As a member of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance (BBA), I am pleased to share the BBA’s announcement that seven players from this year’s Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) Hall of Fame ballot were recommended for enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBA membership – with Randy Johnson the only unanimous recommendation. (The BBA is an organization of more than 200 baseball bloggers.)

In the official release regarding the BBA balloting, it is noted that –  given the backlog of quality players on the ballot – the BBA adopted the “binary ballot” process suggested by St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Derrick Goold. Each player on the ballot was given a “yes” or “no” vote by BBA voters and those receiving over 75 percent were then recommended for induction. (There was no ten-vote maximum as in the official BBWAA balloting.) Using this method, only 13 percent of BBA members turned in a ballot with less than ten names selected, while 40 percent turned in a ballot with 15 or more names selected.  Note:  BBRT is highly supportive of the adoption of binary balloting by the BBWAA.)

Within this format, the following player received the necessary support from Baseball Bloggers Alliance members:

Randy Johnson (LHP, 1988-2009) – Unanimous BBA support

The Big Unit – BBA’s unanimous HOF recommendation.

Randy Johnson notched 303 wins (166 losses) and 4,875 strikeouts (second all-time) in 4,135 innings pitched.  Johnson’s 10.61 strikeouts per nine innings ranks number-one among qualifying starting pitchers.  Johnson, who held hitters to a .221 average (eighth lowest all-time), was a ten-time All-Star and five-time Cy Young Award winner (second only to Roger Clemens). He led his league in strikeouts nine times, ERA four times, complete games four times, winning percentage four times and victories once.  He earned four straight NL Cy Young Awards (1999-2002) and threw two no-hitters (one a perfect game.) He was also the 2001 World Series MVP – going 3-0. 1.04 in three starts (striking out 19 in 17 1/3 innings).

Johnson itched for the Montreal Expos (1988-89); Seattle Mariners (1989-98); Houston Astros (1998); Arizona Diamondbacks (1999-2004, 2007-08); New York Yankees (2005-2006); and San Francisco Giants (2009).

Pedro Martinez (RHP, 1992-2009) – 95 percent

Pedro Martnez brought an arsenal of “plus” pitches and elite control to the mound.

Martinez ran up a 219-100 record, a 2.93 ERA and 3,154 strikeouts in 18 seasons.  Among qualifying starting pitchers, only Randy Johnson recorded more strikeouts per nine innings than Martinez’ 10.04. He captured three Cy Young Awards (1997, 1999, 2000) and was an eight-time All Star.  He notched a league-low ERA in five seasons, and a league-high in strikeouts three times.  Martinez is one of only four pitchers to log 3,000+ strikeouts with fewer than 1,000 walks. His .687 winning percentage is the third-highest all-time; second-highest in the modern era (behind Whitey Ford’s .690; 238-106).

Martinez pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1992-93); Montreal Expos (1994-97); Boston Red Sox (1998-2004); New York Mets (2005-08); and Philadelphia Phillies (2009).

Craig Biggio (2B/C/OF, 1988-2007) – 90 percent

Craig Biggio getting his bat on the ball for 3,000+ hits should be his ticket to the Hall of Fame.

Biggio recorded 3,060 base hits (20th all time), 1,884 runs (154h all time), hit 291 home runs and stole 414 bases.  He was a seven-time All Star and a four-time Gold Glove winner. He led the NL in runs twice, doubles three times, stolen bases once and hit-by-pitch five times.  His 668 doubles are the most ever by a right-handed hitter (and fifth all time). He holds the NL record for home runs to lead off a game (53) and for hit-by-pitch (285).

Biggio played his entire 18-year MLB career with the Houston Astros.

John Smoltz (RHP, 1988-2009) – 89 percent

Smoltz delivered as a starter and reliever.

Smoltz is the only MLB hurler to notch 200+ wins (213) and 150+ saves (154) in his career – and one of only two pitchers to have a 20-win season and a 50-save season.  In 1996, he went 24-8 as a starter for the Braves, leading the NL in wins, winning percentage (24-6, .750), strikeouts( 276)  and innings pitched (253 2/3). Five seasons later, after Tommy John surgery, Smoltz led the NL in saves with 55. Smoltz was an eight-time All Star, who won the NL Cy Young Award in 1996 and was the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year in 2005. He led the NL in wins twice, winning percentage twice, strikeouts twice, innings pitched twice and saves once.  He finished his career at 213-155, 3.33, with 154 saves and 3,084 strikeouts in 3,473 innings pitched.

Smoltz pitched for the Atlanta Braves (19988-99, 2001-08); St. Louis Cardinals (2009); and Boston Red Sox (2009).

Mike Piazza (C, 1992-2007) – 85 percent

Mike Piazza – above the HOF bubble in BBA voting.

Mike Piazza’s achieved a .308 career average, 427 home runs (a MLB-record 396 as a catcher), a Rookie of the Year Award, 12 All Star Selections and ten Silver Slugger Awards as the best hitter at his position. He collected 2,127 hits, 1,335 RBI and scored 1,048 runs. Piazza played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1992-98); Florida Marlins (1998); New York Mets (1998-2005); San Diego Padres (2006); and Oakland A’s 2007.

Jeff Bagwell (1B, 1991-2005) – 77 percent

Jeff Bagwell’s 15-year career MLB-career included 2,314 hits, 449 home runs, 202 stolen bases and a .297 average – along with a Rookie of the Year Award, a Most Valuable Player Award, one Gold Glove and four All Star selections.  He also twice recorded seasons of 40 or more homers and 30 or more steals. Bagwell played his entire MLB career with the Houston Astros,

Tim Raines (OF, 1979-2001) – 77 percent

Tim Raines hit .294 over his 23-season MLB career, collecting 2,605 hits, 1,571 runs scored, 170 home runs, 980 RBI and 808 stolen bases (#5 all time).  Raines was successful on 83.5 percent of his career steal attempts. He was a seven-time All Star, led the NL in stolen bases four consecutive years (1981-84), had a streak of six seasons with at least 70 steals, won the NL batting title in 1986 with a .334 average, led the league in runs scored twice and doubles once. Raines played for the Montreal Expos (1979-90, 2001)); Chicago White Sox (1991-95); New York Yankees (1996-98); Oakland A’s (1999); Baltimore Orioles (2001); and Florida Marlins (2002).

All seven of these players received BBRT’s HOF support – as did Lee Smith, Jeff Kent and Mike Mussina.  For more details on the BBA recommended candidates and BBRT’s ballot, click here to go to my December 3, 2014 Hall of Fame Post.

The rest of the BBA voting was as follows:

Edgar Martinez  71%

Curt Schilling 68%

Mike Mussina 67%

Barry Bonds 65%

Roger Clemens 63%

Alan Trammell 53%

Jeff Kent 44%

Gary Sheffield 38%

Larry Walker 37%

Fred McGriff 33%

Mark McGwire 33%

Don Mattingly 31%

Lee Smith 31%

Sammy Sosa 23%

Carlos Delgado 19%

Nomar Garciaparra 13%

Cliff Floyd 4%

Brian Giles 4%

Rich Aurilia 3%

Darin Erstad 3%

Troy Percival 3%

Aaron Boone 1%

Jason Schmidt 1%

Jermaine Dye 0%

Tom Gordon 0%

Eddie Guardado 0%

The official website of the BBA is located at baseballbloggersalliance.wordpress.com. The BBA can be found on Twitter by the handle @baseballblogs and by the hashmark #bbba. For more information, contact Niko Goutakolis at baseballbloggersalliance@gmail.com.

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

We are just days away (Monday, December 8) from the announcement of the Golden Era candidates (if any) who will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.  In this post, I will share how BBRT’s ballot would look (if I had one), as well as my predictions as to who the committee will chose to send on to the Hall of Fame.

Selecting from among the Golden Era candidates proved more challenging then working my way through BBRT’s predictions and preferences for the regular Baseball Writers Association of American Hall of Fame voting.  (For BBRT’s regular Hall of Fame Ballot predictions, click here.) There were several reasons for that:

• Since the Golden Era candidates were prescreened by an Historical Overview Committee, they all had some very deserving achievements and attributes;
• Since I grew up in the Golden Era, I was able to see all the nominated players on the field – and find my choices mixing emotion with reason;
• You can only vote for five of ten candidates, no matter how deserving you feel six or seven may be; and
• Predicting how the Committee will vote is complicated by the fact that its membership changes so much from election to election (only four of the 16 members of the previous Golden Era Committee are back this year).

 

By way of background, the Hall of Fame Eras Committees consider candidates passed over for election to the HOF in the annual Baseball Writers Association of America – BBWAA –  balloting. The committees, which meet on a rotating basis (each committee meeting once every three years), are the: Pre-Integration ERA (prior to 1946); Golden Era (1947-72); and Expansion Era (1973 forward). Players to appear on each year’s ballot are selected by an Historical Overview Committee and candidates must receive 75 percent support from Era Committee members to achieve election.  Era Committee members may vote for or up to five candidates.   Candidates whose careers overlap eras are considered on the basis of the time frame in which they made their most significant contributions to the national pastime.

There are ten candidates on this year’s Golden Era ballot and, unlike the regular Hall of Fame election, their fate is not in the hands of the members of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Instead, their election depends on garnering 75 percent of the votes from a16-member panel that, this election cycle, includes:

• Already enshrined Hall of Famers: Jim Bunning, Rod Carew, Pat Gillick (executive), Ferguson Jenkins, Al Kaline, Joe Morgan, Ozzie Smith and Don Sutton
• Baseball executives: Jim Frey, David Glass, Roland Hemond and Bob Watson
• Historian: Steve Hirdt
• Media representatives: Dick Kaegel, Phil Pepe and Tracy Ringolsby

The returning members from 2011 are Gillick, Kaline, Hemond and Kaegel.

Note:  The last time the Golden Era Committee convened (2011), only former Cubs’ third baseman Ron Santo received the required 75 percent of the vote.

2014 Golden Era Baseball Hall of Fame Voting (for 2015 induction)

Candidates – Those returning from the 2011 voting are in bold face, with voting percentages for the top vote-getters noted.

Dick Allen, Ken Boyer, Gil Hodges (56.3%), Bob Howsam (executive),  Jim Kaat (62.5%), Minnie Minoso (56.3%), Tony Oliva (50.0%), Billy Pierce, Luis Tiant and Maury Wills.

How BBRT would use its five votes – if I had a ballot.

When considering players, it’s difficult to put sentiment aside.  Being born in the initial year of the Golden Era, I grew up watching all of these players.  I can find a reasons – beyond basic statistics – to vote for every one.

Beyond overall statistics (more on those later), here are just a few of the candidates’ unique achievements:

• Maury Wills, Ken Boyer and Dick Allen have all won league MVP Awards
• Jim Kaat shares the MLB record for consecutive Gold Gloves won (16) with Brooks Robinson
• Gil Hodges is one of only 16 MLB players to hit four home runs in one game
• Tony Oliva is the only player to win his league batting title in his rookie and sophomore seasons
• Maury Wills, in 1962, not only became the first player to steal 100 bases in a season (104), he topped the next highest player’s total by 72 – and the Dodger shortstop actually stole more bases than every other MLB team
• Minnie Minoso led the AL in hit by pitch an MLB record 10 times
• In 1962, Billy Pierce (traded to the San Francisco Giants in the off season), proved to really like home cooking – going 11-0 in eleven Candlestick starts, with  his overall 15-6 record helping the Giants tie the rival Dodgers for the pennant. Pierce started Game One of the three-game playoff and ran his 1962 home record to 12-0 (beating Sandy Koufax, tossing a three-hit shutout in an 8-0 win).
• Dick Allen is one of only 39 players since 1900 to hit two inside-the-park homers in a one game. Since Allen hit his two inside-the-park HRs on May 31, 1972, the feat has been equaled only once in MLB – by the Twins’ Greg Gagne in 1986. (Three inside-the-park homers in a game has been achieved only once, by Tom McCreery of Louisville of the NL in 1897.)

The uniqueness of this class of candidates goes beyond the numbers. Consider:

• Tony Oliva’s knees bent-in stance – and ability to hit pretty much any pitch (in or out of the strike zone)
• Luis Tiant’s twisting (and deceptive) delivery
• Minnie Minoso’s groundbreaking efforts on behalf of Latin American players
• Dick Allen’s fierce presence and personality on and off the field

I could go on and on, but the point is – each of these players offers up good (and diverse) reasons to secure the votes of the Golden Era Committee (and BBRT).  Still, the Committee members are limited to five votes, so I decided to follow the same rules for BBRT’s “ballot.”   I did my best to focus on exceptional performance in relation to their Golden Era peers – league leadership in key categories, All Star selections, individual awards (Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, MVP, etc.)  I recognize that my selections, which I will present in priority order, may make me look like a bit of a “homer.” (I’m from Minnesota and two of my selections are former Twins.) I do, however, think my reasoning will stand up to evaluation.

1. Minnie Minoso (OF/3B, 1949-1964*)

*Minoso also made brief publicity-focused appearances for the White Sox in 1976 and 1980 – which allowed him to appear in MLB in five different decades.

In his first full MLB season (split between the Indians and the White Sox), Minoso hit .326, leading the AL in triples (14), stolen bases (31) and hit by pitch (16) – finishing second to Yankees’ infielder  Gil McDougald in the Rookie of the Year balloting.

BBRT note: Minoso’s statistics for the year – 146 games, 530 at bats, 173 hits, 34 doubles, 14 triples, 10 home runs, 76 RBI, 31 steals and a .326 average – topped McDougald in every category except home runs.

Minoso went on to a 17-season MLB career in which he made seven All Star squads, earned three Gold Gloves, led the AL in hits once, doubles once, triples three times, stolen bases three times, total bases once and hit by pitch an MLB-record ten times. He finished with 1,963 hits and a .298 average (topping .300 eight times), 186 home runs (hitting 20+ in a season four times), 1,136 runs (scoring more than 100 runs in a season four times), 1,023 RBI (besting 100 four times) and 205 stolen bases. In addition to those offensive marks, Minoso also led AL leftfielders in assists six times, putouts four times and double plays four times.  Minoso was well into his career when the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards were established in 1957; yet he still earned a Gold Glove in left field in 1957, 1959 and 1960.

Adding to Minoso’s Hall of Fame resume is the fact that he was a groundbreaking “Black Latino” in major league baseball.  He was the first player of color for the Chicago White Sox, the first Black Cuban to play in the major leagues and the first Cuban to play in the major league All Star game.  His baseball legacy is further enhanced by the fact that he played (and starred) not only in the major leagues, but in the Negro Leagues (where he played in the East West All Star Games of 1947 and 1948) and Cuban League – and is a member of the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame, the Latino Baseball Hall of Fame and the Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame.

All of this puts Minoso at the top of the BBRT Golden Era ballot – plus I’d like to see his full name Saturnino Orestes Armas (Arrieta) Minoso on that HOF plaque.

Minnie Minoso played for: Cleveland Indians (1949, 1951, 1958-59); Chicago White Sox (1951-57, 1961, 1964, 1976, 1980); Saint Louis Cardinals (1962); Washington Senators (1963).

Minnie Minoso’s best season:  1954 Chicago White Sox … 153 games, .320 average, 182 hits, 29 doubles, 18 triples (league-leading), 19 home runs, 119 runs scored, 116 RBI, 18 stolen bases.

2. Jim Kaat (LHP, 1959-83)

Jim Kaat – 283 wins, 3oth all-time.  That might say enough right there.  Kaat, however, also is among MLB’s top 35 hurlers in games started (625, 17^th), innings pitched (4,530 1/3, 25^th) and strikeouts (2,461, 34^th). One of the criticisms of Kaat raised during regular BBWAA balloting was that he his win total was inflated by the length of his career (Kaat average 11.3 wins per season over 25 seasons).  From a different perspective, BBRT believes the fact the Kaat had the skills and determination to compete on the major league level from age 20 to age 44 contributes to his Hall of Fame credentials.

Overall, Kaat went 283-237, 3.45.  He was a three-time All Star, and won 20 or more games three times. He led his league in games started twice and wins, complete games and shutouts once each. Then, of course, there are those sixteen (consecutive) Gold Gloves.  Kaat finished second (with 62.5 percent of the vote) in the previous Golden Era balloting.  This should be his year.

Jim Kaat played for the: Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins (1959-73); Chicago White Sox (1973-75); Philadelphia Phillies (1976-79); New York Yankees (1979-1980); Saint Louis Cardinals (1980-83).

Jim Kaat’s best season: 1966 Twins … A league-leading 25 wins (13 losses), with a 2.75 ERA. That season, Kaat also led the AL in starts (41) and complete games (19). Kaat might have that all-important Cy Young Award on his HOF resume, except for the fact that MLB gave out only one CYA in 1966 (the move to a CYA for each league came the following year) and it went to National Leaguer Sandy Koufax (27-9, 1.73 for the Dodgers).

3. (Tie) Tony Oliva (OF-DH, 1962)

Okay, having two former Twins on my ballot may make me look like a “homer,” but hear me out.  First, it’s ironic that Jim Kaat’s HOF qualifications have been criticized in the past because his career was too long (283 wins over 25 seasons), while Oliva’s HOF credentials have been criticized because – due to injury – his productive career was too short (only 11 seasons in which he played at least 125 games, only seven of 140 games or more).

Oliva gets BBRT’s vote because when he played he was simply one of the best. In his first eight seasons full seasons (1964-71), he made the All Star team every year.  During that span he produced an annual average of 182 hits (.313 batting average), 22 home runs, 89 runs scored, 90 RBI and ten stolen bases.

Oliva won three batting titles (and the 1964  Rookie of the Year Award) – and is the only player to win the batting crown in both his rookie and sophomore seasons.  He also led the AL in base hits five times, doubles four times, and topped the AL one time each in runs scored, slugging percentage, total bases and intentional walks.   Tony-O also showed speed on the bases, finishing in double-digit in steals six times, with a high of 19 in 1965.

Oliva also was a “’plus” defender with a rifle arm in right field, capturing a Gold Glove in 1966. Even after knee issues forced to serve primarily as a DH (1972-76), he continued to be a feared hitter.  Oliva played in 15 major league seasons, retiring with a .304 career average, 1,917 hits, 220 home runs, 870 runs scored and 947 RBI.

Tony Oliva played for:  Minnesota Twins (1962-76)

Tony Oliva’s best season:  1964 Twins … In his rookie year, Oliva led the AL in batting average (.232), hits (217), doubles (43), total bases (374) and runs scored (109). He threw in 32 home runs, 94 RBI and 12 stolen bases for good measure.  Oliva did not fall prey to the “sophomore jinx.” The following season, he again led the AL in hits and batting average.

 3. (Tie) Dick Allen (1B/3B, 1963-77)

Dick Allen’s traditional HOF candidacy suffered from a combination of career-shortening injuries and career-complicating (often racially motivated) controversy.  The fact is Allen had a fierce presence both on and off the field.  It is on-the-field performance – specifically his at-the-plate performance – that earns Allen BBRT’s Golden Era vote.  It is generally agreed that none of his peers hit the ball as consistently hard (and far) as Allen did in the pitching-dominated 1960s.

Allen came on with a bang in his first full season, leading the NL in runs scored (125), triples (13) and total bases (352), while hitting .318 with 29 home runs and 91 RBI.  His performance earned him the Rookie of the Year Award.  He went on to a 15-year career during which he was a seven-time All Star and collected 1,848 hits, 351 home runs and 1,119 RBI.  His career batting average was .292, and he topped .300 seven times.  He led the NL in home runs twice (hitting 30+ HRs six times), RBI once (besting 100 three times), walks once, on base percentage twice, slugging percentage three times and total bases once.

Dick Allen played for: Philadelphia Phillies (1963-1969; 1975-76); Los Angeles Dodgers (1971); Chicago White Sox (1972-74); Oakland A’s (1977).

Dick Allen’ best season:  1972 Chicago White Sox … Played in 148 games, hitting .308, while leading the AL in home runs (37), RBI (113), walks (99), on base percentage (.420) and slugging percentage (.603).  Won the AL MVP Award.

5. Gil Hodges (1B, 1943-63 – military service 1944-45)

Gil Hodges was a slick-fielding first baseman. (Rawlings launched the Gold Glove Award in 1957 and Hodges, already in his 12^th MLB season at age 33, began a streak of three consecutive Gold Gloves at first base.) Hodges was also a potent offensive force – an RBI machine.  For the seven seasons from 1949 to 1955, he topped 100 RBI every year – averaging 112 runs driven in per campaign.   He also logged 11 consecutive seasons of 20+ home runs (1949-59), with a high of 42 in 1954.

In 18 MLB seasons, Hodges was selected for eight All-Star teams, and helped his Dodgers capture seven NL pennants and two World Series championships.  In post season play, he is best remembered his 21 hitless at bats in 1952, but in his other six World Series he hit .318, with five home runs and 21 RBI in 32 games.

Hodges’ put up a career average of .273, with 370 home runs, 1,274 RBI and 1,105 runs scored.  Without losing those two years to military service, he may well have exceeded the 400 home run, 1,500 RBI marks. After his playing days, he also managed the Washington Senators (1963-67) and New York Mets (1968-71), leading the “Miracle Mets” to the World Championship in 1969.

Gil Hodges played for: Brooklyn/LosAngeles Dodgers (1943-61); the New York Mets (1962-63).

Gil Hodges’ best season:  1954 Dodgers … Hodges played in all 154 games that season, providing sparkling defense along with a .304 average, 42 home runs, 130 RBI and 106 runs scored.

Note: Hodges finished third in the previous Golden Era voting, with 56.5 percent.

So, there’s the BBRT Golden Era ballot.  But I can’t resist taking just a little liberty.  If I only had one more vote, it would go to:

Ken Boyer (3B/1B/CF … 1955-69)

Ken Boyer was a Gold Glove fielder at third base.  In fact, he won five Gold Gloves in a six-season span (1958 to 1963).  He led all NL third baseman in assists twice, putouts once and double plays five times. And I guess he was able to console himself for losing the 1964 Gold Glove to the Cubs’ Ron Santo with the fact that Boyer was voted the NL MVP that season.

You may have heard about (or witnessed) Boyer’s defensive skills at the hot corner, but did you know his MLB career also included time in centerfield (111 games), as well as at first base (65 games) and shortstop (31 games)? In fact, in 1957 – with the Cardinals wanting to develop infield prospect Eddie Kasko and facing a gap in centerfield – Boyer agreed to move to the center of the outfield. In 105 games there, he made just one error and led NL outfielders with a .993 fielding average.

Note: A combination of an injury to Kasko and the Cardinals acquisition of outfielder Curt Flood sent Boyer back to third base in 1958 (and he began a streak of four consecutive Gold Gloves).

In his fifteen-year MLB career, Boyer became known not just as a fine defensive player, but also as a consistent, quality hitter. He retired with 2,143 hits, a .287 average, 282 home runs, 1,104 runs scored and 1,141 RBI – topping .300 five times (with a high of .329 in 1961), hitting 20 or more home runs eight times (with a high of 32 in 1960), driving in 90 or more runs eight times (with a league-leading high of 119 in 1964) and scoring 90 or more runs five times (with a high of 109 in 1961).  The quality of Boyer’s play – in the field and at the plate – earned him seven All Star selections.

WHAT WILL THE GOLDEN ERA COMMITTEE DO?

With only four of the sixteen members from the previous Golden Era Committee (which elected on Ron Santo) returning, this becomes a tough call. Given the make-up of the 2014 committee, I expect they will be a little more generous in the balloting.

Likely to be elected:  I expect Jim Kaat (who came so close in 2011) and Minnie Minoso to receive the necessary support.

Dark horse candidates:  I also think Tony Oliva (thanks to Rod Carew’s presence on the panel) and Gil Hodges (who got 56.3 percent last time around) have a chance – but I am less confident they will garner three-quarters of the votes.

So, in order of likelihood, Kaat, Minoso, Oliva, Hodges.

BBRT invites your comments on the Golden Era ballot.

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

Clayton Kershaw – 22nd hurlr to win a league MVP Award.

In Baseball we count everything, so – with Clayton Kershaw’s recent MVP recognition –  it’s appropriate to note that Kershaw set a new mark for the fewest games appeared in by a league MVP at 27. The previous mark was 30 games – by the Yankees’ Spud Chandler in 1943.  Like Kershaw, Chandler led his league in victories, earned run average, won/lost percentage and complete games.  (Chandler also led in shutouts.)

As always, there was some controversy over a pitcher winning the MVP – particularly a pitcher that (due to injury) started only 27 games.  There is however, plenty of precedence for a pitcher to be recognized as a league’s Most Valuable Player.  Kershaw, in fact, is the twenty-second pitcher to capture a league Most Valuable Player Award (denoted at different times as the MVP Award, League Award or Chalmers Award). With Walter Johnson (1913, 1924), Carl Hubbell (1933, 1936) and Hal Newhouser (1944, 1945) each winning the MVP award twice, a total of 25 MVP Awards have gone pitchers.

A complete list of pitchers earning the MVP follows, but here’s a few tidbits of info about pitchers and MVP Awards.

• Of the 25 MVP awards won by pitchers, only four went to relievers: Jim Konstanty (Phillies, 1950); Rollie Fingers (Brewers, 1981); Willie Hernandez (Tigers, 1984); Dennis Eckersley (A’s, 1992).
• The MVP has been awarded to a pitcher in the AL fourteen times and the NL eleven.
• Sixteen of the twenty-five MVP winning seasons have been put up by right handers.
• Nine of the 22 pitchers with MVP Awards are in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
• Wins seem the most critical factors in a pitcher’s ability to capture an MVP Award. Nineteen of the award-winning seasons saw the honored hurler leading the league in victories. Factor out the four MVP Awards that went to relievers and 90 percent of the “starter-winners” led their league in victories. Next was ERA leadership (16), followed by strikeouts and winning percentage (both at 11).
• The Tigers’ Hal Newhouser is the only pitcher to win consecutive MVP Awards (1944, 1945). His combined record for the two seasons was 54-18, with a 2.01 ERA, 54 complete games and fourteen shutouts. Over the two seasons, he appeared in 87 games (70 starts), pitched 625 2/3 innings and even threw in four saves.
• The MVP winners in both leagues were pitchers in two seasons: 1924 (Walter Johnson, Senators and Dazzy Vance, Dodgers) and 1968 (Denny McLain, Tigers and Bob Gibson, Cardinals).
• Pitchers captured at least one league MVP in four consecutive seasons from 1942-45.
• The fewest appearances (as noted earlier) by a pitcher MVP winner is 27 (Clayton Kershaw, 2014). The most is 80 (The Tigers’ Willie Hernandez, 1984).

Pitchers winning the BBWAA MVP Award (presented 1931-present)

*Denotes relief pitcher

2014 – Clayton Kershaw, LHP, Dodgers

21-3/1.77 ERA … Led NL in wins (21), ERA (1.77), W/L percentage (.875), complete games (6).

2011 – Justin Verlander, RHP, Tigers

24-5/2.40 ERA … Led AL in wins (24), W/L percentage (.828), ERA (2.40), games started (34), innings pitched (251), strikeouts (250).

1992 – Dennis Eckersley, RHP*, Athletics

7-1/51 saves/1.91 ERA … Led AL in saves (51). Allowed six walks versus 93 strikeouts in 80 innings.

1986 – Roger Clemens, RHP, Red Sox

24-4/2.48 ERA …. Led AL in wins (24), W/L percentage (.857), ERA (2.48).

1984 – Willie Hernandez, RHP*, Tigers

9-3/32 saves/1.92 ERA … Led AL in games pitched (80). Allowed eight walks versus 112 strikeouts in 140 1/3 innings.

1981 – Rollie Fingers, RHP*, Brewers

6-3/28 saves/1.04 ERA … Led AL in saves (28). Allowed five walks versus 61 strikeouts in 78 innings.

1971 – Vida Blue, LHP, Athletics

24-8/1.82 ERA … Led AL in ERA (1.82), shutouts (8).

1968

Denny McLain, RHP, Tigers

31-6, 1.96 ERA … Led AL in wins (31), starts (41), complete games (28), innings pitched (336).

Bob Gibson, RHP, Cardinals

22-9/1.12 ERA … Led NL in ERA (1.12), shutouts (13), strikeouts 268.

1963 – Sandy Koufax, LHP, Dodgers

25-5/1.88 ERA … Led NL in wins (25), ERA (1.88), shutouts (11), strikeouts (306).

1956 – Don Newcombe, RHP, Dodgers

27-7/3.06 … Led NL in wins (27), W/L percentage (.794).

1952 – Bobby Shantz, LHP, Athletics

24-7/2.48 ERA … Led AL in wins (24), W/L percentage (.774).

1950 – Jim Konstanty, RHP*, Phillies

16-7/2.66 ERA … Led NL in games (74), saves (22).

1945 – Hal Newhouser, LHP, Tigers

25-9/1.81 ERA … Led AL in wins (25), ERA (1.81), starts (36), complete games (29) shutouts (8), innings pitched 313 1/3, strikeouts (212).

1944 – Hal Newhouser, LHP, Tigers

29-9/2.22 ERA … Led AL in wins (29), strikeouts (187).

1943 – Spud Chandler, RHP, Yankees

20-4/1.64 ERA … Led AL in wins (20), W/L percentage (.833), ERA (1.64), complete games (20), shutouts (5).

1942 – Mort Cooper, RHP, Cardinals

22-7/1.78 ERA … Led NL in wins (22), ERA (1.78), shutouts (10).

1939 – Bucky Walters, RHP, Reds

27-11/2.29 ERA … Led NL in wins (27), ERA (2.29), starts (36), complete games (31), innings pitched (319), strikeouts (137).

1936 – Carl Hubbell, LHP, Giants

26-6/2.31 ERA … Led NL in wins (26), ERA (2.31), W/L percentage (.813).

1934 – Dizzy Dean, RHP, Cardinals

30-7/2.66 ERA… Led the NL in wins (30), W/L percentage (.811), strikeouts (195).

1933 – Carl Hubbell, LHP, Giants

23-12/1.66 ERA … Led the NL in wins (23), ERA (1.66), shutouts (10), innings pitched (308 2/3).

1931 – Lefty Grove, LHP, Athletics

31-4/2.06 ERA … Led AL in wins (31), ERA (2.06), W/L percentage (.886), complete games (27), shutouts (4), strikeouts (175).

League Award (presented 1922-29)

1924

Dazzy Vance, RHP, Dodgers

28-6/2.16 ERA … Led NL in (wins 28), ERA (2.16), complete games (30), strikeouts (262).

Walter Johnson, RHP, Senators

23-7/2.72 ERA … Led AL in wins (23), ERA (2.72), W/L percentage (.767), starts (38), shutouts (6), strikeouts (158).

Chalmers Award (presented1911-14)

1913 – Walter Johnson, RHP, Senators

36-7/1.14 ERA … Led the AL in wins (36), ERA (1.14), W/L percentage (.837), complete games (29), shutouts (11), innings pitched (346), strikeouts (243).

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

September’s regular season games are on the books, the races are over and the post season lies ahead.  That means it’s time for BBRT monthly and season-ending wrap up. (You’ll also find BBRT’s post-season predictions along the way.)

MVP candidate Mike Trout helped Angels to MLB’s best 2014 record.

Most the MLB playoff teams showed their mettle in September. In the AL, the teams with the top-four September records (Orioles, Tigers, Royals and Angels) were all playoff bound.  The only exception was the A’s, who held on to a Wild Card spot despite September’s AL-worst record. In the NL, the story was much the same, the top-four September records went to the Nationals, Cardinals, Pirates and Dodgers – all headed to the post season.  The Giants, who complete the NL post-season lineup, finished September at 13-12.  Clearly, the teams that make up this year’s slate of post-season contenders are nearly all entering the playoffs with positive momentum.

Here are your playoff teams and a look at September performance (full results with won-lost records for the season and month are listed are the end of this post).

American League

Division Champions: Orioles, Tigers, Angels.  The Orioles continued to roll, putting up the AL’s best September record (17-10, .630 – following a 19-9 August and a 17-8 July), winning the AL East by 12 games. The Tigers won the Central Division title, finishing September with the AL’s second-best record (16-10, .615), topping the Royals by one game in the standings. The Royals tied the AL West champion Angels for the AL’s third-best September record at 15-11, .577.

Wild Cards: Royals, A’s.  The Royals made the playoffs and challenged for the AL Central title, finishing strong by playing .577 ball in September (after sharing August’s MLB-best record with the Orioles at 19-9). The A’s limped into the post-season – capturing the second AL Wild Card spot on the final day of the season, despite an AL- worst record for September (10-16, .385).

National League

Division Champions: Nationals, Cardinals, Dodgers. The Nationals had MLB’s best record in September (19-8, .704), lengthening their lead to 17 games over the second-place Braves (who went a dismal 7-18, .280) for the month, dropping to 79-83 and a second-place tie with the Mets. The Cardinals took the Central title with a 17-9, .654 month (tied with the Pirates for the third-best September in the NL). The strong finishes for St. Louis and Pittsburgh, coupled with a late-season slump by the Brewers (9-17 in September), pushed Milwaukee (which led the division most of the season) out of the post-season picture. The Dodgers finished strong, with the NL’s second-best record at 17-8, .680.  Arizona had MLB’s worst record for September (7-19, .269) and for the season (64-98, .395).

Wild Cards: Giants, Pirates. The Giants finished September 13-12 and took the final NL Wild Card spot.

The Early and Late of It

On September 15th, the Angels became the first team to clinch a 2014 play-off spot topping Seattle 8-1.  The win gave the Angels a 94-68, .627 record – one of only two MLB teams playing .600 ball through September 15 (the other was the Baltimore Orioles at 90-60, .600).  The following day, the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles became the first teams to clinch 2014 division titles (the Angels clinched at least a wild card berth the day before, but did not wrap up the AL West title until September 17).

The last team to clinch a post-season berth was the Oakland A’s, who didn’t wrap up their spot until their last game of the season, beating the Rangers 4-0 to keep their one-game lead over the Mariners (who also won, beating the Angels 4-1).

Despite a combination of power arms and power bats, The Tigers were the last team to clinch their division.

The last team to clinch their division was the Tigers. On the final day of the season, the Tigers topped the Twins 3-0, to maintain a one-game lead over the Royals, who beat the White Sox 6-4.   The NL Central was nearly as close, with the Cardinals going into the final day with a one-game edge over the Pirates.  The Pirates’ loss was on the books, assuring St. Louis the title, before the Redbirds shut out the Diamondbacks 1-0 to take the Division by two games.

On the Road Again

The Dodger finished with MLB’s best road record at 49-32, followed by the AL’s Royals (47-34.) The Orioles, Angels and Mariners round out the top five road teams, with 46 road wins each.

The Angels ran up the best home record at 52-29, followed by the Nationals, Cardinals and Pirates at 51-30. The Orioles were the only other team with 50 home wins (50-31).

Twenty-one of MLB’s 30 teams had winning records at home (nine in the AL, 12 in the NL); while ten teams had winning road records (seven in the AL, three in the NL).

Uniquely, every team in the NL Central had a winning home record and played below .500 on the road.

Season and September Batting Leaders

Five-foot-six Jose Altuve had MLB’s loftiest batting average.

Number one on the hit parade this season was Astros’ 2B Jose Altuve, whose 225 hits and .341 average led all of MLB. Over in the NL, Rockies’ 1B Justin Morneau captured the batting crown at .319 (the second ex-Twin in the past two seasons to win the NL title after moving to the Rockies).  The September batting leaders (minimum 50 plate appearances) were Dodgers’ LF Carl Crawford in the NL at .448, 30-for-67) and Indians’ LF Michael Brantley in the AL at .416 (42-for-101). They were the only two hitters to best .400 for the month.

Baltimore DH Nelson Cruz was the only MLB hitter to reach 40 home runs, topping the AL. Over in the senior circuit, Marlins’ RF Giancarlo Stanton (despite missing considerable time) was the league leader with 37 dingers. September’s HR leaders, for the most part, helped propel their teams to the play offs.  Leading all hitters was Dodgers’ LF Matt Kemp with nine September round trippers. Following up with eight were Dodgers’ 1B Adrian Gonzalez, Tigers’ 1B Miguel Cabrera and Yankees’ C Brian McCann.

The Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez was the NL RBI leader for the season at 116 – and also tied teammate Matt Kemp for the highest September total at 25.  In the AL, Angels’ CF Mike Trout led with 111 RBI on the season, with teammate 1B Albert Pujols topping the AL for September with 22 runs driven in.

In the speed department, Dodgers’ 2B Dee Gordon led the NL with 64 swipes (19 caught stealing); while Astros’ 2B Jose Altuve topped the AL with 56 steals in 65 attempts. Two players (one in each league) reached nine steals in September: Phillies’ CF Ben Revere (9-for-12) and Rangers’ CF Leonys Martin (9-for-11).

Pitching Leaders Season and September

Clayton Kershaw – most wins, lowest ERA – missed a month.

Despite missing about a month of the season, Dodgers’ left Clayton Kershaw led all of MLB in victories at 21 (versus 3 losses) and ERA 1.77 (becoming the first pitcher to lead his league in ERA four consecutive years). There were two other 20-game winners, both in the NL, both right-handers and both at 20-9:  the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright and Reds’ Johnny Cueto   Wainwright and Kershaw shared the NL (and MLB) lead in September wins, both running up five wins against no losses. The NL ERA leader for September (at least 20 innings pitched) was Cubs’ right-hander Jake Arrietta, with a 0.95 ERA in four starts.  He was the only MLBer with an ERA under 1.00 for the month.

There was a three-way tie (all right-handers) for most wins in the AL: the Tigers’ Max Scherzer (18-5); Angels’  Jered Weaver (18-9); and Indians’ Corey Kluber (18-9). Seattle righty Felix Hernandez captured the AL ERA crown at 2.14, edging White Sox southpaw Chris Sale (2.17).  For September, Kluber was the only Al pitcher to reach five wins (versus one loss), while the ERA leader for the month was Rangers’ left-hander Derek Holland at 1.46.

Tigers (and Rays) left-hander David Price led MLB in strikeouts with 271 in 248 1/3 innings, holding of the Indians’ Corey Kluber (269 Ks in 235 2/3 innings).  There was a tie for the strikeout crown in the NL, with right-handers Johnny Cueto of the Reds (243 2/3 innings) and Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals (215 innings) each reaching 242 K’s.  Kershaw, with seven fewer starts than the two leaders, fanned 239 (198 1/3 innings).

The Mariners’ Fernando Rodney led all closers with 48 saves (three blown saves), while Atlanta’s Craig Kimbrel led the NL with 47 saves (four blown saves). The runners-up in each league came from post-season qualifiers: the Royals Greg Holland (46 saves, two blown saves) and the Cardinals’ Trevor Rosenthal (45 saves, six blown saves). The Nationals’ Drew Storen was the only closer to reach 10 saves for the month of September (two blown saves), while Seattle’s Fernando Rodney topped the AL with nine September saves (no blown saves).

The Other Side of Leadership

No hitter struck out more times than Phillies’ 1B Ryan Howard this season (190 K’s in 569 at bats) – to go with a .223-23-95 line. The AL strikeout leader might surprise you – Angels’ star CF Mike Trout (184 K’s in 602 at bats). Even with all those whiffs, Trout hit .287, scored 115 runs, drove in 111, hit 36 homers, swiped 16 bases and is considered an MVP candidate. The September strikeout leader was Cubs’ 2B Javier Baez, who hit .149 for the final month, fanning 46 times in 101 at bats. Again, the AL leader in K’s for September might come as a surprise:  Tigers’ outfielder J.D. Martinez, who fanned 34 times in 96 at bats, but still managed a .354 average for the month.

Nobody walked more hitters than Phillies’ righty A.J. Burnett (96 walks in 213 2/3 IP – but also 190 K’s). The AL leader in free passes was the Angels’ lefty C.J. Wilson (85 walks in 175 2/3 IP). Notably, the two hurlers had similar ERA’s (4.59 for Burnett, 4.51 for Wilson), but Burnett ended the season 8-18, while Wilson won 13 and lost 10.  Burnett’s 18 losses led all of MLB, while the AL loss leader was Rangers’ righty Colby Lewis 10-14,  Eight hurlers lost four games in September, with three teams having two four-game losers: Atlanta’s Mike Minor and Julio Teheran; San Francisco’s Tim Hudson and Ryan Vogelsong; Milwaukee’s Yovani Gallardo and Jimmy Nelson; Detroit’s Rick Porcello; Miami’s Nathan Eovaldi.

Before we look at a few September “tid bits” BBRT found interesting – here’s my post-season predictions.

AL Wild Card play-in.  A’s  reverse their September course behind Lester and knock off the Royals.

ALDS:  Angels too strong for A’s.   Tigers edge Orioles.

ALCS: Detroit starting pitching the difference as Tigers move on to World Series.

 

NL Wild Card play-in: Giants over Pirates.

NLDS: Nationals too much for Giants.  Dodgers’ pitching shuts down Cardinals’ offense.

NLCS:  Kershaw/Grienke the difference as Dodgers go to World Series.

 

World Series:  Tigers in seven, good pitching both sides. LA pitches around Miguel Cabrera, but Victor and J.D. Martinez light up Tiger offense.  

 A Few September Tid Bits

 Where Have All the Starters Gone?

Jordan Zimmerman put an exclamation point on the Nationals NL-East leading 2014 season, tossing a no-hitter on the season’s final day.  Zimmerman walked just one and struck out ten in the 1-0 victory over the Marlins. The no-hitter was saved by a spectacular leaping catch (with two out in the ninth) by Nats’ LF Steven Souza, Jr., who had come into the game as a defensive replacement for Ryan Zimmerman. In fact, all seven Nationals’ fair-territory fielders when the game ended were defensive replacements – only Zimmerman and catcher Wilson Ramos remained in place from the original lineup. ELIAS indicated this is the first time that has happened in an MLB no-no.

Here are a few other tid bits about the no-hitter:  It was the fifth no-hitter thrown on the final day of an MLB season; the fifth no-hitter of the 2014 season (all in the NL); and the fifth no-hitter in the history of the Expos/Nationals.

Under Control

One September 24, Twins’ hurler Phil Hughes beat the Arizona Diamondback 2-1 in Minneapolis – giving up one run on five hits in eight innings pitched. It gave Hughes a 16-10 record and 3.52 ERA for a Twins team that ended the season 70-92.  In his final start of the 2014 campaign, Hughes did not walk a batter, while striking out five – and that proved significant.  On the season, Hughes pitched 209 2/3 innings (more on that later), striking out 186 versus only 16 walks.  That gave Hughes a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 11.63 on the year – the highest single-season strikeout-to-walk ratio (among pitchers with qualifying innings) in MLB history. Bret Saberhagen had the previous record at 11.00 in 1994. That 209 2/3 innings pitched is also significant.  Hughes needed to log 210 innings to earn a $500,000 bonus (he had already earned bonuses at two previous IP levels, but left the game 1/3 inning short of the next bonus level following a one-hour- plus rain delay).  The Twins did offer Hughes a chance to pitch in relief in the final days of the season, but he declined, indicating it was more important to protect his health for 2015.  And, no whining, either.  Class act!

A Walk-Off Walk-Off

Derek Jeter – had to inclede a picture of the captain.

One September 25, Derek Jeter played his last game in Yankee Stadium – and he put a typical Jeter touch on his final at bat there – hitting a game-winning, walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth (giving New York a 6-5 win).

Eight Straight and Then the Pitcher

On September 15, New York Mets’ rookie Jacob deGrom got off to a blazing start – striking out the first eight Miami Marlins he faced and tying the MLB modern-day record for strikeouts to start a game.  Ironically, the string of whiffs was broken on a base hit by the opposing pitcher Jarred Cosart – just another reason I don’t like the DH.  DeGrom went seven innings, giving up three runs on six hits, while striking out one and fanning thirteen.

For the Tie and the Win

On September 8, the Chicago White Sox were down to their last strike, trailing the Oakland A’s 4-3 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and a 2-2 count on C Tyler Flowers.  Flowers, however, delivered a home run down the left field line, sending the game into extra innings.  Flowers was not done yet. In his next at bat, in the bottom of the twelfth inning, he hit the first pitch to him from reliever Jesse Chavez for a walk-off, game-winning round tripper.

The Hit (By Pitch) Parade

On September 12, Marlins’ right fielder Giancarlo Stanton was leading the NL in home runs (37) and RBI (105), when he came to the plate in the top of the fifth inning (facing Brewers’ right-handed pitcher Mike Fiers) with two outs and runners on the corners.  On an 0-1 count, Fiers threw an 88- mile-per-hour fastball that ran up and in as Stanton turned toward the pitch.  The pitch struck Stanton below the left eye, resulting in a bloody laceration, multiple fractures and dental damage.

First-base umpire D.J. Reyburn ruled that Stanton was swinging at the pitch, so – after Stanton was carried from the field  – pinch hitter Reed Johnson came to the plate with an 0-2 count.  That’s when things got even more intense – and strange.  Fiers first pitch to Johnson hit him on the right hand and the umpires again ruled that the hitter (Johnson) was swinging – resulting in a strikeout (logged against Stanton’s record).  The benches cleared, warnings were issued and a couple of ejections (Marlins’ Manager Mike Redmond and 3B Casey McGehee) ensued.  Meanwhile, what looked on the surface like a pair of hit batsman went into the record books as a strikeout for Fiers.

In the sixth inning, tempers remained hot and Marlins’ acting manager Rob Leary and pitcher Anthony DeSclafini were ejected after DeSclafani hit the Brewers’ Carlos Gomez with a pitch (left elbow).

September 12 turned out to be a pretty “wild” day on the mound and in the batters’ box across major league baseball – with 15 hit batsmen in 11 games (and, remember, Stanton and Johnson did not go in the books as “hit by pitch”). Here’s a little wrap up of the HBPs for the day:

• Carlos Gomez hit by Anthony Desclafini after the Stanton injury.
• The Mets’ Bartolo Colon hit the Nationals’ Ian Desmond (the first batter after Colon gave up a first-inning home run to Adam LaRoche. Then, in the fourth inning, Colon hit Jayson Werth with a pitch after giving up a home run to Anthony Rendon.  (Colon and Mets’ manager Terry Collins were ejected.) In the eighth inning, the Nationals’ Matt Thornton hit the Mets’ Daniel Murphy.
• The Rangers’ Nick Martinez hit Mike Trout with pitches in the third and fifth innings of   the Angels 7-3 win in Texas. Angels’ reliever Joe Smith hit the Rangers’ Tomas Telis with a pitch to lead off the  bottom of the ninth, resulting in a warning to both benches.
• The Royals’ Liam Hendriks hit the Red Sox’ Yoenis Cespedes in the top of third inning of Boston’s 6-3 win. The Red Sox’ Clay Buchholz hit Royals’ outfielder Josh Willingham in the back leading off the sixth inning of the same game.
• The Rays’ Brad Boxberger hit the Yankees’ Derek Jeter on the elbow in the eighth inning of the Rays’ 5-4 loss to NY. In the ninth, the Rays’ Jake McGee hit Yankee 3B Chase Headley.
• The Indians’ T.J. House hit the Twins’ 2B Brian Dozier in the top of the sixth inning of the Indians’ 2-0 win in the second game of a double header.
• The Reds’ Johnny Cueto plunked the Cardinals’ Jon Jay in the top of the first in the Reds’ 1-0 home win.
• The Giants’ Javier Lopez hit the Diamondbacks’ Cliff Pennington in the top of the eighth, as SF topped Arizona 6-2.
• The Phillies’ A.J. Burnett hit the Pirates’ Stirling Marte in the second inning of the Pirates 4-1 victory.

 Thanks, Dad

On September 14, Giants’ manager (and former major league catcher) Bruce Bochy became the first manager to call in his own son from the bullpen.  It came in the sixth inning, and Bochy showed no favoritism to his son Brett – bringing him in for his major league debut with the bases loaded.  Brett, who ran up a record of 14-8,with a 3.03 ERA in four minor league seasons, walked in a run before logging the final out of the inning, and then allowed a two-run home run to Scott Van Slyke (also the son of a former major leaguer – Andy Van Slyke) in the seventh.  The first-place Dodgers trounced Bochy’s second-place Giants 17-0.

Whiff City

The Cleveland Indians’ pitching staff missed a lot of bats this season, fanning an MLB record 1,450 hitters– helping MLB pitchers set a season strikeout record of 37,441.

Hmm?

The Saint Louis Cardinals’ pitching staff led all of baseball with 23 shutouts in 2014 – yet their league-leading complete game total was just eight. Tampa Bay which had an AL leading 22 shutouts, had only three complete games.  #HowTheGameHasChanged

Some other team leaders.

Batting Average: AL – Tigers .277          NL – Rockies .276

Runs Scored:  AL – Angels 773            NL Rockies 755

HRs: AL – Orioles 211            NL – Rockies 186

Stolen Bases: AL – Royals 153             NL – Dodgers 138

ERA: AL – Mariners 3.17            NL – Nationals 3.03

 Final Standings and September Records

TEAM                W        L          PCT     GB       (Sept/)

AL East

Baltimore          96        66        .593                 (17-10)

NY Yankees      84        78        .519     12.0     (14-13)

Toronto              83        79        .512     13.0     (14-12)

Tampa Bay       77        85        .475     19.0     (11-14)

Boston               71        91        .438     25.0     (11-15)

AL Central

Detroit              90        72         .556                (16-10)

Kansas City      89        73        .549     1.0       (15-11)

Cleveland         85        77        .525     5.0       (14-13)

Chicago WS     73        89        .451     17.0     (11-14)

Minnesota        70        92        .432     20.0     (11-14)

AL West

LA Angels        98        64        .605                 (15-11)

Oakland           88        74        .543     10.0     (10-16)

Seattle              87        75        .537     11.0     (14-13)

Houston           70        92        .432     28.0     (11-13)

Texas               67        95        .414     31.0     (14-12)

NL East

Washington      96        66        .593                 (19-9)

Atlanta             79        83        .488     17.0     (7-18)

NY Mets          79       83        .488      17.0     (15-10)

Miami               77        85        .475     19.0     (11-16)

Philadelphia     73        89        .451     23.0     (11-15)

NL Central

St. Louis           90        72        .556                 (17-9)

Pittsburgh        88        74        .543      2.0       (17-9)

Milwaukee         82        80        .506     8.0       (9-17)

Cincinnati          76        86        .469     14.0     (10-15)

Chicago Cubs    73        89        .451     17.0     (12-13)

NL West

LA Dodgers      94        68        .580                 (17-8)

San Francisco  88        74        .543      6.0     (13-12)

San Diego        77        85        .475      17.0      (13-14)

Colorado          66        96        .407      28.0     (12-13)

Arizona            64        98        .395      30.0     (7-19)

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT