flourished, Foster wore many hats. He served not only as the league’s president and treasurer, but also was the owner and manager of the Chicago American Giants – winning the NNL’s first three pennants. By 1926, his demanding schedule had taken a toll and Foster suffered a nervous breakdown. He never fully recovered and passed away prematurely in 1930. Fans might enjoy Larry Lester’s book “Rube Foster in His Time: On the Field and in the Papers with Black Baseball’s Greatest Visionary.”

Rube Foster was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.

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Julio Franco (1958 – )

If you believe “Old Guys Rule” – Julio Franco should be your king.

Consider this fact, Only 25 Major League home runs have been hit by players who had passed their 45th birthday – and Julio Franco hit 20 of them.

Also consider a handful of the “old guys rule” records held by the ageless Franco:

The oldest player to homer in a MLB game. Franco went deep at age 48 years, 254 days, hitting a two-run shot off Arizona’s Randy Johnson, as Franco’s Mets topped the Diamondbacks 5-3 on April 26, 2006). In that same game, Franco also became the second-oldest MLB player to steal base – and, thus, the oldest player to homer and steal a base in the same game.
The oldest player to hit a grand slam (46 years, 308 days) – connecting as a pinch hitter for the Atlanta Braves in a 7-2 win over the Marlins on June 27, 2005.
The oldest player to record a multi-homer game, belting a pair of homers on June 18, 2005 (age 46 years, 299 days), as his Atlanta Braves topped the Reds at Great American Ball Park. Franco started at first base and went two-for-four with two homers and three RBI.
The oldest player to hit a pinch-hit home run, in the eighth inning of a Mets’ 7-2 win over the Padres at San Diego (April 20, 2006 – 47 years, 240 days).
The oldest player to steal two bases in a game (and in an inning) – (June 16, 3005 – 46 years, 297 days).
The oldest player to be put into a game as a pinch runner (July 29, 2006 – 47 years, 340 days). And he delivered, promptly stole second base, going to third on an errant throw.

From 1982 to 1994, Franco played primarily as a middle infielder and DH for the Phillies, Indians, Rangers and White Sox – making three All Star teams (MVP of the 1990 All Star Game), earning five Silver Slugger Awards and leading the American League in hitting at .341 for the Rangers in 1991. In that 1991 campaign, Franco collected 201 hits, 15 homers, 78 RBI, 108 runs scored and 36 steals in 45 attempts. At season’s end, he had hit .300+ in five of the previous six seasons – the lone exception being .296 in 1990.

In 1994, when the remainder of the MLB season was lost to a strike, Franco was in the midst of possibly his best campaign. After 112 games, he was hitting .319, with 138 hits, 20 home runs, 98 RBI, 72 runs scored, and eight steals. Franco was determined to keep swinging the bat and signed to play in Japan with the Pacific League Chiba Lotte Marines. In the 1995 Japanese season, Franco hit .306 and won the league’s equivalent of the Gold Glove at first base.

Franco returned to MLB in 1996, joining the Cleveland Indians, hitting .322-14-76 in 112 games. In August of the following season, the Indians released Franco – who was hitting .284-3-25 at the time. He finished the 1997 campaign with the Brewers, hitting .241 in 14 games with Milwaukee.

In 1998, at age 39, Franco was back in Japan playing for Chiba Lotte; where he hit .290, with 18 home runs and 77 RBI in 131 games. Then in 1999, he celebrated turning 40 (when most ballplayers are retired or coaching) by hitting for a .423 average in the Mexican League and getting one late season MLB at bat with Tampa Bay.

As he moved into his forties, Franco was far from finished as a player. He played in South Korea in 2000 (age 41), hitting .327-22-110. In 2001, the well-traveled batsman was back in the Mexican League (Mexico City Tigers), where stellar play (a .437 average in 110 games) earned him a spot on the Atlanta Braves’ roster in September. Franco hit .300, with three home runs and 11 RBI over the final 5 ½ weeks of the MLB season.

From 2001 to 2007, the ageless wonder – professional hitter and pretty darn good first sacker – played for the Braves and Mets. From 2001 through 2006 – ages 42 to 47 – Franco averaged .290 over 581 games. He hit .222 in 55 games in his final MLB season – 2007 with the Mets and Braves.

Even at 49, Franco was not done battering baseballs. In 2008, he could be found at first base with the Tigres de Quintana Roo of the Mexican League (where he hit .250 in 36 games). That season, Franco – after 23 Major League seasons and 30 years after his first professional baseball game – announced his retirement as a player.

Oops? Not so fast. In 2014, at the age of 55, he appeared in seven games for the Fort Worth Cats of the independent United League – going six for 27. Then in 2015, Franco was signed as player-manager of the Ishikawa Million Stars of the Japanese independent Baseball Challenge League (identified as a semi-pro league).

In 23 MLB seasons, Franco hit .298, with 2,586 hits, a .298 average, 173 homers, 1,285 runs, 1,194 RBI and 281 stolen bases. He also collected 618 minor league (U.S) hits, 316 in the Mexican League, 286 in Japan, 267 in the Dominican Winter League and 156 in South Korea and six in independent ball (U.S.).

Forever young, Mr. Franco got my vote.

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Mamie “Peanut” Johnson (1935 – 2017)

Mamie Johnson was one of three females to play for the Indianapolis Clowns during the declining days of the Negro Leagues (and the only woman ever to pitch in the Negro Leagues). Johnson took the mound to the Clowns for three seasons (1953-55), running up a 33-8 record. Her exploits are chronicled in the children’s book “A Strong Right Arm: The Story of Mamie ‘Peanut’ Johnson,” by Michelle Y. Green.

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Ted Kluszewski (1924-1988)

I love to recognize players who do something we are not likely to see again. Therefore, I again cast a ballot for Ted “Big Klu” Kluszewski – perhaps the last of the true power hitters who also practiced exceptional plate discipline. In 1954, for example, Big Klu hit .326, with 49 home runs and 141 RBI – a season made even more remarkable by the fact the Kluszewski struck out only 35 times (versus 78 walks). I doubt if we’ll ever see another player top 40 home runs without reaching 40 whiffs. Kluszewski, in fact, had a streak of four seasons (1953-56) when he hit over .300, drove in 100+ runs, bashed 35+ home runs – and struck out no more than 40 times in any season. In those four seasons, Kluszewski hit 171 home runs – and fanned 140 times.

It should also be noted that Kluszewski led NL first baseman in fielding percentage every year from 1951 through 1955. Unfortunately, a back injury in 1956 hampered his performance in the later years of his career (he played until 1961).

Ted Kluszewski is noted for adding a bit of style and flair to the game, making his own intimidating fashion statement. Klu complained that his uniform jersey was too tight for his large and powerful biceps. He went on to have the sleeves cut from his jersey – exposing his bare arms from the shoulder. (This was considered a bold move at that very conforming time in the game’s history.)

Kluszewski only appeared in one post-season – hitting .391, with three homers and ten RBI in the 1958 World Series (for the White Sox). True to his form – Big Klu did not strike out even once (25 plate appearance) in the Series. For trivia buffs, left unprotected in the 1960 expansion draft, Kluszewski hit the first-ever home run for the expansion Angels (a two-run shot in the first inning of the Angels’ first game – April 11 versus the Orioles). He added a punctuation mark, by hitting the Angels’ second–ever home run (a three-run shot) the very next inning. The Angels won 7-2, and (of course) Kluszewski did not strikeout.

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Mike Marshall (1943 – *)

I should probably say Doctor Mike Marshall, since this former major league reliever (14 seasons … 1967, 1969-81) earned three college degrees, including a Ph.D. in Kinesiology from Michigan State University. Kinesiology is the study of muscle movement and Marshall used his knowledge to develop his own exercise program focused on minimizing stress, reducing injury and accelerating recovery time. While his unorthodox methods, advanced education and outspoken approach often had him at odds with baseball’s traditionalists (and may be part of the reason he pitched for nine teams in 14 seasons), they did get the job done.

The fact is, we never saw a closer quite like Mike Marshall before he came along – and we’re not likely to see one like him again. In 1974, as a Dodger, he put up the grand-daddy of all relief seasons – setting the single-season MLB records for appearances with 106 and innings pitched in relief at 208 1/3. He finished the campaign 15-12, with a league-topping 21 saves and a 2.42 ERA. That season, Marshall was called on to go more than one inning in 74 games (68.5 percent of the time); and he toiled three or more innings 22 times. He also relieved in 13 consecutive regular-season games – an MLB record later tied (1986) by the Rangers’ Dale Mohorcic. His efforts won him the 1974 Cy Young Award and Sporting News NL Pitcher of the Year.

Marshall holds the MLB and NL record for games pitched in relief in a season (106 – Dodgers, 1974), as well as the AL record (89 in relief – Twins, 1979 – he also had one start that year). The Blue Jays’ Mark Eichhorn tied Marshall’s AL record in 1987. Marshall led his league in games pitched four times and saves three times – finishing 97-112, 3.14 with 188 saves.

A true “fireman” from an era when closers came in to put out fires and stayed on the mound to ensure they were no flare ups, Marshall got my vote for the Shrine.

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Pete Reiser (1919-1981)

Combine Willie Mays’ skill set (younger folks, think Mike Trout) with Pete Rose’s hustle and on-field abandon and you have Pete Reiser. In his first full MLB season (CF, Dodgers), a 22-year-old Reiser dazzled defensively and led the NL in runs scored (117), doubles (39), triples (17), batting average (.343), total bases (299) and hit by pitch (11) – tossing in 14 home runs and 76 RBI for good measure. Unfortunately, unpadded outfield walls, helmet-less at bats (the fiery Reiser was a frequent bean ball target) and aggressiveness on the base paths (Reiser twice led the NL in stolen bases and holds the NL record for steals of home in a season at seven) took their toll.

In his ten-season career, the switch-hitting Reiser endured five skull fractures, a brain injury, a dislocated shoulder and a damaged knee. He was carted off the field 11 times during his career (six times unconscious) and once actually given last rites at the stadium – and he played on. The three-time All Star retired as a player with a .295 career average, playing in 861 games over ten seasons. No telling what he might have done with padded outfield walls and batting helmets. Pete Reiser was a true – and talented – gamer. For more on Reiser, try “Pete Reiser: The Rough and Tumble Career of the Perfect Ballplayer,” by Sidney Jacobson.

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Bing Russell (1926-2003)

Nate Oliver “Bring Russell” is probably best known to the general populace as Deputy Clem Foster in the TV series Bonanza. His TV and film credits, in fact, ran long and deep. He was cast in the film The Magnificent Seven and had guest roles in such television series as Wagon Train, Johnny Ringo, The Rifleman and the Big Valley. And he was more than just a cowboy, he was also seen in television roles in series ranging from The Rockford Files to The Twilight Zone to The Monkees.

For baseball fans, Russel’s greatest role may have been as owner of the Portland Mavericks – an independent entry into Northwest League. Shepherding the the only independent team in the league – Russell took a group of ballplayers described in his Shrine of the Eternals nomination as “misfits, reprobates, hangers-on and washouts” and turned them into winners and the toast of the town – much to the chagrin of baseball’s organized franchises.

It all came about after organized ball moved the struggling Triple A Portland Beavers out of the city after the 1972 season. Russell led a move to establish the Class C Portland Mavericks (as an independent franchise) in the city. As an owner, Russell focus was fun – and perhaps a bit of rebellio . He had no ties to any MLB franchise, banned corporate advertising in the ball park and filled his team from open tryouts. (He also, eventually, hired professional baseball’s first female General Manager, as well as its first Asian-American General Manager.)

How’d all of this work out? Well, major league baseball did not expect the ragtag Mavericks to do well against their “in-the-system” prospects. They underestimated the impact of ‘Russell’s focus and style – and the determination of his last-change hopefuls.

In 1973, the Mavericks went 45-35 and finished first in the league’s South Division.

In 1974, they went 50-34 and finished second in the West Division – just two games behind the Dodgers’ Bellinger farm club. (See what I did there? I got Dodgers and Bellinger in the same sentence. Foreshadowing of things to come?)

In 1975, it was 42-35 and first place in the North Division.

In 1976, it was 40-32 and another North Division first place finish.

In 1977, 44-22 and first place in the South Division. The Mavericks, that season, had the best record in the league, won their division by 22 games and drew 125,000 fans to 33 regular season home games (a minor league short-season record. (The average attendance was 3,788 fans per game).

Russell and his Mavericks had rekindled Portland passion for baseball with a combination of fun , irreverence and winning. They had proven that an independent franchise could compete and win on the field and at the turnstiles. And, organized baseball took notice. They wanted the territory back and eventually – after some hard-fought legal battles – got it (although they had to pay Russell what was, at the time, by far the highest ever minor-league territorial rights payment; a victory for Russell and independent baseball).

So, in 1978, the Mavericks were dissolved and replaced by PCL Portland Beavers. By the way, the Beavers drew an average of just 1,397 per game. Oh, and Russell’s success was ultimately document in the 2014 film “The Battered Bastards of Baseball.” You should see it.

Three final fun facts about Russell and his life=long love affair with baseball. 1) He grew up near the Yankees Spring Training Camp in St. Petersburg, Florida and – as youngster – became a kind of unofficial mascot for the team – mingling with the likes of Joe DiMaggio, Lefty Gomez and Lou Gehrig. (Reportedly, Gehrig gave Russell the bat he used to hit his late major league home run); 2) Later, pre-Mavericks, Russell created a number of detailed baseball training/instructional films. 3) Bing Russell’s son, noted actor Kurt Russell, played four seasons of minor league baseball and his grandson Matt Franco played eight MLB seasons (Cubs, Mets, Braves).

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Rube Waddell (1876-1914)

Rube Waddell is almost universally recognized as the zaniest player in MLB history – but he also was one of the best (at least when he was focused on the game).

Waddell was known to: leave a ball game to chase fire engines; miss a game he was scheduled to start because he was fishing or playing marbles with neighborhood kids; bring his outfielders in to sit on the grass and then proceed to fan the side; wrestle alligators in the off-season; and (frequently) do battle with owners and managers. Waddell simply was more interested in the freedom to enjoy life and do things his way than in money or professional stability. But, when Waddell was on his game, he was arguably the best pitcher of his time. The 6’1”, 195-lb. lefty led the AL in strikeouts six consecutive seasons (1902-1907) – by a wide margin.

In 1902, Waddell joined the Philadelphia Athletics in June – making his first start on June 26 (with just 86 games left in the season). Waddell proceeded to win 24 games (the league’s second-highest total) against seven losses, with a 2.05 ERA. Despite his shortened season, he led the AL with 210 strikeouts, fifty more than the runner-up (none other than Cy Young).

In 1904, Waddell set a modern (post-1900) MLB record with 349 strikeouts that stood until 1965. Waddell, elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946, finished with a 193-143, 2.16 stat line – leading the AL in strikeouts six times, ERA twice, wins once and complete games once. For more on Waddell, BBRT suggests: “Rube Waddell: The Zany, Brilliant Life of a Strikeout Artist,” by Allan Howard Levy and “Just a Big Kid: The Life and Times of Rube Waddell,” by Paul Proia.

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–—THE SHRINE OF THE ETERNALS: 2019 VOTING PERCENTAGES—–

J.R. Richard – 27%

Billy Beane – 26.5%

Lisa Fernandez – 26%

Bob Costas – 25%

Mamie “Peanut” Johnson – 24.5%

Charlie Finley – 24%

Charles M. Conlon – 23%

Rube Waddell – 22.5%

Chet Brewer – 22%

Dr. Mike Marshall – 21.5%

Leo Durocher – 21%

Effa Manley – 21%

Denny McLain – 21%

Julio Franco – 20%

Rocky Colavito – 19%

Bill White – 19%

Annie Savoy – 18.5%

Rube Foster – 18%

Octavius V. Catto – 17%

Luke Easter – 17%

Melissa Ludtke – 17%

Fred Merkle – 17%

Tug McGraw – 16.5%

Bing Russell – 16.5%

Janet Marie Smith – 16.5%

Ralph Branca – 16%

Hideo Nomo – 16%

Vic Power – 16%

Charley Pride – 16%

Masanori Murakami – 15.5%

Tony Conigliaro – 15%

Dave Parker – 15%

Pete Reiser – 15%

Justine Siegal – 14%

John Thorn – 14%

Mike Veeck – 13.5%

John Young – 13.5%

Joe Pepitone – 13%

Jim Thorpe – 13%

Chris Von der Ahe – 13%

Bert Campaneris – 11%

Ernie Harwell – 11%

Ted Kluszewski – 10.5%

Kurt Bevacqua – 10%

Cleon Jones – 10%

Phil Pote – 10%

Shorty Perez – 9%

Dave Raymond – 9%

Boog Powell – 8.5%

Joe Schultz Jr. – 8.5%

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—-FULL ROSTER OF SHRINE OF THE ETERNALS INDUCTEES – INCLUDING 2019—–

Following is an alphabetical list of individuals who have been inducted into the Shrine of the Eternals between 1999 and 2019. Year of induction in parenthesis.

Jim Abbott (2003)

Dick Allen (2004)

Roger Angell (2010)

Emmett Ashford (2008)

Billy Beane (2019)

Moe Berg (2000)

Sy Berger (2015)

Yogi Berra (2007)

Steve Bilko (2015)

Ila Borders (2003)

Jim Bouton (2001)

Jim Brosnan (2007)

Charlie Brown (2017)

Bill Buckner (2008)

Glenn Burke (2015)

Roberto Clemente (2004)

Steve Dalkowski (2009)

Dizzy Dean (2014)

Rod Dedeaux (2005)

Jim Eisenreich (2009)

Dock Ellis (1999)

Nancy Faust (2018)

Eddie Feigner (2013)

Lisa Fernandez (2019)

Mark Fidrych (2002)

Curt Flood (1999)

Ted Giannoulas (2011)

Josh Gibson (2006)

Jim “Mudcat” Grant (2012)

Pete Gray (2011)

Arnold Hano (2016)

William “Dummy” Hoy (2004)

Bo Jackson (2016)

Shoeless Joe Jackson (2002)

Bill James (2007)

Dr. Frank Jobe (2012)

Tommy John (2018)

Bill “Spaceman” Lee (2000)

Roger Maris (2009)

Marvin Miller (2003)

Minnie Minoso (2002)

Manny Mota (2013)

Don Newcombe (2016)

Lefty O’Doul (2013)

Buck O’Neil (2008)

Satchel Paige (2001)

Jimmy Piersall (2001)

Pam Postema (2000)

J.R. Richard (2019)

Jackie Robinson (2005)

Rachel Robinson (2014)

Lester Rodney (2005)

Pete Rose (2010)

Vin Scully (2017)

Rusty Staub (2018)

Casey Stengel (2010)

Luis Tiant (2012)

Bob Uecker (2017)

Fernando Valenzuela (2006)

Bill Veeck, Jr. (1999)

Maury Wills (2011)

Kenichi Zenimura (2006)

Don Zimmer (2014)

Primary Resources: The Baseball Reliquary; Baseball-Reference.com; The Society for American Baseball Research.

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Stan the Man and Nate the Kid – A Beautiful Baseball Coincidence

May 2, 2019 by David

On this day 65 years ago – May 2, 1954 – Stan “The Man” Musial had one of the greatest days at the plate in major league history. That day, the New York Giants faced Musial’s Cardinals in a double header before 26,662 fans at Busch Stadium (I).

And, on that day, Musial became the first player to pole five home runs in a doubleheader – or, if you prefer, five home runs in a single day of the MLB schedule.

As the Cardinals won Game One 10-6, Musial was brilliant, recording four hits and a walk in five plate appearances – including a solo home run in the third inning, a two-run homer in the fifth and a three-run blast in the eighth. It was the first time Musial had hit three round trippers in a single game. He ended with contest with three runs scored and six RBI.

Musial faced knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm in Game Two. If Stan was going to continue his long-ball heroics, he would have to provide his own power – and he did.

In Game Two, Musial collected two hits and a walk in five plate appearances – including a two-run homer in the fifth inning and a solo shot in the seventh, scoring three runs and driving in three in a 9-7 Cardinals loss.

So, for the doubleheader, Stan Musial was six-for-eight, with two walks, six runs scored, nine RBI and five home runs.

BACK TO THOSE 26,662 FANS – AND OUR COINCIDENCE

Among the fans witnessing Musial’s 1954 feat was eight-year-old Nate Colbert – who, on August 1, 1972, would become the second player in MLB history (and there are still only two) to hit five round trippers in a double header.

Colbert, whose San Diego Padres were facing the Atlanta Braves in a double header before a meager crowd of 5,784 (in Atlanta), got his day off to a quick start. The Padres’ clean-up hitter hit a three-run homer in the top of the first inning. Colbert went on to add a run-scoring single in the third, another single in the fourth, and a solo homer in the seventh before striking out to open the ninth. For the game, won by the Padres 9-0, Colbert was four-for-five, three runs scored, five RBI and two home runs.

Game two started out quietly enough, with Colbert drawing a first-inning walk. Things heated up fast, as Colbert added a grand slam in the second, a ground out to third base in the fourth, a two-run homer in the seventh and a day-topping two-run round tripper with two out in the ninth. In the process, he went three-for-four with three runs scored and eight RBI – becoming only the second player with five home runs in a double header. (The Padres, by the way, won game two 11-7.)

For the double header, Colbert was seven-for-nine, with a walk, seven runs scored, 13 RBI and five home runs. Stan Musial, however, was not in the stands.

—–MARCH/APRIL MLB WRAP UP—–

SEE BASEBALL ROUNDTABLE’S MARCH/APRIL 2019 WRAP UP – THE STAT, STANDING, STORIES THAT CAUGHT BBRT’S EYE – AS WELL AS THE PLAYERS/PITCHERS OF THE MONTH AND THE BBRT TROT INDEX. JUST CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY.

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Filed Under: BB Fun Facts, Trivia

Baseball Roundtable March/April Wrap Up – Stats, Stories, Standings and the Trot Index

May 1, 2019 by David

It’s May 1 and that means it’s time for Baseball Roundtable’s traditional previous month wrap up – statistics, standings and stories that caught BBRT’s eye over the previous month as well as the BBRT Players and Pitches of the Month and the BBRT Trot index. This post will cover March and April. Here’s the kind of thing you’ll read about – if you last to the end of the post.

Kind of a surprise. When you look at stolen base total through April 30, only seven teams had at least 20 thefts – and six of them were in the American League.
The Dodgers’s Cody Bellinger led all of MLB in on-base percentage through April – just north of .500 (.508). He, in fact, led in almost every offensive category.
Diamondbacks’ right-hander Zack Greinke not only won five games om March/April, he went .375 at the plate (six-for-sixteen, with two doubles, a triple and two home runs – scoring five times and driving in four). Just more #WhyIHateTheDH.
2018 was the first season in which we saw more strikeouts than base hits in major league baseball. In March/April, there were 7,748 strikeouts and 7,221 base hits.
We saw three different MLB players commit three errors in an inning.
We saw a player, appropriately named KieBOOM, homer in his first MLB at bat.
C.C. Sabathia became just the third southpaw to reach 3,000 strikeouts and Albert Pujols passed Lou Gehrig and Barry Bonds on the all-time RBI list.

Life Just Ain’t Fair

The Blue Jays’ Marcus Stroman pit up a 1.43 ERA in six March/April starts and won one, while losing three. The Brewers’ Brandon Woodruff put up a 5.17 ERA in six starts and won three, while losing one.

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BBRT NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE MONTH – Cody Bellinger, Dodgers, 1B/RF

Photo by DandreaPhotography

No contest here, the Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger has had a monster start to his season. As of April 30, the 23-year-old, left-handed hitter led the major leagues in batting average (.431), hits (47) home runs (14); RBI (37); run scored (32) on-base percentage (.508); slugging percentage (.890) and total bases (97). In addition, he’d walked more times (19) than he had struck out (15). The 6’4”, 203-pounder has already had 15 multi-hit games this season – in which he has played in all 31 Dodger games (starting 30). In addition, his 14 home runs ties the MLB record for home runs before May 1; his 37 RBI are the most-ever before May 1.

Contenders: That Bellinger is BBRT’s NL Player of the month is no surprise. What is surprising is that he had competition. Last year’s NL MVP Christian Yelich also came out of the gate swinging – putting up a March/April line of .353-14-34 in 29 games. In addition, Yelich swiped six bases in six tries, to Bellinger’s five in eight attempts.

Side note: Four of Bellinger’s home runs and eight of his RBI came in March – so Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols continue to share the record for April home runs at 14. Similarly, Juan Gonzalez’ April RBI mark of 35 still stands. Bellinger and the Brewers’ Christian Yelich share the NL March RBI record (8), with the Mariners’ Domingo Santana holding the AL and overall MLB March RBI record at 10. All three totals were achieved this March. Bellinger also holds a share of the March home run record at four. Others with four March homers include the A’s Khris Davis, Cardinals’ Paul Goldschmidt and Brewers’ Christian Yelich. Again all four four-homer March outbursts came this season.

BBRT NATIONAL LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE MONTH – Luis Castillo, RHP, Reds

The 6’2”, 190-pound righty started seven games in March/April, going 3-1 for the last-place Reds and chalking up MLB’s third-lowest qualifying earned run average at 1.45. He also was one of just six pitchers to fan 50 batters (50 exactly) by April 30; and his 43 1/3 innings pitched were MLB’s sixth most.

Castillo never gave up more than two runs in any of his starts – and his lone loss was a 1-0 defeat (versus the Brewers), when he went seven innings and gave up just one run on one hit, while walking four and fanning nine.

Contenders: It was a close call between Luis Castillo and Padres’ closer Kirby Yates and the Diamondbacks’ Zack Greinke. Yates, who led all of MLB with 14 March/April saves (in 14 opportunities), fanned 25 batters in 16 innings and put up a 0.56 ERA. Zach Greinke of the Diamondbacks (5-1, 3.27 with 46 strikeouts in 44 innings) was also in the running. Castillo’s overall body of work – six starts of two runs or less gave him the edge.

BBRT AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE MONTH – Tim Anderson, SS, White Sox

Photo by Keith Allison

Anderson put it all together this March/April. His .375 average led the AL, his 21 runs scored and 36 hits were each sixth and his ten stolen bases in ten tries led the league – and he added six home runs and 18 RBI.

Contenders: Seattle’S Domingo Santana – .292, with six homers and a AL-best 30 RBI – deserved a look; as did the Rangers’ Elvis Andrus (.361-5-20, with five steals and an AL-leading 39 hits through April) and the Orioles’ Trey Mancini (.355-6-14, with 39 hits and 23 runs). It was close, but Anderson’s 10-for-10 on the base paths swayed me.

BBRT AMERICAN LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE MONTH – Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Rays

Glasnow was one of just four MLB pitchers to win five games in March/April – going 5-0 in six starts. In addition, the 6’8” power pitcher put up a 1.75 earned run average (second-best among AL qualifiers) and fanned 38 batters in 36 innings – while walking just seven. Glasnow is a bit of a surprise (he came into the 2019 season with an MLB career record of 4-16, 5.35). It now appears a change in his windup has helped Glasnow harness his high-90s fastball

Contenders: BBRT looked at the Yankees’ Domingo German, who stepped into a depleted NY rotation and went 5-1, 2.56 in six March/April appearances (5 starts). German walked nine and fanned 32 in 31 2/3 innings. Coming into the season, German was 2-7 5.22 in 28 MLB appearances (14 starts). Still, he had shown promise with 120 strikeouts in 100 MLB innings – and a 2.64 ERA in eight minor league seasons. Then, there was the Mariners’ Marco Gonzalez, who went 5-1, 2.80 in seven March/April starts – fanning 34 in 45 innings. Among these three five-game winners, Glasnow had the best overall numbers.

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TROT INDEX … A REGULAR BBRT FEATURE

Through April, 37.0 percent of all MLB’s 33,296 2019 plate appearances ended in a trot (back to the dugout, around the bases, to first base). We’re talking about strikeouts, home runs, walks, hit by pitch and catcher’s interference – all outcomes that are, basically, devoid of action on the base paths or in the field. Here’s the breakout: strikeouts (23.3%); Walks (9.2%); home runs (3.4%); HBP (1.1%); Catcher’s Interference (less than .001%). Personally, I’d like more action in the field of play.

For the 2018 season, 34.8 percent of all MLB’s 185,139 plate appearances ended in a trot.

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If the season ended April 30, Your playoff teams would be …

NL: Phillies; Cardinals; Dodgers. Wild Cards: Diamondbacks & Padres.

AL: Twins; Rays; Astros. Wild Cards: Yankees & Indians.

The Best and Worst of Teams

Only five teams played .600 or better ball in March/April: Rays (.679); Cardinals (.655); Twins (.630); Dodgers (.633); Astros (.600).

The biggest surprise here is probably the Rays, who have leveraged their pitching into MLB’s best 2019 winning percentage. The Rays put up MLB’s best ERA over the period at 2.95, while scoring the 17th most runs. The Rays’ staff was led by starters Tyler Glasnow (5-0, 1.75); Charlie Morton (3-0, 2.76); and Blake Snell (2-2, 2.54). Their unique approach to pitching (openers versus starters on some bullpen days) also enabled Ryne Stanek (1.20 ERA in 15 innings, 12 games, seven starts) and Yonny Chironos (3.48 ERA, four wins/no losses, in six game, three starts and 31 innings) to contribute.

Three teams played under .400 ball through April: Marlins (.276); Royals (.310); and Orioles (.333). No surprises here. The Orioles had MLB’s worst ERA through April at 6.05, with the Royals third-worst at 5.39. The Marlins are a bit better on the mound (10th-worst at 4.70), but you’ll find them at the bottom of baseball in runs scored with 82. By comparison, the Mariners scored 189 runs through April 30.

—–LEAGUE LEADERS – TEAMS —–

(as of May 1, 2019)

RUNS SCORED … MLB Team Average – 135

AL: Mariners (189); Rangers (166); Yankees (156)

NL: Dodgers (174); Cardinals (158); D-backs (158)

The Marlins scored an MLB-low 82 runs in March/April. The Tigers were at the bottom of the AL with 94. Other teams scoring fewer than 100 runs through April were the Giants (96) and the Pirates (90).

BATTING AVERAGE … MLB Team Average – .245

AL: Astros (.271); White Sox (.263); Rangers (.260)

NL: Cardinals (.267); Braves (.266); D-backs (.265)

Only three teams were hitting below .220 through April: Reds (.212); Giants (.214); and Indians (.215)

HOME RUNS … MLB Team Average – 38

AL: Mariners (60); Twins (50); Astros (48)

NL: Brewers (57); Dodgers (52); Nationals & Padres (43)

If you want to see long balls, avoid the Tigers, Pirates and Marlins, with league-low home run totals of 21, 23 and 23, respectively.

STOLEN BASES … MLB Team Average – 14

AL: Royals (29); Mariners (25); Rangers (25)

NL: Nationals (20); Brewers (16); Cardinals (16)

BATTERS’ STRIKEOUTS … MLB Team Average – 258

AL: Mariners (317); Blue Jays (284); Rays (276)

NL: Brewers (293); Padres (287); Rockies (287)

Angels’ hitter fanned an MLB-fewest 177 times through April. No other team fanned fewer than 200 times. The Pirates were the lowest in the NL at 238.

WALKS DRAWN … MLB Average – 99

AL: Mariners (136); Yankees (115); Astros (115)

NL: Dodgers (139); Phillies (128); Braves (126)

Who crowds the plate? The Cubs led MLB in hit-by-pitch through April at 21 (the MLB team average was 12).

_______________________________________

EARNED RUN AVERAGE … MLB Average – 4.36

AL: Rays (2.95); Blue Jays (3.36); Astros (3.37)

NL: Reds (3.39); Padres (3.47); Pirates (3.55)

One team finished April with an ERA over 6.00 – the Orioles at 6.05.

STRIKEOUTS … MLB Average – 258

AL: Red Sox (284); Astros (284); Rays (.280)

NL: Mets (281); Dodgers (270); Nationals (278)

It’s a New ERA.

Tampa Bay, with it’s combination of traditional starters, openers and bullpen days had the lowest starter’s earned run average at 2.04 – more than a run better than the second-best Blue Jays (3.16). The White Sox were at the other end of the spectrum with an MLB-high 6.18 starters’ ERA through April.

The Astros boasted the lowest bullpen earned run average at 2.91 (the only bullpen under 3.00). Meanwhile, the Orioles’ pen lit more fires than they put out; with an ERA though April of 6.59. Side note: The Rays bullpen had the ninth-best ERA through April at 3.86.

SAVES … MLB Average – 8

AL: Mariners (12); Rays (12); Tigers (12)

NL: Padres (15); Cardinals (13); Dodgers & D-backs (10)

The Twins had the highest March/April save conversion rate (90.9 percent – 10 saves in 11 opportunities). The Brewers led the NL at 81.8 percent (9-for-11). The Royals are at the bottom of this list, with just four saves in 12 opportunities (33.3 percent conversion).

FEWEST WALKS SURRENDERED … MLB Average – 102

AL: Astros (74); Rays (81); Twins (89)

NL: Pirates (75); Giants (84); Padres (84)

The Indians were the only team to average at least 10 strikeouts per nine innings through April – at 10.18. The Astros were at the top of the heap in strikeouts-to-walks ratio at 3.84.

__________________________________________

Now let’s look at some of the highlights of the month – and then the individual statistics.

OPENER IN JAPAN

The first game of the 2019 MLB season took place on March 20 – in Tokyo, Japan. MLB tried to fool us all by calling it the first game of the “Opening Series,” but it was – in fact – the Opening Day of the new season. (Note: It was the earliest regular-season MLB game ever.) The two-game Opening Series was, of course, a tribute to sure Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki – who hadn’t played in an MLB game since last May and announced his retirement after the two-game match up was completed. (For BBRT’s thought on the turn of events, click here.)

Game One of 2019 was slug fest, won by the Mariners 9-7. It featured home runs by Mariners’ SS Tim Beckham and LF Domingo Santana; and long balls by A’s DH Khris Davis, 1B Matt Chapman and RF Steve Piscotty. True to last season’s first (the first MLB season with more strikeouts than base hits), there were 18 whiffs and 16 hits. Seattle, by the way, also won Game Two – by a 5-4 score.

DODGERS SET NEW OPENING DAY DINGER MARK

The Dodgers topped the Diamondbacks (in LA) on Opening Day (March 28) by a 12-5 score. In the process, the Dodgers smacked an Opening Day single-team home run record with eight long balls. Joc Pederson and Enrique Hernandez each went deep twice, while Corey Seager, Max Muncy, Cody Bellinger and Austin Barnes added one apiece.

BELLINGER TIES ONE OF THOSE OBSCURE MARKS

The Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger had six home runs and 16 RBI through the first eight games of the season, which (according to STATS) has only been accomplished twice before: by Eddie Mathews (Braves) in 1953 and Alex Rodriguez (team) in 2007. After the contest, Bellinger noted “That’s cool to be with A-Rod.” His did not mention my favorite all-time player – Eddie Mathews. So, I decided to give Eddie a shout out in this post.

THE BASEBALL VERSION OF THE DOUBLE-DOUBLE

On March 28, for just the second time in MLB history, both starting pitchers in an Opening Day game notched double-digit strike outs. Of course, it should be no surprise, they were the 2018 National League Cy Young Award Winner (Jacob deGrom) and a three-time CYA winner and 2018 runner-up Max Scherzer.

As the Mets topped the Nationals 2-0, deGrom got the win – going six scoreless innings, with five hits, on walk and ten whiffs. Scherzer took the loss, despite giving up just two hits (and two earned runs) in 7 2/3 frames, with three walks and 12 strikeouts.

The only other time two hurlers notched double-digit whiffs on Opening Day was April 7, 1970, when the Orioles topped the Indians 8-2 in Cleveland. Orioles’ starter Dave McNally went the distance, giving up two runs on four hits, with three walks and 13 strikeouts. Cleveland starter Sam McDowell went 6 1/3 innings before walking the bases loaded with one out in the seventh. In his 6 1/3 frames, McDowell (who took the loss) was credited with giving up three earned runs on three hits, with five walks and eleven strikeouts.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

On Saturday March 30, the Dodgers made short work of the Diamondbacks, leading 5-1 by the third inning, 11-2 by the end of the sixth and 11-3 going into the bottom of the seventh. That’s when D-backs’ manager Torey Lovullo went, not to his bullpen, but to his bench – bringing backup catcher John Ryan Murphy to the mound. Murphy did pretty well in the bottom of the seventh. Despite giving up a walk and two singles, he held the Dodgers scoreless. The eighth was a little more difficult, as Murphy gave up seven runs on six hits and two walks. Not be outdone, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also brought a catcher off the bench and to the mound – calling on veteran backstop Russell Martin to protect an 18-3 lead. Martin got out of the inning (ground out, ground out, fly out) on ten pitches (eight strikes).

Notably, neither Murphy nor Martin had ever pitched in an MLB game before.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

Yipes! Between 2013 and 2018, only one player was guilty of committing three errors in an inning. Already this season, that has happened, appropriately, three times.

March 30 – Mariners’ 3B Dylan Moore

April 5 – Mariners’ SS Tim Beckham

April 8 – Pirates’ SS Kevin Newman

FOUR IN THE FOURTH

On September 13/14, 1986, , Giants’ catcher Bob Brenly found himself playing third base (due to an injury). In the fourth inning of that game (against the Braves) Brenly tied an MLB record by making four errors in one inning. Others “accomplishing” this feat include: Milwaukee’s James T. Burke – May 27, 1901; Cubs’ SS Leonard Meruello – September 13, 1942; and Indians’ SS Ray Chapman – June 20, 1914.

Brenly, by the way, did hit a pair of homers (four RBI) in the Giants 7-6 win.

MORE #WhyIHateTheDH

Photo by jnashboulden

On April 2, Diamondback starting pitcher Zack Grienke went six innings, giving up three runs on six hits and striking out ten, as the D-backs topped the Padres 8-5 in San Diego. Oh yes, and Greinke also hit two home runs and drove home four tallies.

BETTER BRING A CROWBAR IF JACK MORRIS IS ON THE MOUND

On April 4, Cleveland’s Trevor Bauer had a no-hitter going after seven innings – with the Indians leading 4-0. After seven, he had tossed 117 pitches and Indians’ skipper Terry Francona pulled him from the game. (The no-hitter was broken up in the top of the ninth.)

Not saying if it was right or wrong, but try to imagine what it would have taken to get the horsehide out of Jack Morris’ hand after seven no-hit frames.

TEE (off) FOR TWO

On April 8, Mariners Edwin Encarnacion hit his third and fourth home runs of the 2019 season. For the day, Encarnacion was two-for-four with two runs scored and four RBI. Of importance is the fact that they both came in the sixth inning of Seattle’s 13-5 win over the Royals. Of, perhaps, even more importance is that it was the second time in his career that Encarnacion has one deep twice in tone inning. And, that ties an MLB record.

SPEED KILLS

On April 9, Royals’ CF Billy Hamilton found a somewhat unique way to “take that extra base.” In a game against Seattle, Hamilton, one of MLB’s fastest players, was on second, via an error, in the bottom of the third inning, when Aldaberto Mondesi sent a drive to the warning track in center field. Mariners’ center fielder Mallex Smith made a tumbling catch and Hamilton – off with the catch – rounded third and never broke stride; scoring from second base on a sacrifice fly.

13 LUCKY FOR CHRIS DAVIS

On April 13, the Orioles’ Chris Davis ended an MLB-record 54-at bat hitless streak that stretched all the way back to September 14 of 2018. Davis’ hit (off Red Sox’ starter Rick Porcello) came in the top of the first inning – a single to short right-center that plated two Orioles’ runs. Davis ended the game (a 9-6 Orioles win) with three hits (two double and a single), four RBI and, very likely, a sigh of relief.

YIPES! IN BASEBALL WE DO COUNT EVERYTHING

Photo by haydenschiff

On April 17, MLB.com reported that – in the eighth inning of a 3-2 loss to the Dodgers in LA – Reds’ 1B Joey Votto popped up to first base. According to MLB.com, it was the first time Votto had popped up to first base in his career 6,829 plate appearances. For trivia buffs, the pitcher was Pedro Baez, the pitch a change up and the pop up was caught by Cody Bellinger. Stop the insanity!

GOING OUT IN STYLE

From March 20 through April 16, the Mariners went deep in every game they played – an MLB-record 20 straight games (to start a season) with at least one home run. During those 20 games, the Mariners went 13-7, putting up a .270 average, with 42 home runs and 132 runs scored. When the streak ended, it ended in style – with the Cleveland Indians’ Carlos Carrasco (eight innings) and Nick Wittgren (one inning) shutting out the Mariners on just three hits (two walks and 14 strikeouts).

During the streak, a dozen different players went deep for Seattle. Here are their streak totals.

Jay Bruce 8 home runs

Dan Vogelbach 6

Edwin Encarnacion 5

Mitch Haniger 5

Tim Beckham 4

Domingo Santana 4

Ryon Healy 3

Omar Narvaez 3

Dee Gordon 1

Dylan Moore 1

Tom Murphy 1

Mallex Smith 1

SOMEBODY HAS TO BE FIRST

On April 14, the Rockies’ German Marquez threw the first complete game of the 2019 MLB season, a sparking one-hitter (nine strikeouts) – as the Rox topped the Giants 4-0 in San Francisco. By the end of April, MLB had seen only five 2019 complete games.

ONLY ONE CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION – UPON REVIEW

On April 19, Cardinals’ rookie Lane Thomas was called on to pinch hit with two outs and one Redbird on base and the Cardinals trailing the Mets 5-1 in the sixth inning. It was the rookie prospect’s first MLB at bat. He made his appearances at the plate count, smacking an 0-1 slider form Seth Lugo that just cleared the RF wall. (It actually took an umpires’ review to confirm that home run.) Thomas became the 121^st MLB player and just the tenth Cardinal to homer on his first at bat. For more on first-at bat homers, click here.

FREDDY GALVIS CATCH – A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

PUTTING UP A BIG NUMBER

Photo by apardavila

On April 26, the Nationals’ Max Scherzer entered the sixth inning of his game against the Padres with 2,499 strikeouts. He went to work and whiffed the first Padres’ batter of the frame (Manuel Margot) on three pitches , then followed up by fanning Matt Strahm and Fernando Tatis, Jr. on a total of eight more pitches. He ended the night with ten strikeouts in seven innings and 2,503 for his career. In the process, he became the 35^th pitcher to reach 2,500 whiffs in MLB history and he did it in 344 games – faster than any pitches except Randy Johnson (313 appearances) and Nolan Ryan (338). That’s pretty good company. (Side note: Scherzer has led the N L in strikeouts in each of the past three seasons and has seven consecutive seasons of 230+ whiffs, with a high of 300 in 2018.)

PUTTING UP A BIGGER NUMBER

Photo by Keith Allison

On the last day in April, the Yankees’ C.C. Sabathia became just the 17^th MLB pitcher to reach 3,000 strikeouts – and only the third left hander. He started the game – against the D-backs – with 2,997 career whiffs. He did not notch a strikeout in the first two innings, but fanned the side in the third (David Peralta, Christian Walker and John Ryan Murphy) – around a home run and a single – to reach 3,000. (Like Max Scherzer, see above tidbit, Sabathia fanned the side in the landmark inning.) Sabathia gave up two runs in 5 1/3 innings, ultimately fanning five. He took the loss in a 3-1 D-backs’ victory. The only other southpaws to fan 3,000 hitters are Steve Carlton and Randy Johnson.

WELL, SHUT ME OUT

C.C. Sabathia is the only pitcher ever to lead both the National and American Leagues in complete-game shutouts in the same season. In 2008. he started the season with the Cleveland Indians and was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers on July 7. He went 6-8, 3.83 with Cleveland and tossed two shutouts (good enough to tie for the American League lead). He then went 11-2, 1.65 with the Brewers and tossed three more shutouts (good enough to tie for the NL lead.)

Kie-BOOM

On April 26, the Nationals’ 21-year-old rookie shortstop Carter Kieboom made his first MLB start – batting, by the way, in the number-nine hole behind pitcher Max Scherzer. Leading off the bottom of the eighth (against the padres’ Craig Stammen) Carter went kieBOOM – hitting a home run to deep CF for his first MLB hit. Side note: Carter is not the first Kieboom to play for the Nationals. His brother Spencer (a catcher) spent time with the Washington club in 2016 and 2018.

ONE FOR THE BOOKS

On April 28, When Zack Eflin tossed a complete game 5-1 win over the Marlins, it was the first Phillies’ complete game since September 10, 2017. In fact, Eflin now has as many complete games this season as the Phillies had in 2017 and 2018 combined. That, of course, would be one. Eflin gave up seven hits and one earned run over the nine innings – throwing 77 strikes in 107 pitches.

YOUTH WILL BE SERVED

On April 28, the Nationals’ Juan Soto, Victor Robles and Carter Kieboom each homered for Washington, who topped the Padres 7-6. It was the first time that three players 21-years-old or younger homered in the same MLB games (according to Elias). The three youngsters (Soto – 20; Robles – 21 and Kieboom – 21) drove in five of the National seven tallies. More of #InBaseballWeCountEverything.

ANOTHER BIG NUMBER

Albert Pujols began the 2019 season with 1,982 RBI – good for eighth place on the all-time RBI list. He drove in 15 runners in March April, bringing his career total to 1,997 – and moving him past Lou Gehrig (1,995) and Barry Bonds (1,996) into fifth place. Next up, Cap Anson at 2, 075. Pujols has had 14 100+ RBI season in his 19-season MLB career – tying Alex Rodriguez for the most 100 RBI seasons all-time.

NOW FOR THE INDIVIDUAL MARCH/APRIL LEADERS

________________________________________

—INDIVIDUAL LEADERS FOR MARCH/APRIL 2019—

BATTING AVERAGE (qualifying hitters)

AL: Tim Anderson, White Sox (.375); Elvis Andrus, Rangers (.361); Trey Mancini, Orioles (.355)

NL: Cody Bellinger (.431); Jeff McNeil, Mets (.370): Christian Yelich, Brewers (.353)

The lowest average among qualifying players belongs to the Red Sox’ Jackie Bradley, Jr. at .148 (13-for-88). In the NL, that dubious distinction goes to the Pirates’ Francisco Cervelli at .175 (14-for-80).

HOME RUNS

AL: Eddie Rosario, Twins (11); Khris Davis, A’s (10); Joey Gallo, Rangers (10)

NL: Cody Bellinger, Dodgers (14); Christian Yelich, Brewers (14); Marcell Ozuna, Cardinals (10); Joc Pederson, Dodgers (10)

The Red Sox Rafael Devers had the most most March/April at bats without a home run (102).

RUNS BATTED IN

AL: Domingo Santana, Mariners (30); Luke Voit, Yankees (25); Joey Gallo, Rangers (25)

NL: Cody Bellinger, Dodgers (37); Christian Yelich, Brewers (34); Marcell Ozuna, Cardinals (28)

The Dodgers’s Cody Bellinger (who else) led all of MLB with a .508 on-base percentage through April. Mike Trout led the AL at .481.

RUNS SCORED

AL: Mitch Haniger, Mariners (28); Trey Mancini, Orioles (23); three with 22

NL: Cody Bellinger, Dodgers (32); Christian Yelich, Brewers (26); Paul DeJong, Cardinals (26)

STOLEN BASES

AL: Tim Anderson, White Sox (10); Jose Ramirez, Indians (9); four with 8

NL: Victor Robles, Nationals (7); Trevor Story, Rockies (6); Fernando Tatis, Jr., Padres (6); Christian Yelich, Brewers (6)

BATTER’S STRIKEOUTS

AL: Jorge Soler, Royals (45); Domingo Santana, Mariners (38); Joey Gallo, Rangers (38)

NL: Wil Meyers, Padres (39); Bryce Harper, Phillies (38); Travis Shaw, Brewers (38)

Mike Trout of the Angels had the best ratio of walks-to-strikeouts at 2.07 (the only player with twice as many walks as whiffs) – 29 walks/14 strikeouts.

WALKS DRAWN

AL: Mike Trout, Angels (29); Alex Bregman, Astros (22); Tommy Pham, Rays & Joey Gallo, Rangers (21)

NL: Bryce Harper, Phillies (23); Andrew McCutchen, Phillies (23); Michael Conforto, Mets (22)

In March/April, no one wore a bigger target than the Phillies Maikel Franco, hit by a pitch an MLB-high eight times. Next, at six, were the Angels’ Mike Trout and the Brewers’ Christian Yelich. Pretty good company.

PITCHING VICTORIES

AL: Tyler Glasnow, Rays (5-0); Marco Gonzalez, Mariners (5-0); Domingo German, Yankees (5-1)

NL: Zack Greinke, D-backs (5-1); Jake Arrieta, Phillies (4-2); many with three

No one lost more games in March/April than the Red Sox Chris Sale, who went 0-5, 6.30. Ouch!

EARNED RUN AVERAGE (qualifying)

AL: Marc Stroman, Blue Jays (1.43); Tyler Glasnow, Rays (1.75); Aaron Sanchez, Blue Jays (2.32)

NL: Zach Davies, Brewers (1.38); Luis Castillo, Reds (1.45); Chris Paddock, Padres (1.91)

STRIKEOUTS

AL: Gerrit Cole, Astros (65 – 43 1/3 innings pitched); Trevor Bauer, Indians (55 – in 47 2/3 IP); Justin Verlander, Astros (53 – 44 IP)

NL: Max Scherzer, Nationals (54 – 39 1/3 IP); Luis Castillo, Reds (50 – in 43 1/3 IP); Stephen Strasburg, Nationals (48 – 37 2/3 IP)

Among pitchers with at least 20 innings pitched in March/April, Mets’ starter Jacob deGrom had the highest rate of strikeouts per nine innings at 14.48 (43 strikeouts in 26 innings). The high K-rate translated to a 2-3 record and 4.85 ERA.

Others meeting the 20-inning threshold and fanning 13 or more batters per nine inning were the Astros’ Gerrit Cole (13.38); Indians’ Carlos Carrasco (13.34); and Yankees’ James Paxton (13.24). Cole was 1-4, 4.71; Carrasco was 2-3, 5.86. Paxton was 3-2, 3.38.

SAVES

AL: Shane Greene, Tigers (12); Brad Hand, Indians (9); Robert Osuna, Astros & Ken Giles, Blue Jays (7)

NL: Kevin Yates, Padres (14); Kenley Jansen, Dodgers (10); Jordan Hicks, Dodgers (9)

INNINGS PITCHED

AL: Trevor Bauer (47.2); Marco Gonzalez, Mariners (44); Justin Verlander, Astros (44)

NL: German Marquez, Rockies (45); Zack Greinke, D-backs (44); Luis Castillo, Reds (43 1/3)

GAMES PITCHED

AL: Joakim Soria, A’s (16); Hansel Robles, Angels (16); many with 15

NL: Alex Claudio, Brewers (17); six with 16

Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; MLB.com

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