As each MLB season get underway, there are players that particularly spark Baseball Roundtable’s interest:  young prospects or veteran players hoping to deliver on expectations; players who are particularly crucial to their team’s prospects for the season; players who offer The Roundtable’s favored combination of Leather and Lumber;  retiring players making a last go-round; or players making adjustments to new positions, new roles or new teams.  You get the idea.  In this post, Baseball Roundtable will present its team-by-team American League Watch List for 2023, one (or two) players from each AL team that The Roundtable will pay particular attention to over the coming months.  For the previously published National League Watch List, click here.

Here is Baseball Roundtable’s 2023 Junior Circuit Watch List.

Baltimore Orioles- Andy Rutschman. Gunnar Henderson, Grayson Rodriguez

Orioles top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez. Photo: Jeffrey Hayes, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

With the Orioles the watch list is all about youth.

C Andy Rutschman (25-years-old) lived up to all the hype surrounding his rookie campaign – going .254-13-42 in 113 games, but even more important providing  s solid presence behind the plate. Baseball Roundtable expects to see offensive growth in 2023, while Rutschman’s defense and game management remain top notch.

The Orioles also expect good things from 3B Gunnar Henderson (who can also play SS).  Henderson hit .297-19-76, with 22 steals (as a 21-year-old) in 112 games at Double-A and Triple-A a year ago. He also looked comfortable in 34 late-season games with the Orioles, with a .259-4-18 stat line (and, remember, he was just 21).  It will be fun to watch his growth as a major leaguer in 2023.

Finally, there is  23-tear-old RHP Grayson Rodriguez, the Orioles’ top pitching prospect. In five minor-league seasons, Rodriguez has gone 25-9, 2.49 in 70 games (69 starts – one of those in 2023).  The 6’5” 230-pounder has a dominant mound presence – to go with a mid-90s fastball (that can reach triple digits), an effective mid-80s change up, a mid-80s slider and a work-in-progress, low-80s curve.  In 296 minor-league innings, Rodriguez has fanned 421 batters (102 walks).  Grayson made his first MLB start April 5 of this season, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk over five innings (five strikeouts).  More to come.

This trio should help keep the Orioles competitive in 2023 – and are solid building blocks for the future.

Boston Red Sox – Masataka Yoshida, Chris Sale and Tristan Casas

The Red Sox finished last (78-84) in the tough AL East last season and they need considerable help if they are going to move out of the basement.

The Roundtable will be watching three players – a Japanese import, a veteran and a rookie – who could contribute to that effort.

The Red Sox signed Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida to a reportedly five-year $90 million deal last December. The 28-year-old is coming off a .335-21-88 season (119 games) in Japan and has shown a combination of power and plate discipline in Nippon Professional  Baseball.   In seven seasons there, Yoshida averaged .326, with 135 home runs.  Perhaps more important, he walked more times (427) than he struck out (307).  It’ll be fun to see how he adjusts to the American game.

Veteran  southpaw Chris Sale, a  seven-time All Star, has finished in the top five in Cy Young Award voting in six of 12 MLB seasons. Between mid- August of 2019 and Opening Day 2023, however, he has started just 11 games and  pitched only 48 1/3 innings (elbow injury, Tommy John surgery, Covid, right-rib stress fracture, broken finger, broken wrist).  The Red Sox say he’s healthy now.  If he can return to form, it would give Boston a much-needed boost.

Triston  Casas, at 23-years-old, looks to have earned the 1B slot in the lineup. A 2018 first round draft pick, he’s shown both power and plate discipline as a minor-leaguer.  In 2022, he went .281-12-41 in 76 games at Rookie-Level and Triple-A (.273-11-38 in 72 Triple-A games).  That earned him a September call up – and while he hit just .192 (27 games), he did poke five home runs and put up a .358 on-base percentage (19 walks/23 strikeouts).  Casas  hit .327-3-9 in 19 2023 Spring Training games. We’ll see if he’s ready to contribute at the major league level.

Chicago White Sox – Oscar Colas

The White Sox signed Cuban outfielder Oscar Colas in January of 2022. Although he’s only 24-years old, Colas has been around – playing in both the Cuban National Series and Nippon Professional Baseball. He showed his abilities right from the get-go.  In 2022, he moved from High-A, to Double-A to Triple-A – hitting a combined .314-23-79 in 117 games.  Look from him to find success in  a White Sox uniform in 2023.

Cleveland Guardians – Jose Ramirez and Emmanuel Clase

On the Guardians squad, I intend to enjoy watching a couple of proven performers.

Third baseman Jose Ramirez holds the key to the Guardians’ offense. In 2022, the switch-hitter  went .280-29-126, with 20 steals.  He also drew 69 walks and fanned just 82 times.  Since 2017, Ramirez has  made four All Star teams, averaged .280, hit 20 or more home runs five times (only missing in the Covid-shortened 2020 season), drove in 100+ runs three times and led the league in doubles twice.  It’ll be a pleasure to watch this steady switch-hitter go to work again.

Also on the watch list is 25-year-old closer Emmanuel Clase. The Guardians (then Indians) acquired him a trade with the Rangers before the 2020 season.  (The Indians got Clase and Delino DeShields for Corey Kluber and cash.)  It worked out pretty well for the Guardians. In the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Clase went 7-9, with 66 saves and a minuscule 1.33 ERA.  Unlike The Roundtable, opponents are not happy to watch Clase come to the hill.

Detroit Tigers …. Miguel Cabrera

Photo: Jeffrey Hayes, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Only one choice here.  Have to watch future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera in his twenty-first – and final – MLB season.  Coming into the season, Cabrera, a two-time MVP and 2012 AL Triple Crown winner (.330-44-139) had a total of 3,088 hits (25^th all time), 507 home runs (27^th all time) and  1,847 RBI (14^th all time). Going into this final season, he needs:

• 100 hits to make the top-16 all time;
• 14 home runs to make the top-20 all time;
• 62 RBI to make number-12 all time.

The Numbers Game

In his first 15 MLB seasons, Miguel Cabrera averaged .321 – and averaged 32 home runs and 11 RBI per season.

It will be fun to watch Cabrera climb up the stats ladder as he makes his farewell tour.

Houston Astros – Jose Abreu and Hunter Brown

The 2023 Astros look a lot like the 2022 versions (Why not?  They won 106 regular-season games and a World Series title). So, they are worth watching.  They are going to be good.  With that in mind, I decided to put the “new guy” – free-agent-signee 1B Jose Abreu – on the watch list.   His veteran bat will fit right into the middle of the Astros’  lineup – and he should get lots of opportunities to drive in runs.  What the Roundtable will be looking for is to see if the short left-field distances at Minute Maid Park will help Abreu return to 30-homer form.  Last season, he hit .304-15-75 in 157 games for the White Sox.  Abreu, however, has hit 30 or more long balls in five of his first nine MLB seasons and driven in 100+ runs in six. I look for a .290-30-100 season.

I also be watching prospect RHP Hunter Brown, whom I expected to make some noise in the Astros’ rotation before the 2023 season is over. Brown was a  2019 fifth-round draft choice (out of Wayne State University, where he went 9-0, 2.21 in his final season).  In three minor-league seasons, he has gone 17-11, 2.40 with 134 strikeouts in 106 innings.  He earned a call up last September and went 2-0, with a 0.89 ERA in 20 1/3 innings (seven appearances/two starts).

Kansas City Royals –  Vinnie Pasquantino

Okay, I admit, I love seeing “Pasquantino” across the back of an MLB uniform. Plus, the 24-year-old (an eleventh-round pick in the 2019 draft) has shown solid power and a good eye at the plate. In three minor-league seasons, he hit .292, with 56 long balls in 246 games – and walked 131 times, while fanning 143.

Last season, he hit .277-18-70 in 73 games at Triple-A (with 40 walks and just 39 strikeouts) – earning a late-June call up.  In 72 games for Kansas City, he went .295-10-26, with 35 walks and 34 whiffs.  He’s big-time ready.

Kinda Shifty if You Ask Me

Pasquantino gets extra credit as a watch list candidate, given the fact that the shift was used against him in 93 percent of his 2022 at bats. The Roundtable will be watching to see if the new rules boost his numbers.  

Los Angeles Angels – Shohei Ohtani

Photo: ogami Kariya, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

No challenge here,  How can you not pick a player who seems to set some new “first” every time out.  Last season, Ohtani hit .273-34-95 with 11 steals – and went 15-9, 2.22 with 219 strikeouts in 166 innings on the mound. Why wouldn’t you want to watch a player with the following on his  resume – a 15-win and 200-strikeout season as a pitcher and a 46-homer, 100-RBI, 26-steal season as a hitter/baserunner.  Ohtani is another MVP award waiting to happen (he won the AL MVP in 2021).

More “Firsts” for Ohtani

On  April 5, Shohei Ohtani became the first MLB player to be hit with a pitch clock violation both as a pitcher and a hitter in the same game. In the first inning of his start on the mound against the Mariners, he was called for a pitch clock violation  (a called ball) for taking too long to deliver a pitch to  Mariners’ cleanup hitter Cal Raleigh (with two on and no out). Raleigh eventually fanned on a 3-2 pitch.

In the seventh, facing the Mariners’ Andres Munoz, with two on and one  out. Ohtani was penalized (a called strike) for taking too long to get set in the batter’s box.  Ohtani rapped an RBI single in the at bat.

Ohtani finished the game one-for-two at the plate (with two walks and an RBI), and got the victory after throwing six innings of three-hit, one-run ball (four walks eight strikeouts).

Minnesota Twins – Byron Buxton

It all about health with the Twins’ Byron Buxton – a Gold Glove defender and an offensive force (speed and power). He is also oft-injured (due partly to his all-out style of play). Healthy, he’s legitimate CF Gold Glover and 30-30 (HR/SB) guy.  However, in his first eight MLB seasons, Buxton played 100 or more games in a campaign just once.  Still, he has shown what he can do when he’s in the lineup.  In 2021, Buxton hit .306 and scored 50 runs in just 61 games. In 2022, he poled 28 home runs in  92 games.  In 2017, his only season of at least 100 games played, he swiped 29 bases in 140 games and won a Gold Glove for his defensive work in CF.  The Twins know how having Buxton in the lineup can change the game and have put emphasis on keeping him in the lineup (more time at DH).   Looking forward to seeing how that works out.

New York Yankees – DJ LeMahieu and Anthony Volpe

Lots to watch in New York – Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole are probably at the top of most fan lists.  For the Roundtable, I’ll be watching veteran DH LeMahieu and rookie Anthony Volpe.

The 34-year-old LeMahieu is a two-time AL batting champion, who can play around the infield (LeMahieu has won four Gold Gloves, three at second base and one as a utility player). From 2011 through 2020, LeMahieu averaged .305.  In 2020-22, he average .265.  The Roundtable will be watching to see if LeMahieu can up his game (close in on his career .297 average) in 2023. A productive LeMahieu gives the Yankees not only another solid offensive weapon, but considerable lineup flexibility.

I’ll also be watching 22-year-old rookie Anthony Volpe, who won the SS job coming out of Spring Training. A first-round pick (right out of high school) in the 2019 MLB Draft, Volpe has shown power and speed in three minor-league seasons.  In 2022,  at Double-A and Triple-A, Volpe hit .249,with 21 home runs, 65 RBI, 86 runs scored and 50 steals in 12 games.

DJ LeMahieu is the only player (since 1900) to win a batting title in both the AL and NL. (.348 for the Rockies in 2016 and .364 for the Yankees in 2020). 

Oakland Athletics – Ryan Noda

A Rule Five Selection (from the Dodgers) last December, the 27-year-old Ryan Noda could provide some much-needed power to the A’s lineup. In the Dodgers’ farm system (at Double-A and Triple-A), Noda hit 54 home runs and drove in 168 over the past two seasons.  His 2022 Triple-A numbers were .259-25-90, with 20 steals.  It’ll be interesting to see how he handles major-league pitching.

Seattle Mariners – Julio Rodriguez

Mariners’ CF Julio Rodriguez was the runaway winner of the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2022 – receiving 29 of 30 first placed votes.  (For those who need to know such stuff, the other first-place vote went to Orioles’ C  Adley Rutschman.)   Rodriguez also finished seventh in the MLB voting.

Rodriguez is a five-tool player (.284-28-75, with 25 steals in 132 games,  with a strong arm and ground-covering defense). The 22-year-old is a youngster worth watching, who may very well win an MVP award in the near future.  For 2023,  .a 30-30 season would not surprise me,

Tampa Bay Rays – Kevin Cash

I supposed it’s odd to pick a manager here, but Kevin Cash has proven has proven his ability to keep Tampa Bay competitive – without the “cash” available to other AL East clubs.  It’s always interesting to watch how Cash juggles his lineup and pitching strategies to get the most out of the resources on hand.

Kevin Cash was selected the American league in 2020 and 2021, joining the Braves’ Bobby Cox as the only MLB manage to capture the award in consecutive seasons.

Texas Rangers – Jacob deGrom and Josh Jung

When he’s healthy, Rangers’ free-agent-signee Jacob deGrom is one of the most dominant pitchers in the game (I can offer a Rookie of the Year  and two Cy Young Awards as evidence).  Ahh, but those health issues.  The right-hander  has has not made more than 15 starts or pitched more than 92 innings in a season since 2019, when he went 11-8, 2.43 in 32 starts (204 innings) for the Mets.  The Roundtable will be watching to see if the Rangers got the  pitcher who averaged 30 starts per season from 2015 through 2019 or the one who averaged 13 starts per season in 2021-22 (I left out the short 2020 season).

I’ll also be keeping an eye on Josh Jung, who looks to be given a shot at the 3B position, despite only 153 minor-league games on his resume.   In those 153 games, he went a sterling .311-30-118. Jung earned a call up – last September and hit five homers in 102 MLB at bats.  However, his .204 average and 39 strikeouts to four walks seem problematic.  Still, he had strong spring.314-3-6 ion 19 games (51 at bats) and bears watching.

Toronto Blue Jays – The Outfield

Blue Jays fans – and Blue Jays pitchers – will enjoy watching the revamped outfield.  This season, the  Blue Jays’ garden will feature three superior defenders.  Returnee George Springer – moving from CF to RF to make room for free-agent-signee Kevin Kiermaier (a three-time Gold Glover).  Joining these two will be another superior defender, LF Daulton Varsho, acquired in a trade with the Diamondbacks.  The three will boost Toronto’s defense,  Spring and Varsho should also provide some power and Kiermaier bring some speed to the base paths.  It’s on defense, however, where the trio is worth a watch. If the Blue Jays overtake the Yankees in 2023, these three will play a major roe.

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

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Yesterday (April 3), Baseball Roundtable took part in what has become a Roundtable rite of spring – the Twins’ Annual Food and Beverage Preview. Sponsored by the Minnesota Twins and Delaware North (the team’s food and retail partner), this annual media event features a look at (and taste of) the upcoming season’s new Target Field food and beverage offerings.

The Twins Keep Raising the Bar

As I’ve noted here before, when I first began attending MLB games, standard fare consisted of (not always piping-hot) hot dogs and (not always ice-cold) beer and soda.  For those wanting to step outside the box, there were peanuts, popcorn and Cracker Jack® (which was, of course, in the box and with a toy).  For the really adventurous, there were frozen malt cups (with a wooden spoon after taste).  When pizza and burgers arrived on the scene, we all thought baseball’s culinary landscape was complete.

Side note:  I must admit, I do miss in-the-stands vendors who had mastered the art of applying decorative ribbons of mustard and/or ketchup to a steamed hot dog.  Those days, however, are past. 

The 2023 Target Field Food and Beverage Preview (like those that went before it ) brought home how wrong we were about reaching the ultimate in ballpark fare – and how committed the Twins are to continually raising the ballpark food and beverage bar, while also  building an ever-stronger Minnesota connection.

Here are a few of Baseball Roundtable’s favorite new Target Field offerings for 2023 – as judged by super-taster Bob King and me.   Those items that are Minnesota made are identified.  I attempted to include prices and locations wherever possible. Note:  Many, not all, of the photos show the sample size from the Food and Beverage Preview, rather than full size offering  (generally, if the descriptive sign is in the photo, it’s a full -size offering).  And of course, prices and availability  are subject to change. 

Let’s start with the Baseball Roundtable Taste Team’s  top-six new items.

Number One … Jr.  Gong Jerk Chicken Bowl (Minnesota made), Soul Bowl, Section 113, $14.50.

Roasted jerk chicken thighs, glazed with pineapple jerk sauce and served with sweet plantains and yellow rice.  Bob and I both rated this number-one among the new tastes of the Twins.  The chicken was both spicy and juicy (take an extra napkin), with just enough sweet in the pineapple and plantain to balance the “heat.”

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Number Two … Cochinita Sliders, Truly on Deck.

Pork wrapped in banana leaves and braised in adobe sauce, with habanero pickled red onions and tequila pickles – served on a Sweet Hawaiian Roll.  Bob rated this as “the most unique and original offering.” He liked the combination of the braised pork flavor and  the “tang” of the tequila pickles.  This one really wakes up the taste buds.

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Number Three … Summer Strawberries and Cream Waffles, Waffles and More, Section 114.

Need desert?  We were both impressed by the Summer Strawberries and Cream Waffles.  Waffles crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside – topped with true summer sweetness.  The stand also offers Chicken and Waffles and Belgian Waffles with locally-sourced maple syrup.

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Number Four … Legacy Salad (Minnesota made), Roots for the Home Team, Look for the concession cart.  (In recent seasons, near Gate 34 on weekends).

Lighter Fair?  A salad of brown rice, pickled vegetables, edamame, snap pears and bok choy. Crisp, fresh with just the right level of zip in the dressing. Good food for a good cause. Roots for the Home Team works with area young people  participating in community garden programs to cultivate personal and professional growth.

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Number Five … Banh Mi Sandwich … Sous vide pork belly served on a hoagie roll with dark soy aioli, picked vegetables add sweet soy caramel. Bob noted that “This is a winner for me.  Nice and meaty.  The pork belly has a nice crunch and the hardy bun holds up to the sandwich.” Truly on Deck.

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Number Six … Chicken Sandwich (Minnesota made), Official Fried Chicken, Section 133, $8.99.

Official Fried Chicken offers a Chicken Sandwich ($8.99), as well as four- and eight-piece bone-in chicken and chicken tenders and fries ($12.99-$27.99). All the chicken was tasty, so it’s a matter of personal preference as to how you like your fowl served.  Bob and I both preferred the Chicken Sandwich – juicy broasted chicken in a sandwich that was just spicy enough.    Also, worth a try for the technology.  You order put in your at a kiosk, leave a phone number and then receive a text when it ready.  You’ll find it in one of the convenient heated pick-up boxes (see photo), ready to go.  No fuss, no lines.

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Three Adult Beverages We Think Would All be

a Refreshing Way to Lift Your Ballpark Spirits.

Lovejoy Bloody Mary

Bomboozled … Bomba Juice (Strawberry/Lemonade Hard Seltzer) with an extra kick (60-Proof Strawberry/Basil/Chili Muddle). Gray Duck Deck, left field corner.

Lovejoy Thai Basil Bloody Mary (Minnesota made), garnished with Lovejoy-seasoned Minnesota Duroc Pork Belly.  Gate 34 Pub.

Double Play … (Minnesota made), Keeper’s Heart Rye and Keeper’s Heart Bourbon with pineapple and cranberry juice. Truly on Deck.

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A  few other items to consider:

Hmong Sausage and Khao Sen/Rice  Noodle Bowl (Minnesota made) …  Seared Kramarczuk’s Hmong Sausage, served with chilled rice noodles, fresh herbs, cabbage, and vegetable slaw in a sweet chili vinaigrette.  Union Hmong Kitchen, Section 127.

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Loaded Potatoes … Looking for some comfort food at the ballyard? Fried baby red potatoes topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream, bacon and scallions, Truly on Deck.

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T-Rex Cookies (Minnesota made) … These sweet treats (Chocolate  Chip and Monster Flavor) are the size of a catcher’s mitt (or, at about 8-inches across, seem nearly so).   A chewy-chocolaty dessert to share or, given the new pitch-count rules, one that should last a full inning or more. Multiple locations.

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Mrs. Parker Donut Peach Cobbler (Minnesota made) … Feeling the need for something super sweet?  A yeast donut topped with sweet peach cobbler, caramel drizzle and crushed vanilla wafers. Truly on Deck.

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Jonny Pops (Minnesota made)  … Summer Strawberries and Cream, Chocolate Fudge and Oat Milk, Rainbow Fruit Snacks, Watermelon, and Red, White and Boom.   Section 126.

Beer Bats … Souvenir bat filled with ice-cold beer. This bat should be a hit with fans of beer and baseball – you pick the order. Multiple locations.

Wine Carafes … Wine, champagne, Mimosas and more in a unique carafe you’ll probably want to take home.   Section 114.

This is just a sampling of the new items for 2023.  Many favorites from past seasons will also be back: like Hot Indian Chicken Tikka, Kramarczuk’s Sausages, Tony O’s Cuban Sandwich, Murray’s Smoked Beef Sandwich and more.  And, don’t forget more traditional ballpark favorites like the Twins Big Dog, Nachos Grande in a helmet, bratwurst, pizza, peanuts, Cracker Jacks, and ice cream in a helmet.   The point is, when you head into the Target Field, you have plenty of choices when it comes to food and beverage.  Enjoy – and try not to spill on your scorecard.  (Okay, I’m old school, I still keep a scorecard.)

For a full listing  of concession  offerings, locations and prices, click here to go to the Twins Concession page.

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Marcus Stroman – called for the first-ever regular-season pitch clock violation.

Opening Day (as I begin putting together this post) is upon us (as you read this, it will be behind us). As has been usual in recent seasons, the day is marked by change in MLB.  This year it’s shift-restricting regulations, a strictly enforced time clock, limits on pickoff attempts, a revamped schedule (each team will face all 29 other MLB teams at some point in the schedule, which means 24 fewer in-division games) and permanency for the extra-inning “ghost” runner.  As baseball fans we will, of course, learn to live with these changes.  (Well, most of them anyway. I remain steadfast in refusing to recognize ghost runners on my scorecard.)

In this post, Baseball Roundtable will look at a different kind of annual change.  The change we see in each season’s Opening Day lineups. Consider.  Of the 299 players who found themselves in the 2022 Opening Day lineups  (Shohei Ohtani is the reason the total is one short of ten per team), just 183 (61%) found themselves among the 2023 Opening Day starters.  Further, less than half (135/45 percent)  of 2023 Opening Day starters found themselves on the field to start Opening Day for the same team they “opened” for in 2022.

The highest number of repeat  Opening Day starters was six – by the Yankees, Rays, Orioles, Guardians, Tigers, Astros, Mariners, Braves, Mets, Marlins and Giants.  The fewest number of repeat Opening Day starters was two – Athletics, Pirates, Reds and Diamondbacks.

The Brewers had the highest number of 2022 Opening Day starters appearing in the Opening Day lineups of a new teams in 2023 at five:  2B Kolten Wong (Mariners); DH Andrew McCutchen (Pirates); RF Hunter Renfroe (Angels); C Omar Narvaez (Mets); 3B Jace Peterson (Athletics).  The Cardinals, Rockies and Astros had zero 2022 Opening Day starters appearing in another teams 2022 Opening Day lineup.

So, how does all this lineup change come about? Several ways:

• Trades:  Think the Twins/Marlins trade that made former-Twin and AL batting champ Luis Arreaz (who started Opening Day 2022 for the Twins) the first player to come to the plate  for the Marlins this season and made former-Marlin Pablo Lopez the first pitcher to take the mound for the Twins in the 2023 campaign.
• Injuries:   Think players stepping in for Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins of the Phillies or Jose Altuve of the Astros (all of whom were Opening Day 2022 starters).
• Free Agent signings:  Think Jose Abreu , who started at 1B for the White Sox  on Opening Day 2022 and at 1B for the Astros this Opening Day – or Trea Turner, who started at SS for the Dodgers on Opening Day 2022 and at the same spot for the Phillies this Opening Day.
• Players getting their first Opening Day start:  Think players  like Yankees’ SS Anthony Volpe and Cardinals LF  Jordan Walker,whose first Opening Day starts were also their MLB debuts. 

In the remainder of this post, Baseball Roundtable will take a look at the 2023 and 2022 lineups, in the order I predict  the teams will finish.  And, for those who are a little more nostalgic, I’ll toss in a look at team lineups from five and ten years ago.

Before we get started, for Roundtable readers from warmer climates, here’s ho we approach the home opener in Minnesota (at least this season).

Now for those lineups (and predictions).

–NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST–

First Place … Atlanta Braves

Second … New York Mets

Third – Phillies

Fourth … Marlins

Fifth … Nationals 

–NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL–

First Place … Cardinals

Second – Brewers

Third … Cubs

Fourth …. Pirates

Fifth … Reds 

–NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST–

First  Place… Padres

Second … Dodgers

Third … Diamondbacks

Fourth … Giants

Fifth … Rockies

–AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST–

First Place …. Yankees

Second … Blue Jays

Third … Rays

Fourth … Orioles

Fifth … Red Sox

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

First Place … Twins

Second … Guardians

Third … White Sox

Fourth … Royals

Fifth … Tigers

–AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST–

First Place… Astros

Second … Mariners

Third … Angels 

Fourth … Rangers

Fifth … Athletics

Primary Resource:  Baseball-Reference.com

Coming Soon: The Roundtable picks one player from each team for its 2023 “One to Watch List.”

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With Opening Day 2023 on the horizon, I find myself looking forward to the months ahead and  reflecting on why I love baseball.  With that in mind, I’ll dedicate this post to a review of the ten top reasons I love the national pastime – and also include links (at the end of this post) to posts on the topic of “Why I Love Baseball” from  guest writers ranging from Grammy nominee Leonard Eckhaus to 2013 MLB Draft sixth-round pick John Micheal Murphy to sportswriter and author Larry LaRue.

Let’s start with Baseball Roundtable’s ten Reasons to love the national pastime.

1.  Baseball comes along every spring,  accompanied by sunshine and optimism.

Baseball is the harbinger of better times.  It signifies the end of winter (not a small thing if you’re from Minnesota) and the coming of spring – a season of rebirth, new life and abundant optimism.   Each season, you start with a clean slate.   Last year’s successes can still be savored, but last year’s failures can be set aside (although rival fans may try to refresh your memory), replaced by hope and anticipation.   On Opening Day, in our hearts, we can all be in contention.

People ask me what I do in winter, when there’s no baseball. 

I’ll tell you what I do.  I stare out the window and wait for spring.

 Honus Wagner, Hall of Famer

 2.  The pace of the game invites contemplation.

Between innings, between batters or pitchers, and even between pitches, baseball leaves us time to contemplate what just occurred, speculate on what might happen next and even share those thoughts with nearby spectators.  Baseball is indeed a thinking person’s game. (Side note:  I am waiting to see what impact the new pitch clock rules will have on this aspect of the national pastime.) 

3.  Baseball is timeless and, ultimately, fair in the offering of opportunity.

The clock doesn’t run out.  There is no coin flip to determine who gets the ball first in sudden death overtime.  No matter what the score, your team gets its 27 outs and an equal opportunity to secure victory.  What could be more fair?   And then there is the prospect of “extra” innings, bonus baseball for FREE.

When I was young my heroes didn’t wear capes or cowboy hat. They wore stirrups and baseball caps. Many still do.

4.  Plays and players are distinct (in space and time).

Baseball, while a game of inches, is also a game of considerable space.   The players are not gathered along an offensive line or elbow-to-elbow under a basket. They are widely spaced, each with his own area of responsibility and each acting (as part of a continuing play) in their own time frame.  (On a 6-3 play, for example,  first baseman can’t catch the ball for the putout until after the shortstop throws it.)   This enable fans to follow, understand  and analyze each play (maybe not always accurately) in detail.   And, baseball’s distinct spacing and timing makes it possible to see the game even when you are not there.  A lot of people grinned at President Gerald Ford’s comment that he “watched a lot of baseball on the radio.”  In my view, he was spot on.  You can see baseball on the radio – you can create a “visual” of the game in your mind with minimal description.    That’s why on summer nights, in parks, backyards and garages across the country, you’ll find radios tuned to the national pastime.

 5. The scorecard.

Can there be anything more satisfying than keeping an accurate scorecard at the ball park?  It serves so many purposes.  The keeping of a scorecard ensures your attention to the happenings on the field.

Photo by mwlguide

Maintaining the score card also makes you, in a way understandable only to fellow fans, more a part of the game.   That magical combination of names, numbers and symbols also enables you to go back and check the progress of the game at any time.  “Oh, Johnson’s up next.  He’s walked and grounded out twice.”  It’s also a conversation starter, when the fan in the row behind you asks, “How many strikeouts does Ryan have today?”   And, it leaves you (if you choose to keep it) with a permanent record of the game, allowing you to replay it in your mind (or share it with others) at will.  Ultimately, a well-kept scorecard enhances the game experience and offers a true post-game sense of accomplishment.

6.  The long season.

Baseball, so many have pointed out, is a marathon rather than a sprint.  It’s a long season with ample opportunity to prove yourself and lots of chances to redeem yourself.  For fans, the long season also represents a test of your passion for the game.  Endurance is part of the nature of the true baseball fan.  And, and in the end, the rigors of a 162-game season prove your mettle and that of your team.   Not only that, but like a true friend … baseball is there for you every day.

 7.  Baseball invites, encourages, even demands, conversation.

Reason number two hinted at the importance of conversation, noting that the pace of the game offers time to contemplate the action (past and future) and share those thoughts with others.   I love that about the game, but I also love the fact that whenever baseball fans gather, their passion comes out in conversation – and they find plenty to talk about:

•  Statistics,  statistics, statistics.  Baseball and its fans will count anything.  Did you know that Yankee Jim Bouton’s hat flew off 37 times in his 2-1, complete-game victory over the Cardinals in game three of the 1964 World Series?  More seriously, statistics are part of a common language and shared passion that bring baseball fans together in spirited conversation.  As best-selling author Pat Conroy observed “Baseball fans love numbers.  They love to swirl them around in their mouths like Bordeaux wine.”  I agree, to the fan, statistics are intoxicating.

• Stories, stories, stories.  Baseball and its fans celebrate the game’s history.  And, I’m not talking just about statistics.  I’m talking about the stories that give this great game color, character and characters.  Ty Cobb sharpening his spikes on the dugout steps, Babe Ruth’s called shot, Louis Tiant’s wind-up, Willie Mays’ basket catch, Dock Ellis’s LSD-fueled no-hitter.

• Trivia, trivia, trivia.  This may fall close to the “stories, stories , stories” category, but fans cherish the trivia that surrounds our national pastime – whether that trivia is iconic or ironic.  For example, t’s ironic that the iconic Babe Ruth holds the best winning percentage against the Yankees of any pitcher with 15 or more decision against them (17-5, .773). And, it’s ironic that the more recent player to steal home twice in one game (Vic Power, August 14, 1958) did it in a season when he only stole a total of three bases).  Then there is the iconic performance of Ralph Kiner, who led the NL in home runs as a rookie in 1948 – and successfully defended that title in each of the next six seasons – the most consecutive home runs titles by any major leaguer ever.

Basically, I took a long time to say I love the fact that baseball fans will talk with passion about something that happened in today’s game, yesterday’s game, over time or even in a game that took place on May 30, 1894 (Bobby Lowe of the Boston Beaneaters records MLB’s first four-homer game).  And, as a bonus, all this conversation – all the statistics, stories and trivia – make the games, moments within the games and the characters of the game (heroes, goats and mere participants) as timeless as baseball itself.

 8.  The box score. 

Today’s box score – a thing of beauty.

BBRT editor’s  mother used to refer to an accordion as “an orchestra in a box.”  That’s how I view the daily box score – the symphony of a game recorded in a space one-column wide by four inches deep.   Some would say the box score reduces the game to statistics, I would say it elevates the game to history.  What do you want to know about the contest?   Who played where, when?  At bats, hits, stolen bases, strikeouts, errors, caught stealing, time, attendance, even the umpires’ names?   It’s all there and more – so much information, captured for baseball fans in a compact and orderly space.  I am, of course, dating myself here, but during baseball season, the morning newspaper, through its box scores, is a treasure trove of information for baseball fans.

 9. The irony of a team game made up of individual performances.

While baseball and baseball fans live for individual statistics and, while the spacing of the players drives individual accountability, the game is, ironically, deeply dependent on the concept of “team.”

Consider the offense.  Unlike other sports , where you can deliver victory by giving the ball or puck – time and time again (particularly as the clock runs down) –  to your best runner, skater, receiver or shooter, in baseball, your line-up determines who will be “on the spot” and at the plate when the game is on the line.  It may be your .230-hitting second basemen, rather than your .320-hitting outfielder.  Yet, even as the team depends on the hitter, he is totally alone in his individual battle with the pitcher.  And, achieving individual statistics that signify exceptional performance also demands a sense of team.  You don’t score 100 runs without a team mate to drive you in (although the statistic remains your measure of performance) …  and, you don’t drive in 100 runs if no one gets on base in front of you.   And, can you think of any other sport that keeps track of – and honors – the team-oriented “sacrifice.”

On defense, the story is the same.  A ground ball pitcher, for example, needs a good infield behind him to optimize his statistical presence in the “win” column.  And the six-four-three double play requires masterful teamwork as well as individual performance –  duly recorded in the record books as an assist for the shortstop, a putout and an assist for the second baseman and a put out for the first baseman.  Then there is the outfield assist – a perfect throw from a right fielder to nail a runner at third earns an assist – even if the third baseman drops the ball and earns an error.  Two individual results (one good / one bad) highlighted, but without the necessary team work – a good play on both ends – a negative outcome in terms of the game.

Ultimately, baseball is a game of individual accomplishments that must be connected by the thread of “team” to produce a positive outcome.

10. Baseball’s assault on the senses.  (Indoor ballparks fall a bit short here).

The sight of a blue sky and bright sun above the ballpark or a full moon over a black sky above a well-lit stadium.  The feel of the warm sun or a crisp evening breeze.  The scent of freshly mowed grass or steaming hot dogs.  The taste of cold beer and peanuts.  The sound of the crack of the bat, the cheers (or moans) of the crowd, the musical pitch of the vendors.  Baseball assaults all the senses ―  in  a good way.

The ballet of the double play … a beautiful thing.
Photo by roy.luck

Now, I could go on and on, there are lots more reasons to love this game: its combination of conformity (all infields are laid out the same) and individualism (outfield configurations not so much); its contributions to culture (literature and movies); its strategy (hit-and-run, run-and-hit, sacrifice bunts, infield / outfield positioning, pitching changes, etc.); triples; the 6-4-3 double play; knuckleballs; and more.  But to protect myself – and BBRT’s readers – I’ve limited myself to ten.   I probably could have saved a lot of time and words  had I just started with this so-perfect comment from sportscaster Bryant Gumbel, “The other sports are just sports.  Baseball is love.”  That says it all.

Bonus Reason to Love Baseball – Opening Day

In the words of Joe DiMaggio:

“You always get a special kick on Opening Day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you were a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen.”

Now. here are links to guest posts on “Why I Love Baseball.”

• For a post from author, poet and Grammy nominee Leonard Eckhaus (that includes an original poem) click here.
• For a post from John Micheal Murphy, Yankees’ sixth-round pick in the 2013 MLB draft, click here.
• For a post from Jason Love, author of “Slices of Americana – A Road Trip Through American Baseball History, click here.
• For a post from sportswriter and author Larry LaRue, click here.
• For a post from college football coach Alex Smith, click here.
• For a post from baseball blogger Bill Ivie (I70baseball.com), click here.
• For a post from dedicated autograph seeker Scott Perry, click here.
• For a post from lifelong baseball fan Tom Cuggino, click here.

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs.  To see the full list, click here.

Baseball Roundtable is also on the Anytime Baseball Supply Top 66 Baseball Sites list.  For the full list, click here. 

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT

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Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; The Baseball Reliquary. 

 The Baseball Roundtable polls are closed and the results of the reader survey on MLB rules changes for 2023 (and one possible future change) are in.  The winners – at least among the 118 respondents to the Roundtable fan poll – were  the Shift Ban and the Pitch Clock, while the changes respondents loved to hate were making the Ghost Runner in extra innings permanent and the Limit on Pick-off Attempts.

Note:  Baseball Roundtable will repeat survey at the All Star break – after fans have had a chance to see the new rules in action.

Notably, while there were a few, “leave the game totally alone” responses, most appeared to evaluate each rule change on its own merits.

Before we look at the 2023 Rules Survey results, here’s a snapshot from an early 2022 Baseball Roundtable survey on factors affecting readers’ decisions to attend an MLB game.  I’d note here that In-Game Downtime and Amount (lack) of On-Field Action both far outpaced Length of Game.

With that bit of background, Let’s look at the final results of the 2023 rules change survey.

—-Shift Ban—-

Two infielders must be on each side of second base and within the boundaries of the infield as a pitch is thrown.  Also, infielders may not switch sides during a given inning (you can’t move your best infielder to the opposite side of the second base bag for a specific hitter).  Side note:  A team may still choose to bring an outfielder into the infield as a fifth infielder. Penalty:  A Ball is called.

Angels infield sift during 2015 Spring Training; Photo: Jon Gudorf Photography, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

This rule  change saw  48.4 percent  of respondents Loving or Liking it and 39.2 percent  Hating or Disliking it.

 Love it … 15.3%

Like it … 33.1%

Hate it … 13.7%

Don’t Like it … 25.5%

Neutral/No Opinion … 2.5%

Note: In an early 2022 reader survey, 55.9% liked the prospect of a shift ban; 35.1% disliked it.  To view the full 2022 survey (which deals with a wider range of MLB rules), click here. 

Baseball Roundtable Take:  I like the restrictions (shifts seem way overused to me), but would have preferred allowing teams to use the shift a specific number of times per game (say three) – forcing managers to make a strategic decision on when to use a shift.  (The shift has long been a part of the game, just not to the extent we see it today).

—–Base Sizes—–

The size of bases is  increased from 15 x 15 inches to 18 x 18 inches.

Neutral/No Opinion was the leading answer here, with 35 percent of respondents in that category. Those Hating or Disliking the new base size did outnumber those loving or liking it by a 41.0 percent to 23.9 percent margin.

Love it … 9.4%

Like it … 14.5%

Hate it … 20.5%

Don’t Like It … 20.5%

Neutral/No Opinion … 35.o%

Baseball Roundtable Take:  If you consider this a safety issue, giving fielders and runners more space to operate in, I’m on board.  If the argument is that it will increase action on the base paths, my answer is “Yawn.” Baseball may be a game of inches, but I don’t think six fewer  inches between the outside edge of the bases is gong to make much difference.

—–Pitch Clock—–

In 2023, there will be 30-second time limit between each batter, 15-second pitch clock with bases empty (pitcher must deliver the ball within 15-seconds of receiving it), 20 seconds with runner(s) on base.  Also, batters must be in the batter’s box and ready by the time there are eight-seconds left on pitch clock.  Note: Here’s where it gets sticky for me.  With runners on base, the timer resets if the pitcher steps off the rubber or attempts a pickoff (these are  “disengagements), with a limit of two disengagements per plate appearance (more on that later). The timer is also reset  if a baserunner advances  during a plate appearance. In addition,  batters are allowed one time out during a plate appearance.  Penalties: Pitcher violation- called Ball; Batter violation – called Strike.

A  majority of respondents fell into the Love It-Like It cadres (56.8 percent to 38.9 percent in the Hate It/Don’t Like It groups).

Note: In the early 2022 Roundtable reader  survey,  55.5% of respondents liked the idea of a strictly  enforced pitch clock; 31.4% disliked it. Both the supporting and opposing numbers increased in the new survey, while there were fewer neutral responses.)

Baseball Roundtable Take:    The jury is still out for me on this one. I’m fine with a pitch clock with the bases empty, as well as with the one batter’s time out per plate appearance. I’m not sure about the limit on “disengagements”  with runners on base.  I tend to enjoy the pitcher-base runner “cat-and-mouse” game.  Also, the “disengagement” limits (more on this in a later question), at least in my mind, complicate the experience for the average fan trying to follow the game. So, I’m in a “wait-and-see” mode on that portion of this change.

–—-Limiting Pick-Off Attempts (disengagements) During a Plate Appearance—–

Pitchers will be allowed just two “disengagements” (pick-off attempts, fake pick-offs, stepping off the rubber, defensive time out) per plate appearance – with the disengagement count reset if a runner advances a base within the plate appearance. No penalty on a third pick-off  attempt if it produces an out. Penalty: If a pitcher steps off or attempts a pick-off a third time, it is treated as a Balk (runners advance) – unless the pick-off is successful (an out is recorded), then there is no penalty.

Interestingly, while a majority (56.8 percent) of respondents Loved or Liked the pitch clock, an ever larger majority (68.9 percent) hated or dislike the limiting of pick-off attempts (which , in part, prevent pitchers from circumventing the pitch clock with actual or feigned pick-off attempts).

Love It … 6.0%

Like It … 19.7%

Hate It … 49.2%

Don’t Like It … 23.1%

Neutral/No Opinion … 5.1%

Note: In the  2022 reader survey 72.5% disliked the idea of limiting pickoff attempts; 14.3 percent liked it.

Baseball Roundtable Take: Again, I like the pitch clock with no runners on base. I do not, however, support limiting pick-off attempts.  As noted earlier, I like the pitcher-base runner “cat and mouse” game – and consider pick-off plays to be on-field  “action.”  I do appreciate the third pick-off not being a violation if an out is recorded (which prevents runners from taking extraordinary leads after the allowed two pick-off attempts/disengagements).

Still, I’d feel better with just eliminating or restricting “fake” pick-offs (stepping off the rubber and “looking” the runner back).  My preference would be, if the pitcher disengages, he has to take the risk of making the throw. 

—–Extra-Inning Ghost Runner—–

The rule placing a runner at second base at the start of each extra inning is now permanent.  This is the rule change that respondents really loved to hate – with 75 percent responding they Hated or Did Not Like it (63.6 percent in the “Hate It” group).

Note; Compared to the 2022 survey, reader opposition, while still strong, was down from 82.4% to 75%, while support was up from 14.3% to 19.5%.

Baseball Roundtable Take:  Totally agree with the bulk of  survey respondents.  To me this rule change is a step too far. My stance is that  “earned” runners not “gift” runners should decide a ball game.  Yes, it will shorten extra-inning contests (I’m not convinced that’s a good thing). However, it also changes the basic structure and strategy of the game. 

—–Restrictions on Position Player Pitching—–  

Last season, position players could only be brought in to pitch in extra innings or if the player’s team was trailing by at least six runs. In 2023, the restrictions will be in extra innings or if the players’ team is trailing by at least eight runs (at any time) or ahead by at least ten runs in the ninth inning.

Well, 17.8 percent Love or Like this change, 53.4 percent Hated of Disliked it and 28.8 percent were in the Neutral/No Opinion group. .

Love It … 3.4%

Like It … 14.4%

Hate It … 27.1%

Don’t Like It … 26.3%

Neutral/No Opinion … 28.8%

Baseball Roundtable Take:  I was surprised  to see 30 percent with strong (Love It or Hate It ) opinions.  I did not expect strong opinions either way on this one.  This difference, really makes no difference to me.

—–LOOK TO THE FUTURE … Automated Strike Zone—–

Readers were asked about their opinions on the possible use of electronic devices to determine balls and strikes. Give a bit of an  edge to the umpires – even with their shortcomings – here. The Hate It and Dislike It groups had a 54.3 percent to 38.1 percent edge.

Love It … 12.7

Like It … 25.4

Hate It … 39.0

Don’t Like It … 15.3

Neutral/No Opinion …  7.6

Note: In the 2022 reader survey 54.1 % disliked the idea of an electronic strike zone, while 32.7% liked it.

Baseball Roundtable Take: Not a fan of this potential  change.  I do like to watch those pitchers with the skills to “expand” the strike zone at work. Still, if it comes to this, I can live with it. I do miss the days, however, when the philosophy was that – whether at the plate or on the basses” – the umpires “call” would even out.

————————————–

READER COMMENTS: 

Now, for a sampling of reader comments.

Automated Ball and Strike Calls

Regarding the automated strike zone, I don’t support a 100% computer-controlled system. However, I would support using it for “challenges” on balls and strikes, so long as it could be done with limitations on when or how many challenges can be used.  CHRIS (did not give a state)

_____

I like the balls and strike rules used in AAA last year. If I remember right, the batter, pitcher, catcher or either manager can ask for a very limited review of a pitch, then they show one of the computer generated views of where the pitch was. If the pitch is not reversed, the team that requested the review loses one of their appeals. EDDIE (California)

_____

LOVE the Robo Umps w/ balls & strikes. You simply can’t continue to track pitches with a computer, show the fans the real location in real time, and have umpires blow the call. Research shows 34,000 missed calls in a season. Each game averages approximately 300 pitches. That is 113 FULL games worth of missed balls and  strikes. Unacceptable. The hitters are the best in the world and can discern with expert precision. You can’t allow a bad ump to take that expertise away, while simultaneously showing the fans at home the truth. Since the chances of success vary so wildly between starting 1-0 or 0-1, we cannot allow bad umpiring to continue to cause this unnecessarily.  No Name Given, but noted permission  to use the comment.

Limit on Pick-Off Attempts

Instead of limiting pickoff attempts, I would ban leading off first base. Treat it like tagging up on a fly out. I’d also require mid-inning relievers to enter from the dugout, and no warm-up pitches.  My pitcher friend hates my reliever proposals! RICHARD (Minnesota)

Pitch Clock

I went to a minor league game last year. Went to the concession stand to pick up food and beverages……..missed about an inning and a half or so. Pitch clock was too fast.  RON, North Carolina

General

Certain things baseball needs to do to modernize the game as well as to cut the length of games and make the games more appealing.  However, some of these rules changes are just stupid and don’t address the real issues. DAN (no state given)

—–

I think that we have to allow ourselves to see how the game might improve for the greater good, despite my misgivings or questions about whether the changes are consistent with the spirit of the game.  STEVE (Michigan)

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs.  To see the full list, click here.

Baseball Roundtable is also on the Anytime Baseball Supply Top 66 Baseball Sites list.  For the full list, click here. 

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT

Follow Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here.  More baseball commentary; blog post notifications.

Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; The Baseball Reliquary. 

The Greatest Summer in Baseball History:  How the ’73 Season Changed Us Forever

By John Rosengren

Sourcebooks, Naperville, IL

$16.99 

(To be released April 1, 2023 … May be pre-ordered at indiebound.org and amazon.com)

In  1973, Major League Baseball appeared to be at a crossroads.  The game was facing the blowback from 1972’s first-ever players’ strike; the balance of power between players and owners had changed dramatically; the American League had adopted a controversial rule change (the Designated Hitter); racial animus was coming to the forefront as Henry Aaron closed in on the iconic Babe Ruth’s career home run record; Reggie Jackson was redefining the image of the baseball superstar; and George Steinbrenner and Charlie Finley were breaking the norms as baseball owners.  Forbes Magazine, in fact, predicted major league baseball “could well vanish from the scene in twenty years.”

In The Greatest Summer in Baseball History: How the ’73 Season Changed Us Forever, award-winning author John Rosengren gives readers a vivid picture of the forces and individuals that helped redefine baseball in 1973 – putting the game on a new, more colorful (and, at times. more controversial) path.

In his well-researched and well-written book, Rosengren provides the expected descriptions of the on-field action in pennant races, post-season games and record-chasing endeavors. He also takes readers behind the scenes (into the dugouts, clubhouses and executive offices), examining the personalities who were reshaping the game. He also ties the course of the baseball season with the events of the times (like the Watergate Scandal, the withdrawal from Vietnam, the Billy Jean King/Bobby Riggs Battle of the Sexes and George Steinbrenner’s legal troubles.

Rosengren tells the tale of the 1973 MLB season without pulling any punches. For example, he details how  a resurgent Orlando Cepeda successfully put his mark on the Designated Hitter position, as well as how a declining Willie Mays struggled through his final MLB season (with the Mets). When recounting Reggie Jackson’s 1973 season, Rosengren reports that Reggie Jackson led the American League in home runs, RBI and game-winning hits, but also notes that Jackson was a new kind of superstar, one who played for the ego and the money.

With his usual thoroughness, Rosengren traces the development of Jackson’s ego all the way from his high school days (football scholarship offers from 48 colleges) until his trade to the Yankees, when he  announced “I did not come to New York to be a star, I brought my star with me.” As he describes Jackson’s approach to stardom – often irritating and even offensive to many (even his teammates) – Rosengren notes that Jackson also added a new level of excitement to the game.

“Jackie Robinson changed the color of the game; Reggie infused it with color. He broke the duller barrier.”  

                                                               The Greatest Summer in Baseball History

Baseball Roundtable Note: “The Greatest Summer in Baseball History: How the ’73 Season Changed Us Forever” was first published in 2008 under the title “Hammerin’ Hank, George Almighty and the Say Hey Kid: The Year that Baseball Changed Forever.”  The book is being re-released this year, the 50th anniversary of the 1973 season.

Without giving too much away, let’s take a look at a few examples of how Rosengren approaches the stories of the 1973 season.  We’ll start with Hank Aaron’s 1973 season, unfolding as he approached the iconic Babe Ruth’s hallowed 714 career home runs (Aaron would close 1973 with 713 regular-season long balls). Rosengren details Aaron’s on-field accomplishments, as well as the stress of the pursuit and the mountain of racially-based  threats against not just Aaron himself, but also his family.

“It (the pursuit of Ruth’s record) should have been the most enjoyable time of my life, and instead it was hell.”

            Hank Aaron, noted in The Greatest Summer in Baseball History

What intrigued me was that Aaron was nearly as disturbed by Atlanta’s indifference to his pursuit of the record as he was by the race-based hate mail. For example, on Hank Aaron Poster Day at Atlanta Stadium (April 29, 1973) – when the Braves planned to give out posters to the first 20,000 youngsters –  a total of only 12,152 (youngsters and adults) were reported in attendance. After the game, Aaron commented that  “Atlanta overwhelmed me with its indifference.” Later in the season, when Aaron popped his 711^th round tripper (September 17), only 1,362 fans showed up in Atlanta. “That was a pretty strong statement of what Atlanta though of me and my record,” Aaron observed.

There were, of course, positive moments – and Rosengren shares those as well. On August 6, “Hank Aaron Day” was held in the former home of the Braves, as Aaron’s Atlanta squad took on the Brewers in an exhibition game in Milwaukee. There, Aaron basked in an extended standing ovation from more than 33,000 fans. There was a similar response at the 1973 All Star Game and Atlanta fans did come around, putting 40,000 plus in the seats (and out of their seats for a five-minute  standing ovation) for Atlanta’s final home game of the season.

The point here is that – as with other topics in the book – Rosengren enables us to relive the significant events of 1973, the good and the bad.  And, he does it with detail and accuracy, as well as with entertaining and active prose.

Rosengren also gives readers a look at the Mets, who made won the NL East title and made it to the World Series, despite being in last place on August 30 and not topping .500 to stay until September 22.-

“Excitement for the Mets in New York seemed directly proportional to disgust for the Nixon Administration.”

                                                        The Greatest Summer in Baseball History

Rosengren shares a game-by-game account of the of the 1973 Mets/Reds NL Championship Series – identifying the heroes and the goats.  Part of the tale that particularly grabbed me took place in Game Two.  In the fifth inning of that contest – with the  Reds up 9-3 – Pete Rose (breaking up a  double play) took out Mets’ shortstop Buddy Harrelson.  The action resulted in a bench-clearing brawl.  It was not your usual push-and-shove in-field match, but one marked by some pretty heavy punches. (Rosengren includes a blow-by-blow account, including Reds’ pitcher Pedro Borbon’s taking a bite out of a Mets player’s cap.)  Once the field was cleared, the excitement was far from over. When Rose took his place in left field the next inning, the fans greeted him with what Rosengren terms ”a barrage of insults and an artillery of garbage.” It took more than ten minutes and a visit to the outfield by peacekeeper Willie Mays to quiet the crowd.

“I’m no damn little girl out there. I’m supposed to give the fans their money’s worth and try to bust up double plays – and shortstops.  I’ll be honest, I was trying to knock him into left field.”

                          Pete Rose, after his NLCS collision with Bud Harrelson

Rosengren tells the story of the 1973 World Champions A’s  and the deep rift between the players and owner Charlie  Finley.   A rift so deep that, at one point, the A’s players discussed going on strike during the 1973 World Series. Rosengren shares the story of Reggie Jackson flipping the bird at owner Charlie Finely after delivering a pinch-hit home run and gives readers a look at Finley –  defying post-heart attack doctors’ orders – and continuing his meddling ways from a wheelchair (with a bottle of yellow heart pills in his pocket).

And, there’s much more in the book, including (but, as they say, not limited to):

• Orlando Cepeda overcoming gimpy knees to be named 1973’s first-ever Outstanding Designated Hitter of the Year;
• The rift(s) between, Hank Aaron and Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn; Willie Mays and Mets’ skipper Yogi Berra; George Steinbrenner and the Federal Court system;
• The forces behind, skepticism surrounding and impact of the Designated Hitter rule;
• George Steinbrenner’s zealous efforts to prove Gaylord Perry was throwing spitballs;
• Willie Mays’ moments of struggle and moments of glory in his final season.

Ultimately, The Greatest Summer in Baseball History is a highly informative and entertaining look at a watershed year for baseball. If you’re a baseball fan, you’ll enjoy the action and  John Rosengren’s take on the people, events and social forces that shaped the season and the future course of the National Pastime.

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About the Author

John Rosengren is an award-winning journalist and author, whose articles have appeared in more than 100 publications, ranging from The Atlantic to Sports Illustrated. He is a lifelong baseball fan and a member of the Society for American Baseball Research.

He has written ten books including:

The Fight of Their Lives: How Juan Marichal and John Roseboro Turned Baseball’s Ugliest Brawl into a Story of Forgiveness and Redemption

Hank Greenberg: The Hero of Heroes

Classic Baseball: Timeless Tales, Immortal Moments

Blades of Gory: The Story of a Young Team Bred to Win

Alone in the Trenches:  My Life as a Gay Man in the NFL. (With Esera Tuaolo)

Life is Just a Party (short story collection)

Clean Heart (Novel)

Rosengren is a Pulitzer Prize nominee.  Among his many awards is the 2017 Donald Robinson Award for Investigative Journalism.

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A Brief Interview with the Author

Roundtable:    When did you first develop your passion for baseball?

Rosengren: I fell in love with baseball as a young boy. My father took me to Twins games at Met Stadium and passed along his love for the game through his stories and explanations of how the game was played. That love grew with my collection of Topps baseball cards, which I still have tucked into a few shoe boxes in my basement.

Roundtable: Did you ever play organized ball … from Little League on?

Rosengren: I started playing T-ball in as a six-year-old and continued playing until my junior year of high school when I was an outfielder on the JV team. I returned to the game in my 40’s, playing catcher and outfield for the Richfield Rockets in the 35-over wooden bat Federal League.

Roundtable:  What spurred you to delve so deeply in the 1973 season?

Rosengren: I wanted to write a book that chronicled a season and figured the ’73 season, with all of the events that happened that year, was one of the most formative years in the history of the game. It also happened to be a significant year in the history of our country, so 1973 was a rich subject. It helped that I remembered the season fondly from my youth, because that increased my interest in learning more about it.

Roundtable:  How long did the research for The Greatest Summer take and were there any specific challenges to getting the full picture?

Rosengren: I spent about two years researching the season until I got to the point where I felt I could tell its story with authority.

Roundtable:  Is there a specific goal or philosophy you bring to your efforts when putting together  a book?

Rosengren: I want to be able to tell a story in a compelling way and to write about substantial subjects. The racial injustice exposed by the opposition Hank Aaron faced in his pursuit of Ruth’s career home run mark is an example of the gravitas that makes this more than simply “a baseball book.”

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