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2016 World Series Game Two – Random Thoughts and On to Wrigleyville

October 27, 2016 by David

Game Two of the 2016 World Series is behind us and the Indians and Cubs move on to Wrigley Field tied at a game apiece – should be one heckuva weekend in Wrigleyville!

Jake Arrieta – Game Two winner. Photo by apardavila

Yesterday’s game saw the Cubs tie the Series with a 5-1 win, finishing just ahead of the weather thanks to a one-hour early start. If you had to pick a “hero” or two, they would be: 1) Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta, who got the win after taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning, giving up just one run on two hits, while striking out 6 in 5 2/3 innings; and 2) Cubs’ DH Kyle Schwarber – back after a six-month post-surgery layoff – who continued to surprise nearly everyone by collecting two hits and a walk, scoring once and droving in a pair. His role at Wrigley (he has not yet been cleared to play in the field) remains to be seen.

Here are a few random observations about Game Two.

A Rough Start for Both Pitchers

The way Game Two started out, it looked like a long night all around. The Cubs scored off Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer (who had ten stitches in his pinky finger nine days ago) just three batters into the game. After CF Dexter Fowler grounded out pitcher to first, 3B Kris Bryant singled to center and 1B Anthony Rizzo doubled him home. The Cubs’ first run of the Series came courtesy of (as they say in the Windy City) Brizzo. No more damage was done, but Bauer needed 29 pitches to get out of the inning.

Cubs’ starter Jake Arrieta pitched a scoreless bottom of the inning, but seemed to have trouble locating his pitches in the 43-degree weather. Arrieta gave up a pair of walks and threw just 10 strikes in 23 pitches. Early on, it looked like a short night for both starters.

How Do You Spell Relief?

There was plenty of work for the bullpens, as both starters ran up the pitch counts early, Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer (12-8, 4.26 in the regular season) lasted only 3 2/3 innings – giving up two runs on six hits and throwing 53 strikes in 87 pitches. Cleveland Manager Terry Francona then used six relievers to finish the contest, and they gave up three runs, two earned – on three hits and five walks – over the final 5 1/3 innings.

Jake Arrieta, the 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner (18-8, 3.10 this season) settled down after a rocky, two-walk, 23-pitch first inning. He took a no-hitter into the sixth and exited after 5 2/3 innings (one run on two hits and three walks, with six strikeouts). The Cubs’ pen (Mike Montgomery and Aroldis Chapman) outpitched the Indians’ relievers – giving up no runs on two hits and two walks, with four strikeouts over the final 3 1/3 innings. Notably, both Montgomery and Chapman were in-season acquisitions – Montgomery from the Mariners and Chapman from the Yankees.

HANK AARON AWARD

MLB yesterday announced the winners of the 2016 Hank Aaron Award for the best offensive player in each league. Your worthy pair of winners? The Red Sox’ David Ortiz in the AL and the Cubs’ Kris Bryant in the NL.

Big Papi – big bat and big smile in his final season. Photo by Keith Allison

Ortiz, in his final MLB season, had a tremendous season. As the Red Sox’ DH, he hit .315, with 38 home runs and an AL-leading 127 RBI. He also led all of MLB in slugging percentage (.620) and doubles (48), collected 80 walks and recorded a .401 on-base percentage. In the process, he set the single-season records for a player 40-years-old or older in home runs, RBI, doubles and extra base hits (Elias Sports Bureau). The Hank Aaron Award is a pretty nice – and well-deserved – retirement gift; and a great way to top a 2-yedar MLB career.

Over in the NL, the Cubs’ versatile (3B/of) Kris Bryant earned the Aaron Award. The 24-year-old Bryant, in just his second MLB season, hit .292, with 39 home runs, 102 RBI and a league-leading 121 runs scored (and threw in eight stolen bases).

A final thought/rant.: I believe MLB should add to the stature and visibility of the Hank Aaron Award by moving the announcement to after the World Series. Consider the time frame for Rookie of the Year (November 14); Manager of the Year (November 15); Cy Young Award (November 16); and MVP (November 17). I would like to see the Offensive Player of the Year (Hank Aaron Award) in that same time frame – when it would not have to compete with World Series’ hoopla and coverage.

Game Two Turning Point

There are those who may point to the Cubs’ three-run fifth as the turning point in this contest. I think that came in the top of the third after Indians’ starter Trevor Bauer, trailing 1-0, had retired Dexter Fowler and Kris Bryant and had Anthony Rizzo down no balls-two strikes. He was just a pitch away from a 1-2-3 inning. Bauer ended up walking Rizzo; LF Ben Zobrist followed with a single to center (sending Rizzo to second) and DH Kyle Schwarber slapped a single up the middle to plate Rizzo and give the Cubs a 2-0 lead. 2B Javier Baez then fanned to end the inning. What did that mean in the game?

It ran up Bauer’s pitch count, getting the Cubs that much closer to the Indians’ pen.
It provided Arrieta a little breathing room and a chance to settle down after early command issues.
It gave the Cubs an emotional lift, especially since the runs was driven in by the 2016 post-season surprise player – Kyle Schwarber.

Z is for Zobrist

Veteran Ben Zobrist, who collected three hits in Game One, added a single, triple and walk in five plate appearances. He is now five-for-eight (.625), with a double and a triple in the Series. During the regular season, the 35-year-old Zobrtist hit .276, with 18 home runs, 76 RBI and 94 runs scored.

World Series Flashback

In the 1957 World Series – the first I ever attended – Milwaukee Braves’ right-hander Lew Burdette started Games Two, Five and Seven. Three starts in eight days versus a highly-favored Yankee squad that included the likes of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Elston Howard and Moose Skowron. Burdette tossed three complete games – winning all three (including shutouts in Games Five and Seven), giving up only two runs in 27 innings (0.67 ERA) Note: It appears the Indian’s Corey Kluber could pitch Games One, Four and Seven if this Series goes that far.

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; Baseball Bloggers Alliance.

Filed Under: BB Fun Facts, News, Rants & Raves

BBRT’s Look at the World Series – Position by Position

October 24, 2016 by David

The last time the Cubs won the World Series, there were only 46 stars on the American flag.

Photo by Ron Cogswell

Back in early February, BBRT picked the Cubs to break their World Series Championship drought (since 1908) and win the 2016 World Series. (I did, however, have them winning over the Boston Red Sox – the Cleveland Indians were hardly on my post-season radar.) I’m going to stick with the Cubbies based on a combination of:

Starting pitching (three potential 2016 Cy Young Award candidates);
Lineup flexibility (particularly MVP candidate Kris Bryant, youngster Javier Baez and veteran Ben Zobrist); and
A nice balance of young and veteran players.

The wild card in this prediction – and, most likely the Indians’ best asset if they are to win the Series – is Cleveland’s strong bullpen (particularly ALCS MVP Andrew Miller and Cody Allen). The bullpen is even more of an asset given Indians’ manager Terry Francona’s adept, if somewhat unorthodox in today’s game, handling of his pitching staff. (Consider that the Indians won the ALCS four games-to-one over the Blue Jays in a series in which: the 44 Cleveland innings pitched were split exactly equally between the starters and the bullpen; no starter went more than 6 1/3 innings; and the Indians won Game Three 4-2, using seven pitchers and none more than 1 2/3 innings.)

Before looking at the two squads in detail, let’s look at some overall stats from the 2016 season. (Keep in mind, the DH impacts some of these numbers.)

Wins: Cubs – 103; Indians – 94

Run Differential. Cubs – +252; Indians +101

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Batting Average: Indians – .262; Cubs – .256

Runs Scored: Cubs – 808; Indians 777

Home Runs: Cubs – 199; Indians – 185

Stolen Bases: Indians – 134; Cubs – 66

Walks Drawn: Cubs – 656; Indians 531

Batters’ Strikeouts: Cubs – 1,339; Indians – 1,246

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ERA: Cubs – 3.15; Indians – 3.84

Strikeouts: Cubs – 1,441; Indians – 1,398

Saves: Cubs – 38; Indians – 37

WHIP: Cubs – 1.11; Indians – 1.24

Home Runs Surrendered: Cubs – 163; Indians – 186

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Fewest Errors: Indians -89; Cubs – 101

Fielding Percentage: Indians – .985; Cubs – .983

Taking all this into consideration, BBRT is going with the Cubs in six games if Trevor Bauer is ready to pitch – and five games if the Indians’ are forced to bypass Bauer.

Now, let’s take a look at the two squads – and who has the edge where.

Starting Pitching

Jon Lester – Game One Cubs’ starter. Photo by apardavila

The Cubs’ rotation boasts MLB ERA leader righty Kyle Hendricks (16-8, 2.13); veteran southpaw Jon Lester (19-4, with MLB’s second-best ERA at 2.44); and last year’s Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta (18-8, 3.10 this season). If any of the big three should falter, there’s also veteran John Lackey (11-8, 3.35.) In the post-season, Cubs’ starters have thrown 56 1/3 innings in ten starts, with a 2.57 ERA.

The Indians have made it to the World Series despite a starting staff hit by injuries. They lost right-handed starter Carlos Carrasco (11-8, 3.32) in mid-September, lost Danny Salazar for a portion of the season to elbow issues (11-6, 3.87) and had Trevor Bauer (12-8, 4.26) suffer an off-field, post-season injury (cutting a pinky finger while working on a drone) that forced him from his ALCS Game Three start after just 2/3 of an inning. Then, there is Josh Tomlin, slated to start Game Three of the World Series. Tomlin was 9-2, 3.51 in the 2016 season’s first half and 4-7, 5.59 in the second half. How deep did the issues facing the Indians starting staff go? In Game Five of the ALCS, they started Ryan Merritt, a southpaw with just 11 MLB innings under his belt.

Still, it’s not all bad news. Indians’ starters have a pitched total of 38 2/3 innings this post season, with a stingy 1.88 ERA. (However, they have averaged less than five innings per start, putting a lot of pressure on the bullpen.) Staff ace Kluber is well-rested for Game One, Bauer has had additional time for his stitched pinky to heal and says he’ll be ready for Game Two, and Game Three starter Tomlin appears to have “righted the ship,” going 2-1, 1.69 after September 1 and giving up just three earned runs in 10 2/3 2016 post-season innings. And, if Bauer is not ready, Danny Salazar may be able to step up. Ultimately, however, there are too many questions marks in the Indians’ rotation.

Starting Pitching: Advantage – Cubs

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Bullpen

The Cubs’ bullpen is led by the hardest thrower in baseball – Aroldis Chapman. Chapman was 4-1, 1.55 with 36 saves and 90 strikeouts in 58 innings for the Yankees and Cubs during the regular season. Chapman has, however, looked “a bit” more hittable in the 2016 post-season, giving up three earned runs and striking out 10 in eight innings pitched. Chapman is ably supported by the likes of Hector Rondon (3.53 with 18 saves in 54 games); Travis Wood (2.95 in 77 games); and Pedro Strop )(2.85 in 54 games).

The Cleveland pen is led by ALCS MVP Andrew Miller, whom manager Terry Francona will call on at any time. Pitching for the Yankees and Indians in 2016, Miller went 10-1, 1.45 with 12 saves and 123 strikeouts in 74 1/3 innings. He’s been even better in the post season – pitching 11 2/3 inning in six appearances, fanning 21 batters, giving up no earned runs, picking up a win and a save. Miller is joined in the Cleveland pen by Cody Allen (2.51 ERA with 87 K’s in 68 innings); Dan Otero, 1.53 ERA in 62 appearances); Jeff Manship (3.12 in 53 appearances); and Bryan Shaw (3.24 in 75 appearances).

Overall, the bullpens are very close. However, given Miller’s post-season performance thus far and the skill Francona has shown in handling the bullpen, BBRT will give e slight edge to the Indians. The question, of course, is whether the Indians’ rotation issues will result in too much work for the relief staff.

Bullpen: Advantage – Indians

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Now, how about the position players?

Catcher

The Cubs rely on a catching committee, with most of the recent work going to Wilson Contreras (.282-12-35 in 76 games). Others taking a spot behind the plate include Jon Lester’s designated catcher David Ross (.229-10-32 in 67 games) and Miguel Montero (.216-8-33 in 86 games). Contreras, by the way, is hitting an even .400 (8-for-20) in the 2016 post season.

Catching duties for Cleveland belong to Roberto Perez – an excellent game-caller and defensive backstop. Perez, however, hit just .183-3-17 in 61 regular-season games, and is hitting just .174 in the post season. (By contrast, Cubs’ pitcher Jake Arrieta hit .262-2-7 in 31 games.)

Catcher: Advantage – Cubs

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First Base

It’s the Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo (.292-32-109) versus the Indians’ Mike Napoli (.239-34-101) at first base. The 34-year-old Napoli, in his eleventh MLB season, is a big reason the Indians took the AL Central title. He reached career highs in games played, hits, runs scored, home runs and RBI. In eight games this post season, however, he is hitting just .179 with one home run and two RBI. The 26-year-old Rizzo matches Napoli’s power, makes contact more often, and is on a hot steak (.320-2-5 in the NLCS).

First Base: Advantage – Cubs

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Second Base

Here again it’s a young Cub versus a veteran Indian. At the keystone sack for the Cubs you can expect to see 23-year-old Javier Baez, who hit .273-14-59 with 12 steals in 142 games – and started games at 3B, 2B, SS and 1B during the season. This post-season, Baez is hitting .342, with one home run and seven RBI in ten games.

Jason Kipnis handles 2B for the Tribe. Photo by Keith Allison

Second base for Cleveland is handled by 29-year-old, six-year MLB veteran, Jason Kipnis a two-time All Star who hit .275-23-82, with 15 steals. This post season, Kipnis is hitting .167 (five-for-thirty) with two home runs and four RBI. In the field, BBRT would give an edge in reliability to Kipnis.

Second Base: Advantage – Indians

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Third Base

Both the Indians and Cubs boast young stars who had career years at third base.

The Indians’ Jose Ramirez – like Napoli at 1B – had a career year, hitting .312, with 11 home runs, 76 RBI and 22 steals in 152 games (and getting starts at 3B, LF, 2B and SS). Any team would be glad to have a 24-year-old versatile infielder/outfielder who could put up those kinds of numbers. (Note: Ramirez is hitting .222 this post season.)

MVP candidate Kris Bryant. Photo by Minda Haas Kuhlmann

However, the Cubs have an equally versatile defender at the hot corner, who put up MVP-level numbers in 2016. Kris Bryant, also 24-years-old, played in 155 games this past season – hitting .292, with 39 home runs, 102 RBI and a league-leading 121 runs scored. Bryant got starts at 3B, LF, RF and 1B during the season. Thus far in the post season, he is hitting .333, with one home run and three RBI.

Third Base: Advantage – Cubs

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Shortstop

Francisco Lindor, Indians’ star shortstop. Photo by apardavila

Addison Russell, the Cubs’ up and coming 22-year-old shortstop showed solid defense and good power in 2016 – .238-21-95 in 151 games. However, he is outpaced in the field and at the plate by the Indians’ Francisco Lindor, who – in just his second MLB season – showed Gold Glove-worthy defense, while hitting .301-15-78, with 19 steals in 158 games. In the post season, Lindor has been hot – .323-2-4 in eight games. Russell’s 2016 post-season stat line is .189-2-4.

Shortstop: Advantage – Indians

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Left Field

Versatile veteran Ben Zobrist (11 major league seasons) will be in left field for the Cubs. He was an All Star this season, hitting .272, with 18 home runs, 94 runs scored and 76 RBI. He is also a veteran of 47 post-season games, although he has managed only six hits in 36 at bats this post-season.

The Indians seem likely to platoon in LF with switch-hitter Coco Crisp and the right-handed hitting Brandon Guyer. The veteran Crisp (15 MLB seasons), who hit.231-13-55, with ten steals, in the regular season has gotten most of the time in LF this post season. He’s delivered three hits in 14 at bats in the ALDS and ALCS. Guyer seems to offer more potential on offense. This past season, he hit .266, with nine home runs and 32 RBI in 101 games (Rays and Indians). Thus far, he’s gotten only eight at bats in the post season, but delivered three hits, two runs and an RBI. We may see more of him in the World Series.

Left Field: Advantage – Cubs

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Center Field

This is another situation in which the position seems more stable with the Cubs, who put Dexter Fowler out in center nearly every game. The 30-year-old Fowler, in his ninth season, was an All Star for the first time in 2016. He hit .276-13-48, with 84 runs scored and 13 steals in 125 games. This post season, Fowler is hitting .262, with one home run, four RBI and six runs scored.

The Indians can look to left-handed hitting Tyler Naquin and right-handed Rajai Davis to handle the center of the garden – both offer good defense, speed and enough offense at the position. Naquin, a 25-year-old rookie hit .296-14-43, with six steals and 52 runs scored in 116 games (90 starts in center), while Davis (an 11-season MLB veteran) hit .249-12-48, but led the AL with 43 steals in 134 games (66 starts in CF). Naquin is hitting just .188 in the post season, while Davis has yet to get a hit in 13 2016 post-season at bats.

Center Field: This is a draw, Fowler is the steadier option, but if Naquin or Davis can heat up a bit, the potential to do more damage is there.

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Right Field

I’m making a big assumption here – that the Cubs keep sending Jason Heyward, an offensive disappointment, out to right field. Heyward hit just .230-7-49 during the regular season. Those numbers were all MLB-season lows for him. Still he brings Gold Glove defense (which may be keeping him in the lineup despite just two hits in 28 at bats this post season) and the Cubs have enough offense to opt for his leather.

The Indians send Lonnie Chisenhall out to right field – and he fared a lot better in the regular season than Heyward. The left-handed hitting Chisenhall hit .286-8-57 in 126 games; and has delivered a .269 average this post season. Heyward delivers superior defense, but I have to go with Chisenhall on this one.

Right Field: Advantage – Indians

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Designated Hitter

Carlos Santana – brings experience and powerf tgo DH role. Photo by Keith Allison

Both teams have versatile players who could play in the field or at DH in AL parks. Most likely, however, the Indians will go with Carlos Santana (who can all fill in at 1B or C in a pinch) and the Cubs with Jorge Soler or Kyle Schwarber (coming off the DL). Santana is a proven power hitter, who delivered a .259-34-87 season and is hitting .250 in the post season. He’s also familiar and comfortable with the DH role.

Jorge Soler hit .238-12-31 in 86 games for the Cubs (56 starts in the OF) and is hitless in eight at bats this post season. The Cubs also have Kyle Schwarber back from a torn ACL that has shelved him for nearly the entire season. If the 23-year-old – who hit .246 with 16 home runs in 69 games after a 2015 call up – has his timing back, he could add to the Cubs’ offense. Still, Santana has more to offer – at a significantly lower risk,

DH: Advantage – Indians

I tweet baseball @David BBRT

Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; Baseball Bloggers Alliance.

Filed Under: News

Top 2016 Regular Season Award Candidates – And a Bit of History

October 18, 2016 by David

First, a disclaimer. Baseball Roundtable has never claimed to be the best prognosticator – although this year I did get seven of the ten playoffs teams correct in a February 8 post. I missed the Indians and Orioles in the AL (had the Astros and Tigers) and the Nationals in the NL (had the Cardinals). My predictions for the post season, made October 3, were less accurate – although I still have a chance to be right on the World Series winner. I have the Cubs winning the Series (just against the Red Sox). Surprises for me? After an offensive slump in September/October, I did not expect the Blue Jays to get past the Rangers. (Note: the Jays scored the fewest runs in the AL after Aguste 31.) I also underestimated Terry Francona’s ability to manage a pitching staff.

So now, I intend to sit back and enjoy the rest of the post-season – and root for a Cubs/Indians World Series – and (in this post) present BBRT’s selections (and predictions) for MLB’s major 2016 regular season awards.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

National League ROY – Corey Seager, SS, Dodgers

Photo by apardavila

The competition for NL Rookie of the Year comes down to a pair of young, power-hitting shortstops – Corey Seager of the Dodgers and Trevor Story of the Rockies. Seager gets the edge, largely because Story’s season was interrupted by injury.

Seager, the Dodgers’ 22-year-old shortstop was a 2015 September call up and – while not getting enough playing time to lose his rookie status – hit .337, with four home runs and 17 RBI in 27 games. (In four minor league seasons, Seager put up a stat line of .312-62-278 in 390 games.) In 2016, Seager proved his late-season 2015 performance was no fluke, playing in 157 games, and hitting .308, with 26 home runs, 105 runs scored, and 72 RBI. He made the 2016 NL All Star team and played a key role in getting the Dodgers to the post-season. He is the real deal.

Seager’s main competition for the ROY Award comes from the early-season rookie “story” of the year – Colorado’s 23-year-old shortstop Trevor Story. After hitting .340 in Spring Training, Story started the season with a bang (several bangs, in fact). He homered in his first four regular season games (six home runs in those four contests). Story went on to tie the MLB record for rookie home runs in April with ten long balls – finishing the month with a .261 average, ten homers, 19 runs scored and 20 RBI in 22 games. Unfortunately, in early August, Story suffered a thumb injury that required season-ending surgery. He ended 2016 with a .272 average, 27 home runs, 72 RBI and eight steals in just 97 games.

BBRT Selection: Corey Seager

BBRT Prediction: Corey Seager

Brotherly Love (of the long ball)

The Elias Sports Bureau reports that Dodgers’ SS Corey Seager and Mariners’ 3B Kyle Seager are the first brothers to hit 25 or more home runs in the same MLB season. Corey finished 2016 with 26 round trippers, Kyle with 30.

American League ROY – Gary Sanchez, C, Yankees

Photo by apardavila

Timing may prove to be everything when the votes are counted for AL Rookie of the Year. BBRT expects a very close vote and gives the nod to Yankees’ 23-year-old catcher Gary Sanchez – although the fact that he played in only 53 games may work against him. The stats, however, back up his candidacy: a .299 average, 20 home runs, 34 runs scored, 42 RBI and 24 walks drawn (again, in just 53 games) – with virtually all of the damage done after August 1. Couple that with his praiseworthy work behind the plate and you have a deserving Rookie of the Year candidate. Before his August call up, Sanchez hit .282-10-50 in 71 games at AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. BBRT side note: Sanchez was called up to the Yankees late in 2015 – made his major league debut on October 3 – and (few fans may realize) was included on the Yankees’ 2015 post-season roster.

The fewest games ever played by a non-pitcher in a Rookie of the Year season is 52 by Giants’ 1B Willie McCovey in 1959. He played his first game on July 30 and went to post a .354 average, with 13 home runs and 38 RBI.

BBRT sees Sanchez’ main competition coming from Tigers’ RHP Michael Fulmer (acquired by the Tigers from the Mets in the July 2015 trade for Yeonis Cespedes). The 23-year-old Fulmer went 11-7 (26 starts – 159 innings), with a 3.06 ERA. Timing may be important here. Fulmer, who got his first start April 29, was 9-2, with a 2.50 ERA at the end of July. In August and September, Fulmer went 2-5, 3.59. Fulmer needs to hope the voters remember his May performance – when he went 3-1 with a 0.61 ERA (two earned runs in 29 2/3 innings).

BBRT Selection: Gary Sanchez

BBRT Prediction: Gary Sanchez (in a very close vote)

From 1992 through 1996, the LA Dodgers had a record five consecutive Rookie of the Year Award winners: 1B Eric Karros (1992); C Mike Piazza (1993); OF Raul Mondesi (1994); SP Hideo Nomo (1995); OF Todd Hollandsworth (1996).

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MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD

American League MVP – Mookie Betts, RF, Red Sox

Photo by Keith Allison

This is a tough one to call – Mookie Betts, David Ortiz, Jose Altuve, Mike Trout and, perhaps, Josh Donaldson can all make a good case. However, there is a need to narrow it down. As BBRT considers these candidates, I remind myself that this is not the award for best player of the season – but, rather (by its own definition) for most valuable player (to his team). So, despite another stellar season by the Angels’ CF Mike Trout (.315-29-100, with 30 steals), the Angels’ fourth-place finish becomes a factor. Then there is David Ortiz’ unbelievable season – in which he pretty much demolished the record book for accomplishments at age 40 or over with a .315-38-127 line. Big Papi slips a bit on my ballot because of his role as DH, but he is likely to get an emotional boost in the actual balloting based on his career, age and attitude. His leadership – on and off the field – has long meant a lot to this team. Then there is Josh Donaldson, a key element in Toronto’s 2016 success, who put up a .284-37-99 line, with 122 runs. Still, BBRT sees his impact a bit short of either of the two players on my list I haven’t touched upon yet – Mookie Betts and Jose Altuve.

Altuve led the AL in batting average at .338 and base hits at 216, while also smacking 24 home runs, scoring 108 runs, driving in 96 and stealing 30 bases – all the time serving as the spark plug for the Astros’ offense. Just 26-years-old, the 5’6”, 165-pound Astros’ 2B already has two batting crowns, two stolen base titles, three consecutive 200-hit seasons, a Gold Glove and four All Star selections – and he seems to just keep getting better. What he doesn’t have is an MVP Award – and I don’t think it’s coming this year. (It might have, if the Astros had made the playoffs.) BBRT’s choice for AL MVP is Red Sox’ RF Mookie Betts – who did a little bit (a lot, actually) of everything. Betts hit .318 on the season, launched 31 home runs, scored 122, drove in 113 and stole 26 bases. How does all that flesh out? He was second in the AL in average, runs scored and base hits; third in doubles, fourth in RBI, sixth in stolen bases. Betts is just 24-years-old and, like Altuve, just seems to keep improving. Betts would get BBRT’s vote (if I had one) for AL MVP. If he doesn’t win it, I expect it will end up as a career-topping tribute to the performance and presence of David Ortiz.

BBRT Selection: Mookie Betts

BBRT Prediction: David Ortiz

You could make a pretty good All Star team of players who have won two or more consecutive MVP Awards:

C – Yogi Berra, Yankees (1954-55)

1B – Albert Pujols (2008-09)

2B – Joe Morgan, Reds (1975-76)

3B – Mike Schmidt, Phillies (1980-81)

SS – Ernie Banks, Cubs (1958-59)

OF – Barry Bonds/ Pirates (1992), Giants (1993); Giants (2001-04)

OF – Mickey Mantle, Yankees (1956-57)

OF – Dale Murphy, Braves (1982-83)

P – Hal Newhouser, Tigers (1944-45)

Bench: Roger Maris, OF, Yankees (1960-61)

Miguel Cabrera, 3B, Tigers (2012- 13)

National League MVP – Kris Bryant, 3B-plus, Cubs

Photo by apardavila

Really not much of a race here. Yes, there will be votes cast for Nationals’ 2B Daniel Murphy (.347-25-104), Dodgers’ SS Corey Seager (although the votes cast for Rookie of the Year may work against him) and Rockies’ master of leather and lumber 3B Nolan Arenado (who led the NL in home runs and RBI for the second straight season and is likely to pick up his fourth Gold Glove). However, Kris Bryant should win the NL MVP Award hands down – he was the most valuable player on MLB’s winningest team. The 24-year-old Bryant, the 2015 NL Rookie of the Year, played in 155 games, hitting .292, with a league-leading 121 runs scored, 39 home runs and 102 RBI (not to mention eight steals). In the process, he started games at 3B, LF, RF, 1B and SS. Bryant’s contributions – at the plate and all around the diamond – pretty much define the term “MVP”. His presence made manager Joe Maddon’s job a whole lot easier.

BBRT Selection; Kris Bryant

BBRT Prediction: Kris Bryant

BBRT RANT

Here’s a BBRT rant you have heard before, but BBRT is nothing if not consistent. I believe we need another major award in MLB – recognizing each season’s best position player (to include the DH position). Pitchers have the Cy Young Award – recognizing each season’s best pitcher. There is, however, no equivalent award reserved for the best performance by a position player. While some would argue the MVP Award serves that purpose, the fact that numerous pitchers have won the MVP over the years argues against that contention. I believe we need a position player award equivalent to the Cy Young, as well as the MVP Award (based on contributions to team success).

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CY YOUNG AWARD

National League Cy Young Award – Max Scherzer, RHP, Nationals

Photo by apardavila

BBRT sees the NL Cy Young race as Max Scherzer, followed by “Pick a Cub,” the Marlins’ Jose Fernandez, and a pair of Giants (Johnny Cueto and Madison Bumgarner). Why separates Scherzer from this very talented pack? The Nationals’ righty:

Led the NL in wins (20 – the league’s only 20-game winner);
Led all of MLB in strikeouts with 284 (30 ahead of Justin Verlander’s second-best total) and WHIP (0.97);
Topped the NL in innings pitched (228 1/3); and
Turned in a 2.96 ERA – one of just eight qualifying hurlers to come in under 3.00.

That combination is enough to give Scherzer the edge in a very tough Cy Young Awqrd race.

For a list of contenders, look first to the Cubs’ staff. You have Kyle Hendricks (16-8, with MLB’s lowest ERA at 2.13); Jon Lester (19-4, 2.44, with 197 strikeouts in 202 2/3 innings); and Jake Arrieta (18-8, 3.10). Then there’s the Marlins’ young star Jose Fernandez (who died in a tragic late September boating accident) at 16-8, 2.86, with 253 strikeouts in just 182 1/3 innings. Finally, you have Giants Johnny Cueto, who had an all-around solid season at 18-5, 2.79, and Madison Bumgarner (15-9, 2.74, with 251 K’s in 222 2/3 innings). There’s lots of talent here, but I think Scherzer’s numbers stand out from the small crowd at the top of the NL.

BBRT Selection: Max Scherzer

BBRT Prediction: Max Scherzer

A few Cy Young Award “firsts:”

– First winner – Don Newcombe, Dodgers (1956)

– First southpaw winner – Warren Spahn, Braves, 1957

– First relief pitcher winner – Mike Marshall, Dodgers, 1974

– First rookie to win the CYA – Fernando Valenzuela, Dodgers (1981)

– First to win CYA and MVP in same season – Don Newcombe, Dodgers (1956)

– First shared (tied) CYA – Denny McLain, Tigers & Mike Cueller, Orioles (1969)

– First pitcher to win the CYA in both leagues – Gaylord Perry, Indians (1972)/Padres (1978)

American League Cy Young Award – Rick Porcello, RHP. Red Sox

Photo by Keith Allison

Rick Porcello of the Red Sox is an imposing presence on the mound at 6’ 5” and 205 pounds. Well, the big guy had a big year in 2016 – leading all of MLB with 22 victories (against only four losses). In his 33 starts, Porcello recorded a 3.15 ERA (fifth-best in the AL), 1.01 WHIP (second-best in the AL) and fanned 189 batters (AL’s eighth-most) in 223 innings pitched (AL’s fourth-highest). Also in the mix are the Indians’ Corey Kluber (18-9, 3.14, with 222 strikeouts in 215 innings); the Tigers’ Justin Verlander (16-9, 3.04, with a league-leading 254 K’s in 227 2/3 innings); the Blue Jays’ J.A. Happ (20-5, 3.18), and Orioles’ closer Zach Britton (47-for-47 in save opportunities. with a miniscule 0.54 ERA in 67 innings). BBRT has to go with Porcello’s 22 victories and .846 winning percentage. The most likely pitchers to sneak past Porcello would be Britton and his perfect record in saves or Verlander (those 250+ strikeouts will garner a few votes). As an aside, 2016 saw Porcello (in his eighth MLB season) record his highest-ever numbers in wins, winning percentage, innings pitched and strikeouts – and his lowest-ever season ERA.

BBRT Selection: Rick Porcello

BBRT Prediction: Rick Porcello

In 2016, eight MLB pitchers qualifying for the ERA title finished the season under 3.00 – and all eight were in the National League (with the two lowest ERAs belonging to Cubs’ hurlers Kyle Hendricks at 2.13 and Jon Lester at 2.44). The lowest qualifying American ERA went to the Blue Jays’ Aaron Sanchez at 3.00.

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MANAGER OF THE YEAR

American League Manager of the Year– Terry Francona, Indians

Photo by Keith Allison

Okay, John Farrell did take the Red Sox from worst to first and Rangers’ Manager Jeff Bannister overcame lost time by Yu Darvish, Derek Holland and Colby Lewis (not to mention Prince Fielder’s injury-forced retirement), but BBRT leans toward the Indians’ Terry Francona for AL Manager of the Year. Francona led the Tribe to the top of the AL Central (BBRT didn’t even pick the Tribe to make the post season) with a 94-67 record. Francona pushed the Indians to the top despite a series of injuries (Michael Brantley, Danny Salazar, Carlos Carrasco, Yan Gomes). In the process, he earned continued praise as a manager who effectively handles a pitching staff under stress and uses position-player platooning to adjust for injuries, balance playing time and put winning combinations on the field. I expect the voting will be close, but Francona should edge Bannister for the recognition. (Side note: Jeff Bannister was the 2015 AL Manager of the Year and only once has a manager received this recognition in consecutive seasons: Bobby Cox, Braves, 2004 & 2005).

BBRT: Selection: Terry Francona

BBRT Prediction: Terry Francona

National League Manager of the Year – Dave Roberts, Los Angeles Dodgers

Photo by Malingering

This looks like a three-way race between the Dodgers’ Dave Roberts, Nationals’ Dusty Baker and Cubs’ Joe Maddon. All three managers had plenty of talent on the roster – and were expected to make the post-season. BBRT gives Roberts the edge here for a couple of reasons. First, Joe Maddon and Dusty Baker were already proven commodities. Maddon and Baker are both three-time Manager of the Year Award winners, while Roberts came into the season with one game of managerial experience. (Roberts filled in when the Padres fired manager Bud Black in June of last year. He managed one game – a 9-1 loss to Oakland – before Pat Murphy was hired as manager and Roberts returned to the coaching staff.) As a Rookie manager, Roberts led the Dodgers to a 91-71 record and the NL West title. Not only that, he did it despite placing an MLB-record 28 players on the disabled list during the season – including staff Ace Clayton Kershaw (who, at one point, went 75 days between starts). Bringing the Dodgers home in first place, despite an ever-changing lineup, bench and pitching staff (LA used 31 pitchers, including 15 different starters) give this rookie manager BBRT’s vote.

BBRT Selection: Dave Roberts

BBRT Prediction: Dave Roberts

MANAGER OF THE YEAR TRIVIA

Established in 1983, the Manager of the Year Award has gone to 44 different managers. Here are a few tidbits:

– La-La Land: The first ever Manager of the Year Awards (1983) went to Tony La Russa (White Sox) and Tommy Lasorda (Dodgers).

– The most MOY Awards (four each) have gone to Bobby Cox and Tony La Russa. Cox won his awards with the Blue Jays (1985) and Braves (1991, 2004, 2005). La Russa won with the White Sox (1983), A’s (1988, 1992) and Cardinals (2002).

– The first manager to win the award in both leagues was Bobby Cox (see above bullet).

– Bobby Cox is the only manager to win the award in consecutive seasons

– 47 MOY Awards have gone to first-place finishers; 15 to second-place finishers; four to third-place finishers; and one to a fourth-place finisher.

– The only manager to win the MOY Award with a team that finished under .500 was Joe Girardi, who managed the 2006 Florida Marlins to a 78-84 fourth-place finish. (BBRT note: Girardi was fired after the season, despite winning Manager of the Year.)

Coming Soon – A look at the Baseball Hall of Fame 2017 Today’s Game Era ballot.

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; Baseball Bloggers Alliance.

Filed Under: BB Fun Facts, News, Rants & Raves

September Wrap Up – Pennant Races, Pinch Hit Homers, and a Host of Hounds

October 3, 2016 by David

The 2016 regular season is behind us, and that means it’s time for another BBRT monthly wrap up. So, in this very lo-o-o-ong post, we’ll look at September records, stats and happenings; season-ending stats and observations; September monthly BBRT honors; and post-season predictions. Note: I normally post the wrap up on the first of the next month, but this time I decided to wait until October 2 (to include the end-of-season stats.)

September gave us plenty to look at, with such occurrences as:

The Cardinals setting a new MLB season record for pinch-hit home runs;
The White Sox setting a new record for dogs attending a sporting event; and
The Indians using a record nine pitchers to deliver a shutout.

We also saw some full-season accomplishments like:

David Ortiz, in his final season, setting new major league records for doubles, home runs and RBI in a season at age 40 or over (his final numbers: .315-48-127, with 48 doubles);
Zach Britton going 47-for-47 save in converting save opportunities – and setting an MLB record for the lowest ERA for a pitcher with at least 50 innings pitched;
The Twins matching an MLB record by having four players with double-digit home runs;
The Cardinals hitting a record 17 pinch-hit home runs;
Three players appearing in all 162 games.

This post will cover these occurrences and more, but first a look at the upcoming post-season.

Post Season Participants

There were no tight Divisional races as September came to a close. Your Division champs were the Indians, Red Sox, Rangers, Nationals, Cubs and Dodgers – and, as of September 30, all had leads of at least five games (Red Sox over Orioles), with the Cubs having the largest margin at 18 ½ games over the second-place Cardinals.

The Wild Card races were still to be decided as September came to a close. In the AL the Orioles held a one game edge over the Blue Jays, with the Tigers ½-game behind the Jays and the Mariners one game out of the final spot. Over the final weekend, Detroit and Seattle both went 0-2, dropping out of the Wild Card competition. Over in the NL, three teams were competing for two Wild Card spots, with the Mets one game up on the Giants and the Cardinals trailing San Francisco by one game for the final WC spot. The Mets split their final two contests, while the Cardinals and Giants both went 2-0 – knocking the Cardinals out of the post season. You can find full standings and won-lost records (full season and September) at the end of this post.

Your Final Playoff Teams:

AL: Division Champions: Red Sox, Indians, Rangers. Wild Cards: Orioles, Blue Jays.

NL: Division Champions: Nationals, Cubs, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Mets, Giants.

—–Baseball Roundtable Quick Picks for the Playoffs—–

Wild Card Play In

ORIOLES over Blue Jays: Two power-focused, high-scoring offenses, but pitching gives the Orioles the edge.

GIANTS over the Mets: Noah Syndergaard versus Madison Bumgarner – a great matchup. BBRT goes with MadBum’s post-season experience. Off-the-wall prediction … MadBum gets an RBI double in this one.

ALDS

ORIOLES over Rangers: A tough series, with both teams facing late-season issues with starting pitching. BBRT thinks Orioles’ bullpen will be the difference maker.

RED SOX over Indians: The BoSox have a balanced attack – a veteran presence – and enough pitching to keep David Ortiz on the field for at least another series. Still, if David Price falters, the Indians could sneak by.

NLDS

CUBS over Giants: MadBum can’t pitch every day and the Cubs have a solid offense – plus Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks to start and Aroldis Chapman to close the door. Having to use Madison Bumgarner in the Wild Card game will hurt the Giants. For the Giants to win, Johnny Cueto has to pitch like a stud and Buster Posey has to hit like an MVP. I just don’t think they have the horses.

DODGERS over the Nationals. The Dodgers will ride solid pitching to a series’ win. Off-the-wall prediction: Clayton Kershaw, 2-6, 4.59 in 13 post-season games, will go 2-0, with an ERA under two in this series; and Kenta Maeda will shine.

ALCS

RED SOX over Orioles: The Red Sox just have too much for the O’s – and Big Papi wants to go out with a bang. Hanley Ramirez has been hot, Mookie Betts could be the ALCS MVP. Off-the-wall prediction: Zach Britton blows his first save of 2016 in this series.

NLCS

CUBS over the Dodgers: See the NLDS, the Cubs have a young powerful offense (led by Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo), stellar pitching and destiny on their side. Off-the-wall prediction: Ben Zobrist hits a pair of key home runs in this series.

WORLD SERIES

Two revered franchises. Seven games. A classic. Who wins? Toss up, but I give the CUBS the edge. (It’s a long and tiring season and they have youth on their side. I also like Kyle Hendriks and Jon Lester to win two games each. David Price may be the key for the Red Sox – along, of course, with the impact of Big Papi leading the emotional charge. Still, I see – Cubs Win! Cubs Win!

SEPTEMBER TEAM PERFORMANCE ——————

Photo by Trace Meek

September’s winningest team was the Red Sox, who secured the Division title with a 19-8 month. Over in the NL, the Dodgers and Cubs both went 17-10 to lead the senior circuit in September wins. Other teams with at least 16 victories in the month were the Mariners (18-9); Mets (17-10); Orioles (16-11); Indians (16-11) – and the surprising Braves (16-10).

The Red Sox earned those 19 victories at the plate, on the mound and in the field – giving up the fewest September runs in MLB (85), while scoring MLB’s most runs for the month with 150. In the process, they achieved the AL’s second-lowest September 2016 ERA at 3.05 (only Baltimore was better at 2.90) and the league’s third-highest batting average at .275.

The worst September performance? The Twins at 8-19, the only team to record less than ten wins. (The Twins finished the season an MLB-worst 59-103.) In the NL, the worst September record belonged to the Phillies at 10-17. The Twins were almost the mirror image of the Red Sox. Minnesota gave up the most runs in the AL (154) in September, while scoring the league’s third-fewest (107).

Before we get into details, highlights and stats for September, let’s look at BBRT’s Honor Roll for the month.

—–Baseball Roundtable September Honors—–

AL Player of the Month – Miguel Cabrera 1B, Tigers

Cabrera put up solid offensive numbers across the board in September: a .347 average (fifth in the AL among players with at least 75 plate appearances); 10 home runs (second in the AL); 27 RBI (second in the AL); and 20 runs scored (fourth in the AL). Among the other players high on BBRT’s September list were Royals’ DH Kendrys Morales, with an MLB-leading 30 RBI, to go along with a .333 September average and eight home runs; and Tigers’ LF Justin Upton (.307-12-27 for the month). Red Sox’ DH David Ortiz (a sentimental favorite) was also in the running at .33-7-25. A close call, but Miggy gets the nod.

NL Player of the Month – Freddie Freeman, 1B, Braves

Photo by Neon Tommy

When Braves first-sacker Freddie Freeman went hitless in four at bats on September 29, it was his first hitless game in the month of September – and it ended 2016’s longest MLB hitting streak (which began on August 24) at 30 games. During the streak, Freeman hit .384 with seven home runs, 26 runs scored and 27 RBI, raising his batting average from .288 to .308. For the month of September – during which the Braves surprised baseball by going 16-10, hitting .292 as a team and leading the NL in runs scored – Freeman hit .385 (tied for best in the NL), with six home runs, 22 runs scored (tied for third in the NL) and 22 RBI (tied for second in the NL). Freeman also drew 18 walks – contributing to an MLB-best .486 on base percentage. Freeman’s primary competition for BBRT Player of the Month for September was his teammate, LF Matt Kemp. Kemp hit .337 in September, with nine home runs, while matching Freeman in runs scored (22) and RBI (22). Freeman’s streak and on-base-percentage (102 points higher than Kemp’s) gave him the edge.

AL Pitcher of the Month – Rick Porcello, RHP, Red Sox

Photo by Keith Allison

Five AL hurlers picked up four victories in September and, among those five, Rick Porcello (4-1, 2.70) was second in ERA (2.70), second in WHIP (0.88), first in innings pitched (he led the league with 43 1/3 innings) and third in strikeouts (37). Couple that with the fact that Porcello’s fourth September win was his 22nd of the season – against just four losses – and he earns BBRT Pitcher of the Month (and a likely a favorite’s position in the AL Cy Young balloting). The key competition came from resurgent Tigers’ RHP Justin Verlander, who – despite going just 2-1 in five starts – put up the AL’s third-best ERA for the month at 1.93 (behind only the 1.44 of A’s RHP Jharel Cotton and the 1.85 of Angels’ RHP Rickey Nolasco). Verlander also led the league (and all of MLB) in strikeouts for the month, with 48 in 32 2/3 innings.

NL Pitcher of the Month, Jon Lester, LHP Cubs

Easy pick here. Cubs’ southpaw John Lester was the only MLB pitcher to earn five wins in September (5-0 in five starts) and had MLB’s lowest ERA for the month at 0.48. Lester gave up just two earned runs in 37 2/3 innings pitched. For the month, opposing batters hit just .171 against Lester. In his five starts, he averaged just over 7 1/3 innings pitched, 4.4 hits, 0.8 walks, 6.2 strikeouts and 0.4 earned runs. Lester finished the season 19-4, 2.28 – having won his last ten decisions (in 14 starts). His last loss came on July 3.

AL Team of the Month – Boston Red Sox, 19-8

The Red Sox finished August 74-59, two games behind the Blue Jays in the AL East. They then went 19-8 in September to take control of the East, clinching the Division title on September 28. The Red Sox used a combination of pitching and hitting to earn Team of the Month recognition – giving up the fewest runs in the AL (85) and scoring the league’s most (150). Leading the Red Sox to a 3.05 ERA for the month (second-best in the AL) were starter Rick Porcello (4-1, 2.70) and Eduardo Rodriguez (1-1, 2.89). David Price added four wins (versus one loss), but did post a 4.35 ERA. In the bullpen, closer Brad Ziegler was ten-for-ten in save opportunities, and did not give up a single earned run in 12 appearances. Bullpen mates Koji Uehara (11 appearances) and Junichi Tazawa (five appearances) also boasted ERA’s of 0.00 for the month, and Joe Kelly gave up just one earned run in 10 appearances (0.75 ERA for the month.)

On offense, 1B Hanley Ramirez (.313-10-26) and DH David Ortiz (.333-7-25) provided the bulk of the power, with plenty of help from the likes of RF Mookie Betts (.314 with 17 runs scored and five steals) and 2B Dustin Pedroia (.315 with 18 runs scored).

NL Team of the Month – Atlanta Braves, 16-10

The Braves entered September with a dismal 50-83 record and then surprised everyone with a 16-10 September – built primarily around their offense. For the month, the Braves logged the ninth-best (or seventh-worst) ERA at 4.50, but led the NL (and all of MLB) in batting average at .292. They gave up the eighth-most runs in the league (123), but plated the most tallies (143). Leading the offensive surge for the Braves were: LF Matt Kemp (.337-9-22 for September) and 1B Freddie Freeman (.385-6-22) – with notable contributions from CF Ender Inciarte (.324 with an NL-leading 23 runs scored), 3B Adonis Garcia (.277-3-17, with 19 runs scored) and SS Danby Swanson (.313-3-13, with 14 runs scored).

Now, how about September team stats?

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SEPTEMBER TEAM LEADERS

ERA

AL: Orioles – 2.90; Red Sox – 3.05; Mariners – 3.22

NL: Dodgers – 3.00; Cubs – 3.08; Brewers – 3.28

Five MLB teams had ERA’s over 5.00 for the month of September: Royals – 5.37; Twins – 5.13; Phillies – 5.12; D-backs – 5.05; Rockies – 5.02.

Fewest Runs Allowed

AL: Red Sox – 85: Orioles – 89; Mariners – 103

NL: Dodgers – 89; Cubs – 95; Mets – 95

Four teams gave up 150 or more runs in September: Rockies – 165; Pirates – 159; Twins – 154; Phillies – 153; Royals – 150.

Earned Runs Allowed

AL: Orioles – 78; Red Sox – 81; Mariners – 88

NL: Dodgers – 80; Cubs – 85; Brewers – 86

Only two MLB teams gave up 140+ earned runs in September: Royals – 143; Twins -141. The Phillies gave up the most earned runs in the NL (137).

Strikeouts

AL: Indians – 240; Red Sox – 238; Tigers – 237

NL: Dodgers – 268; Mets – 250; Giants; 248; Cubs – 248

The Dodgers led all of MLB in strikeouts per nine innings in September at 10.06. Other teams reaching at least nine K’s per nine innings for the month were: Tigers (9.34); Nationals (9.13); Mets (9.12); Indians (9.04); Cubs (9.00).

Fewest Walks Allowed

AL: A’s – 65; Red Sox – 68; Indians – 71

NL: Brewers – 70; Dodgers – 71; Cubs – 73

No team walked more batters than the Reds, who handed out 113 free passes in September. The Yankees’ staff walked the most hitters in the AL for the month at 102. Coincidentally (or perhaps not), the Reds also gave up the most September home runs in the NL (41), while the Yankees gave up the most long balls in the AL (39).

Saves

AL: Rangers – 10; Red Sox – 9; Yankees – 9

NL: Mets – 9; Padres – 9; Marlins – 9.

Only two teams completed September without a blown save during the month: the Cubs and Indians (each with six saves). The Phillies had the worst save percentage for the month, with just five saves in 13 opportunities (38.5%).

Batting Average (hitters)

AL: White Sox – .286; Tigers – .278; Red Sox – .275

NL: Braves – .292; Reds – .286; Rockies – .273

The Padres had MLB’s lowest September batting average at .230, while the Twins were at the bottom of the AL at .231.

Runs Scored

Al: Red Sox – 150; White Sox – 148; Mariners – 147

NL: Braves – 143; Mets – 141; D-backs – 134

Only the Marlins scored fewer than 100 runs in September (99); while the usually high-scoring Blue Jays plated the fewest runners in the AL (100).

Home Runs

AL: Mariners – 42; Orioles – 41; Twins – 41

NL: Brewers – 42; Mets – 39; D-backs – 39

Just two teams launched fewer than 20 long balls in September; the Marlins (17) and the Indians (19).

Stolen Bases

AL: Royals – 31; Indians – 26; Angels 23

NL: Brewer – 31; Nationals – 25; Phillies – 24

Seattle had the best stolen base percentage for September, safely swiping 14 bags in 15 attempts (93.3%). The Tigers were the only team to be thrown out in more than half their steal attempts, being gunned down seven times in 13 attempts.

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—–Now let’s look at some intriguing happenings from September—–

Not Exactly a Perfect time to go to the Pen

On September 10, Dodgers’ southpaw Rich Hill was definitely on his game. In fact, after seven innings – and 89 pitches – Hill was pitching a perfect game against the Marlins, boasting a 5-0 lead and nine strikeouts. It was at that time that Dodger Manager Dave Roberts decided to replace Hill (who had earlier spent time on the disabled list with blister issues) with reliever Joe Blanton (who retired the first two batters in the eighth before LF Jeff Francoeur hit a single). The Marlins ended up with two hits, the Dodgers ended up with a 5-0 win – and Hill ended up with a victory, but no “perfecto.” BBRT note: There has never been a combined perfect game in MLB. Second BBRT note: At least they were playing in Miami, imagine the uproar it they had been at home. Third BBRT note: If that had been Jack Morris on the mound, Roberts would have needed the Fire Department and the “Jaws of Life” to pry the ball out of his hands.

Complete Games – We Don’t need Not Stinkin’ Complete Games

On September 17, Carlos Carrasco started on the mound (against the Tigers) for the Indians in Cleveland. Carrasco gave up a leadoff single to Tigers’ 2B Ian Kinsler – a line shot off Carrasco’s right hand that broke a finger and knocked him out of the game (and the rest of the season). What followed was a bit of baseball history, as eight Indians’ relievers held the Tigers scoreless in a 10-inning 1-0 Cleveland victory. The Elias Sports Bureau reports that it is the most pitchers ever used in a complete-game shutout. The cast of characters? Carrasco; Jeff Manship (1 1/3 innings pitched); Kyle Crockett (2/3); Cody Anderson (two IP); Zach McCallister, Perci Garner, Bryan Shaw, Cody Allen (one inning each); Andrew Miller (two innings for the win.) Final line: 10 innings, four hits, three walks, ten strikeouts, no runs.

Shut Outs – Usually a Team Effort These Days

In 2016, MLB teams shut out their opponents 276 times – only 11.6 percent of those (32) were complete game shut outs (by a single pitcher). Clayton Kershaw led MLB with three complete game shutouts.

Put Me In Coach, I’m Ready to Play

On October 2, Alcides Escobar started at SS for the Royals, Jonathan Schoop started at 2B for the Orioles and George Springer started in RF for the Astros. They had one thing in common, they were each playing in their 162^nd game of the 162 -game season – the only three players to do so in 2016.

Off to a Roaring Start

Photo by apardavila

On September 27, Yankee rookie catcher Gary Sanchez hit his 20^th major league home run – in just his 51^st major league game. The long ball tied Sanchez with Wally Berger of the Boston Braves (1930) for the fastest track (fewest games) to reach 50 home runs at the start of a career. Sanchez, who got two at bats in a late 2015 call-up (no hits) and had a zero-for-four game performance for the Yankees in a one-game call up in Mid-May of this season, has been a solid performer since returning to the Yankees on August 3. The 23-year-old finished the season at .299-20-42 in 53 games – earning mention as a rookie of the year candidate.

Save the Last Dance for Me

On September 28, the Orioles’ Zach Britton picked up the save in a 3-2 Orioles victory in Toronto. It was his 47^th save in 47 2016 opportunities. He appeared in one more game – on October 2 in a non-save situation – pitching 1 2/3 innings without giving up an earned run and setting an MLB record for the lowest ERA for a pitcher with at least 50 innings pitched. Britton gave up just four earned runs in 65 1/3 innings for a 0.54 ERA. His stellar work as a closer helped the Orioles each post-season, where he hopes to notch additional saves in the ‘big dance.” BBRT note: Britton has a career ERA of 4.86 in 250 innings as a starter and 1.36 in 212 innings of relief.

Keeping he Pressure On

On September 12, the White Sox became the second team to score in every inning of a game this season, as they topped the Indians 11-4 in Chicago. The White Sox became just the 20^th team in MLB history to score in every inning of a ball game (Note: Just last month, on August 11th, the Milwaukee Brewers scored in every inning of an 11-3 win over the Braves.)

That’ll do in a Pinch – Or Going to the Matt

On September 6, Matt Carpenter came to the plate as a pinch hitter (with two out in the top of the ninth inning and the Cardinals trailing the Pirates 6-5) in Pittsburgh. Carpenter homered to tie the game – and the Cardinals went on to win 9-7. The homer not only tied the contest, it gave the Redbirds the record for the most pinch hit home runs a season at 15. The Cardinals extended that record to 17 pinch-hit homers with long balls in that role by Matt Adams on September 27 and Matt Holliday on September 30.

Another Dose of Dozier

Photo by rtclauss

On September 22 – as the Twins lost to the Tigers 9-2 – Brian Dozier connected for his 42^nd home run of the year. It was his 40^th while playing second base (two came as DH), setting a new AL record for home runs hit in a season by a second baseman. It came as Dozier led off the first inning, his 19^th career leadoff blast. The MLB record for homers in a season while playing second base (42) belongs to the Cardinals’ Rogers Hornsby (1922) and the Braves’ Davey Johnson (1973 … Johnson hit 43 that season).

A Doggone Good Performance

On September 13, Chicago White Sox fans turned in a doggone god performance – as the White Sox took on the Indians (at U.S. Cellular Field) on “Bark in the Park” day. According to the folks at the Guinness Book of World Records, 1,122 dogs attended the game – a world record for dogs attending a sporting event. The honor seems appropriate as the White Sox were the first team to sponsor a day for dogs in the park – a decade ago. Oh yeah, and the Sox gave the pooches something to howl about, winning the game 8-1.

The Shakespeare of Baseball Retires

Photo by Exile on Ontario St

On October 2, Vin Scully announced his last game for the Dodgers – ending a 67-year relationship with the team (the longest tenure any announcer has had with a sports team). Scully’s final game in the broadcast booth was a 7-1 Dodgers’ loss to the rival Giants in San Francisco. His final call at home, however, was much more appropriate. On September 25, Scully called his last Dodger home game – and it ended with Dodgers’ 2B Charlie Culberson hitting a two-out, extra-inning (11^th), walk-off, division-title-clinching home run. The round tripper was, by the way, Culberson’s only home run for the season.

Scully – who won just about every sports broadcasting award available during his career – “called” more than 9,000 Dodger games. Among key “calls” in Scully’s career were:

Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series;
Perfect games by Sandy Koufax (1965) and Dennis Martinez (1991), along with 18 no-hitters;
Hank Aaron’s 715^th homer run;
Kirk Gibson’s pinch-hit, walk-off home run in Game One of the 1988 World Series;
Three World Series (1984, 1986, 1988); four NL Championship Series (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989); and
Four All Star games (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989).

Vin Scully – Bits of Trivia

– Ironically, despite spending a career as a Dodgers’ broadcaster, Scully’s first baseball love was the rival Giants – who played at the Polo Grounds near his childhood home.

– Known for his smooth harmonious broadcast voice – some referred to it as dulcet – Scully sang in a barbershop quartet during his college years.

– On June 3, 1989 (a Saturday), Scully did the NBC Game of the Week play-by-play for a 10-inning Cardinals’ win over the Cubs in St. Louis. After the game, Scully flew to Houston, where his Dodgers were playing the Astros. (Scully was to broadcast the Sunday game.) The Saturday game went into extra innings and, rather than go directly to his hotel, Scully went to the ball park – and ended up calling the final 12 innings of that 22-inning contest. Two games, two cities, 23 innings – quite a busy day

Lucky Number Eleven

On September 25, Red Sox pitchers set a major league record by fanning 11 batters in a row – from the second out of the fourth inning to the final out of the seventh – as the Red Sox topped the Rays 3-2 in Tampa. The first six strikeouts (five swinging) went to starter Eduardo Rodriguez, while the last five (four swinging) were notched by reliever Heath Hembree. Overall, five Red Sox pitchers fanned 23 Rays’ batters in the ten inning contest: 13 by Rodriguez in 5 1/3 innings; five by Hembree in 1 2/3 IP; one by Matt Barnes in 1/3 IP; none by Fernando Abad (who faced one batter and gave up a hit); and four by Joe Kelly in 2 2/3 IP. And, how lucky was number eleven that day? It was also the Red Sox’ eleventh consecutive victory.

Tom Terrific

Photo by slgckgc

When Red Sox’ pitchers Eduardo Rodriguez and Heath Hembree set an MLB record by striking out eleven consecutive hitters in a September 25^th game against the Rays, they were teaming up to top a “one-man show.” The previous record of ten straight batters fanned was set on April 22, 1970, by the Mets’ Tom Seaver – who fanned the last ten batters he faced while tossing a complete game and beating the Padres 2-1 in New York. Seaver’s line for the day: nine innings pitched, two hits, two walks, one earned run and 19 strikeouts.

Not So Lucky Number Eleven

On the final day of the 2016 regular season, Twins’ CF Byron Buxton led off a game against the White Sox (an eventual 6-3 Twins’ win) with an inside-the-park home run. The blast enabled the Twins to tie a major league record – having eleven players on the roster hit double digits (10 or more) in home runs in a single season. The power display did not pay off in the won-lost column, as the Twins finished the season with MLB’s worst record at 59-103, 35 ½ games out of first place in the AL Central. The team whose record the Twins tied was the 2004 Tigers – who finished that campaign 70-92, 20 games out of first.

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STAT TIME – INDIVIDUAL LEADERS FOR SEPTEMBER

Average (minimum 75 plate appearances)

AL: Ian Kinsler, Tigers – .386; Elvis Andrus, Rangers – .363; Jarrod Dyson, Royals – .362

NL: Joey Votto, Reds – .385; Freddie Freeman, Braves – .385; Yadier Molina, Cardinals – .371

Among players with at least 75 plate appearances, no one fared worse than Cardinals’ 1B Brandon Moss, who went 7-for-83 in September – a .084 average. In the AL, the lowest average (minimum 75 plate appearances) went to the Twins’ infielder Eduardo Escobar (9-for-85) at .129.

Runs Scored

AL: Mike Trout, Angels – 21; Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox – 21; Adam Eaton, White Sox – 21

NL: Curtis Granderson, Mets – 23; Ender Inciarte, Braves – 23; Freddie Freeman, Braves – 22; Matt Kemp, Padres/Braves – 22

Home Runs

AL: Justin Upton, Tigers – 12; Miguel Cabrera, Tigers – 10; Hanley Ramirez Boston, 10

NL: Chris Carter, Brewers – 10; Matt Kemp, Braves – 9; Curtis Granderson, Mets – 8

RBI

AL: Kendrys Morales, Royals – 30; Miguel Cabrera, Tigers – 27; Justin Upton, Tigers – 27

NL: Anthony Rendon, Nationals – 23; Matt Kemp, Braves – 22; Chris Carter, Brewers – 22; Freddie Freeman, Braves – 22

Stolen Bases

AL: Mike Trout, Angels – 8; Kevin Kiermaier, Rays – 8; two with 7

NL: Dee Gordon, Marlins – 14; Trea Turner, Nationals – 13; Jonathan Villar, Brewers – 10.

Walks Drawn

AL: Joe Baustista, Blue Jays – 23; Mike Trout, Angels – 23; two with 22

NL: Cesar Hernandez, Phillies – 22; Ben Zobrist, Cubs -22; Brandon Belt, Giants – 19

Swing and Miss – Nationals’ shortstop Danny Espinosa led MLB in September strikeouts – fanning 40 times in just 85 at bats (.106 batting average for the month). In the AL, Brian Dozier led the way with 38 whiffs in 111 at bats – but fared better than Espinoza overall, hitting .270 with 10 home runs and 18 RBI for the month.

Earned Run Aveage (minimum 25 innings pitched)

AL: Jharel Cotton, A’s – 1.44; Ricky Nolasco, Angels – 1.85; Justin Verlander, Tigers – 1.93

NL: John Lester, Cubs – 0.48; Kyle Hendricks, Cubs – 1.38; Johnny Cueto, Giants – 1.78

Looking at pitches with a least four September starts, The Astro’s Doug Pfister had MLB’s worst ERA for the month at 11.74 (30 earned runs in 23 innings over six starts). In the NL, the worst ERA goes to the Pirates’ Ryan Vogelsong (8.72 over 21 2/3 innings in five starts).

Wins

AL: Ariel Miranda (Mariners (4-1, 2.62); Rick Porcello, Red Sox (4-1, 2.70); David Price Boston (4-1, 4.35); Taijuan Walker, Mariners (4-2, 4.31); Carlos Rodon, White Sox *4-2, 4.50)

NL: John Lester, Cubs (5-0, 0.48); Johnny Cueto, Giants (4-0, 1.78); Max Scherzer, Nationals (4-0, 2,43); Dan Straily, Reds (4-1, 3.13); Carlos Martinez, cardinals (4-2, 2.92) Adam Wainwright, Cardinals (4-1, 5.46)

The Cardinals scored 41 runs in Adam Wainwright’s five September starts, enabling him to go 4-1, despite a 5.46 ERA for the month. In contrast, fellow Cardinals’ pitcher Mike Leake also had five September starts, with an almost identical 5.47 ERA. The Cardinals scored just eight runs in Leake’s starts – resulting in a 0-3 record for the month.

Strikeouts

AL: Justin Verlander, Tigers – 48 (32 2/3IP); Carlos Rodon, White Sox – 44 (36 IP); Yu Darvish, Rangers – 42 (28 2/3 IP); Chris Sale, White Sox – 42 (36 IP)

NL: Madison Bumgarner, Giants – 44 (39 IP); Jeff Samardzija, Giants – 42 (36 2/3 IP); Max Scherzer, Nationals – 39 (33 1/3 IP)

Saves

AL: Zach Britton, Orioles – 8; Sam Dyson, Rangers – 8; five players with seven

NL: Nark Melancon, Nationals – 8; A.J. Ramos, Marlins – 8; three players with seven

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Finally, a look at full year stats– Team and Individuals

—–TEAM Stats 2016—–

Runs Scored

Al: Red Sox – 878; Indians – 777; Mariners – 768

NL: Rockies – 845; Cubs – 808; Cardinals – 779

Batting Average

AL: Red Sox – .282; Tigers – .267; Rangers/Indians – .262

NL: Rockies – .275; Marlins – .263; D-backs – .261

Home Runs

AL: Orioles – 253; Mariners – 223; Blue Jays – 221

NL: Cardinals – 225; Mets – 218; Rockies – 204.

Nobody scored fewer runs in 2016 than the Phillies (610). In the AL, Oakland had the most anemic offense, with just 653 runs. The worst team batting average belonged to the Padres at .235, while the Tampa Bay Rays were at the bottom of the AL (.243). In the power department, Atlanta notched the fewest home runs with 122, while the Royals were at the bottom of the AL with 147.

Stolen Bases

AL: Indians – 134; Royals – 121; Astros – 102

NL: Brewers – 181; Reds – 139; D-backs – 137

The Baltimore Orioles swiped only 19 bags in 2016 (in just 32 attempts). They were the only team in MLB with fewer than 35 steals and fewer than 60 attempts.

ERA

AL: Blue Jays – 3.78; Indians – 3.84; Mariners/Red Sox – 4.00

NL: Cubs – 3.15; Nationals – 3.51; Mets – 3.58

Only two teams in MLB had ERA’s of 5.00+ in 2016: The D-backs at 5.09 and the Twins at 5.08.

Strikeouts

AL: Indians- 1,398; Astros – 1,396; Yankees – 1,393

NL: Dodgers – 1,510; Nationals – 1,476; Cubs -1,441

Saves

AL: Rangers – 56; Orioles – 54; Mariners – 49

NL: Mets – 55; Miami – 55; Pirates – 51.

When it comes to converting saves, no team topped the Orioles, who converted 79.4 percent of their 2016 save opportunities. The Mets led the NL at 77.5 percent. At the bottom of the save percentage standings were the Reds (52.8%) and the Twins (56.5%).

Batting Average

AL Jose Altuve, Astros – .338; Mookie Betts, Red Sox – .318; Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox – .318

NL: DJ LeMahieu, Rockies – .348; Daniel Murphy, Nationals – .347; Joey Votto, Reds – .326

Home Runs

AL: Mark Trumbo, Orioles – 47; Nelson Cruz, Mariners – 43; three with 42

NL: Nolan Arenado, Rockies – 41; Chris Carter, Brewers – 41, Kris Bryant, Cubs- 39

Run Scored

AL: Mike Trout, Angels – 123; Mookie Betts, Red Sox – 122; Josh Donaldsn, Blue Jays – 122

NL: Kris Bryant, Cubs – 121; Nolan Arenado, Rockies – 116; Charlie Blackmon, Rockies – 111

RBI

AL: Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays – 127; David Ortiz, Red Sox – 127; Albert Pujols, Angels – 119

NL: Nolan Arenado, Rockies – 133; Anthony Rizzo, Cubs – 109; Matt Kemp, Braves – 108

The lowest batting average among players with a minimum of 500 plate appearances goes to the Nationals’ Danny Espinosa at .209 (108-for-516). In the AL, the lowest qualifying average goes to the Royals’ Alex Gordon at .220 (98-for-445). Your 2016 strikeout leaders were both named Chris: Chris Davis, Orioles, with 219 whiffs (.221-38-84 line) and the Brewers’ Chris Carter with 206 strikeouts (.222-41-95).

Stolen Bases

AL: Rajai Davis, Indians – 43; three with 30

NL: Villar, Brewers – 62; Billy Hamilton, Reds – 58; Starlings Marte, Pirates – 47

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2016 FINAL STANDINGS

Won Lost Pct. GB Sept. Oct.

AL EAST

Boston 93 68 .5xx … (19-8) (0-2)

Baltimore 88 73 .5xx 2.0 (16-11) (1-1)

Toronto 88 73 .5xx 4.0 (11-16) (2-0)

New York 84 77 .5xx 6.5 (14-11) (1-1)

Tampa Bay 67 94 .4xx 19.5 (10-18) (2-0)

AL CENTRAL

Cleveland 93 67 .5xx … (16-11) (2-0)

Detroit 86 74 .5xx 4.5 (14-12) (0-2)

Kansas City 81 80 .5xx 7.5 (12-15) (0-2)

Chicago 78 83 .4xx 13.0 (15-13) (0-2)

Minnesota 58 103 .3xx 27.5 (8-19) (2-0)

AL WEST

Texas 95 66 .5xx … (15-11) (0-2)

Seattle 86 75 .5xx 8.5 (18-9) (0-2)

Houston 84 77 .5xx 11.5 (12-15) (1-1)

Los Angeles 73 88 .4xx 20.5 (14-13) (1-1)

Oakland 68 93 .4xx 22.5 (10-17) (2-0)

AL Tops NL in Interleague Play

The American League had the edge in interleague play this past season – winning 139 interleague contests to 121 for the National League. Overall, eight AL teams had winning interleague records, five had losing records and two split thier 20 internleague contests. In the NL, five teams had positive interleague records, nine were under .500 and one produced a split. The Cubs were the most successful in interleague competition – going 15-5. The Reds and D-backs had the worst interleague records at 5-15.

NL EAST

Washington 94 67 .5xx … (15-12) (2-0)

New York 87 74 .5xx 9.0 (17-10) (1-1)

Miami 79 81 .4xx 11.0 (12-15) (0-2)

Philadelphia 70 91 .4xx 18.0 (10-17) (1-1)

Atlanta 67 93 .3xx 28.0 (16-10) (2-0)

NL CENTRAL

Chicago 102 58 .6xx … (17-10) (1-1)

St. Louis 85 76 .5xx 15.0 (14-14) (2-0)

Pittsburgh 78 82 .4xx 17.5 (11-17) (0-2)

Milwaukee 72 69 .4xx 28.5 (14-13) (2-0)

Cincinnati 68 93 .4xx 30.0 (12-16) (1-1)

NL WEST

Los Angeles 91 70 .5xx … (17-10) (0-2)

San Francisco 86 75 .5xx 1.5 (13-15) (2-0)

Colorado 75 86 .4xx 10.0 (11-16) (0-2)

Arizona 68 93 .4xx 18.0 (11-16) (2-0)

San Diego 68 93 .4xx 18.5 (13-15) (0-2)

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; Baseball Bloggers Alliance.

Filed Under: BB Fun Facts, News

Family, Friends and Fans Will Miss the Joy of Jose Fernandez

September 26, 2016 by David

Photo by Corn Farmer

I had intended to use this post to commemorate the career of Dodgers’ Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully’s retirement (and 67 years as the mellow-toned, harmonious voice of the Dodgers). However, I will hold that for BBRT’s upcoming traditional end-of-the-month MLB wrap up – let me just say that there could be no more appropriate way for Scully to cap his broadcasting career than with the call of an extra-inning, game-winning, title-clinching, walk-off home run.

More on Scully next week, today I’d like to recognize the loss of one of baseball’s rising stars – Miami Marlins’ RHP Jose Fernandez – in a tragic boating accident this past weekend. In recent posts, I have talked about my excitement over the host of new young stars (Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Nolan Arenado, Kris Bryant – to name just a few) taking the field across the major leagues, even comparing this youthful new era to the 1950’s, when we saw the emergence of players like Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Whitey Ford and more. Jose Fernandez clearly was one of today’s brightest and fastest-rising young stars. The twenty-four-year-old Fernandez was also one of baseball’s most inspiring stories. He worked hard and risked much to get here – and once he arrived he played, worked and lived with dedication and joy. He was a player, who – despite early stardom – did “more smilin’ than stylin’.”

Jose Fernandez took joy in his craft, bringing to life Roy Campenella’s comment that “You have to have a lot of little boy in you to play baseball for a living.”

Fernandez took joy not only in his opportunity to earn a living on the baseball field, but also in the game itself. And, he was as much fun to watch in the dugout as on the field – cheering on and applauding teammates and openly expressing awe and appreciation for long balls and sparkling plays. He also took joy in his interaction with family, friends and fans; his relationships with teammates and opponents; the opportunity afforded by his U.S. citizenship; and his impending fatherhood. As fans, we were priviliged to observe and share that joy.

Fernandez immigrated to the United States as a teenager in 2008 – after three unsuccessful attempts to defect from Cuba (and the ensuing prison time). Finally, in a fourth and successful attempt (2007), his family to escaped Cuba (reaching Mexico). In that water crossing, Fernandez’ mother was tossed overboard and the 15-year-old Fernandez dove into the choppy waters in a harrowing and successful rescue. After coming to America from Mexico in 2008, Fernandez attended high school (and played baseball) in Tampa, Florida – where he went 13-1, 2.35 as a Senior (2011). His performance earned him a first-round draft pick by the Marlins (14^th overall) – and he was on his way.

In 2012, after pitching in just two games at Rookie- and A-level the previous season, Fernandez put up a remarkable 14-1, 1.75 ERA record in stops at A-level Greensboro and High-A Jupiter. He started 25 games and gave up just 89 hits and 35 walks, while fanning 158 batters in 134 innings.

In 2013, at the age of 20, he joined the Marlins’ staff, going 12-6, 2.19 and fanning 187 batters in 172 2/3 innings – earning him an All Star berth, NL Rookie of the Year honors and a third-place finish in the NL CY Young Award voting. He overpowered (and baffled) hitters with a multi-pitch repertoire topped by a mid- to high-90s fastball and a devastating breaking ball.

In 2014, Fernandez was already recognized as the Marlins’ staff ace, honored with the Opening Day start. Fernandez got the win as the Marlins topped the Rockies 10-1, going six innings, giving up just one run on five hits and no walks, while fanning nine. Fernandez went 4-2, 2.44 in eight starts, as his season was cut short by an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery.

Fernandez began the 2015 season on the Disabled List – dedicating himself to the hard work of recovery and rehab. He returned to the Marlins’ mound on July 2 and finished the season 6-1, 2.92 with 79 whiffs in 64 2/3 innings. He was back.

Photo by apardavila

This season, Fernandez earned his second All Star selection (11-4, 2.52 at the break). He was 16-8, 2.86 and had fanned 253 hitters in just 182 1/3 innings at the time of the accident. For his MLB career, Jose Fernandez was 38-17, 2.86, with 589 strikeouts in 471 1/3 innings – including a brilliant 29-2, 1.49 at home. He apparently took joy in swinging the bat as well, with a career average of .213 (.250 this season), with two home runs and 14 RBI in 136 at bats. In his very last game (September 20), he beat the Division-leading Washington Nationals 1-0, going eight innings, giving up just three hits and walking none, while fanning a dozen.

Jose Fernandez – his personality was as electric as his curveball. He will be missed by many – including all of those who find joy in the national pastime. Condolences to his family, friends and fans. Marlins’ owner Jeffrey Loria perhaps said it best, “Sadly the brightest lights are often the ones that extinguish the fasted.”

Photo by Corn Farmer

Filed Under: News

BBRT August Wrap – Rookies Make a Splash, Umbrella Night Rained Out, Big Papi Keeps Stormin’

September 1, 2016 by David

CalAug It’s September first and that means it’s time for Baseball Roundtable’s look at the month of August – winners, losers, streakers, pacesetters and more. Here’s just a few of the things we saw in MLB during the “Dog Days” of August:

2016’s sixth triple play (Phillies) and first 500-foot home run (Giancarlo Stanton);
Ichiro’s 3,000^th MLB hit;
Rockies’ rookie David Dahl opening his career with a MLB record-tying 17-game hitting streak;
Red Sox’ Mookie Betts tying the AL record for three-homer games in a season (Okay, it’s only two, but it puts him in some pretty good company);
The Orioles bashing four home runs before making their first out – and still losing the game;
Five AL playes topping ten home runs for the month – three of them Orioles (Chris Davis, Mark Trumbo and Manny Machado);
The Brewers beccoming just the 19th team to score in every inning of a game;
The Rockies’ DJ LeMahieu hitting an amazing .439 for the month, taking over the NL batting lead (held most of the season by the Nats’ Daniel Murphy) and still not capturing BBRT player of the month;
In six August starts, Yankees’ right-hander Masahiro Tanaka striking out 38 batters (in 39 innings) versus only one walk.
Twins’ 2B Brian Dozier leading all of MLB with 13 August home runs, while also topping the ALin runs scored (27) and RBI (27 – tied) – and the Twins still going 9-20.
Giants’ shortstop Brandon Crawford tying a NL record with seven hits in a game
David Ortiz becoming the oldest player to hit 30 home runs in a season – and looking to set more age 40 records).

You can read the details on these accomplishments (and more) in this post (and also find my stats then you may want to consume); but first, let’s look at BBRT’s August Honors.

BBRT MONTHLY HONORS – AUGUST 2016

AL Player of the Month – Gary Sanchez, C, Yankees

Photo by apardavila

Okay, it’s usually a surprise when a rookie is Player of the Month. But, let’s face it, Yankee rookie Gary Sanchez’ performance has been truly surprising. Called up from Triple A Scranton Wilkes Barre on August 3 (where he was hitting .282, with 10 home runs and 50 RBI in 71 games), the 22-year-old Dominican’s previous MLB experience included two games (two at bats/no hits) last October and a zero-for-four performance in one game for the Yankees this May. Note: The Yankees did include Sanchez on the roster for the 2015 Wild Card Game, but he did not play in that contest. Despite giving away those three games, Sanchez became the fastest player ever to 10 home runs and 30 hits (22 career games), and the first MLB rookie to win his league’s Player of the Week honor two consecutive weeks (August 15-21 and August 22-28). For the month, Sanchez (also considered a plus defensive backstop) hit .389, with 11 home runs (second in the AL) and 21 RBI in 24 games. How much has he meant to the Bronx Bombers? The day Sanchez first took a place in the Yankee lineup, New York’s record stood at 53-53. Since that time, the Yankees have gone 16-10. Also in the running were Twins’ 2B Brian Dozier (.302, with an MLB-best 13 August round trippers) and and Tigers’ RF J.D. Martinez (.404-7-15) for the month.

NL Player of the Month – Nolan Arenado, 3B, Rockies

Nolan Arenado provides lumber AND leather for the Rockies. Photo by jenniferlinneaphotography

It was a tough call for BBRT Player of the Month in the NL. You had Rockies’ 2B DJ LeMahieu, who hit .439 and passed the Nationals’ Daniel Murphy for the batting lead, as well as Rockies’ CF Charlie Blackmon, who hit .360 and led all of MLB with 30 runs scored (and led the NL in August home runs with 11). BBRT, however, chooses to honor Rockies’ 3B Nolan Arenado – who continued his Gold glove defense and also hit .356 in August, while leading MLB in August RBI (36), hitting ten round trippers (tied for second in the NL), and scoring 27 runs (third in the league). BBRT note: Arenado also got an edge as my current favorite MLB player (I played almost alll my baseball and softball at 3B – and grew up in the Eddie Mathews’ era.) For those unfamiliar with what Arenado brings to the table, last season he led the NL in home runs and RBIs and earned his third Gold Glove (in three MLB seasons).

AL Pitcher of the Month (tie) – Danny Duffy, LH, Royals/Masahiro Tanaka, RH, Yankees

Danny Duffy was a key part of the Royals’ August surge, going 5-1, 2.51. He also helped keep the pressure off the Royals’ vaunted bullpen, averaging just over seven innings per start. Duffy led the AL in wins for the month (tied with Corey Kluber) and was third in innings pitched and tenth in strikeouts (39 Ks in 43 innings, with just nine walks).

Masahiro Tanaka also had six starts, going 4-1, 3.00. For the month, he threw 39 innings and fanned 38 hitters – versus (and this is what earned him this tie) only one walk.

Also on BBRT’s scope were the Indians’ Corey Kluber (5-0, 2.43 for the month, with 44 whiffs in 40 2/3 innings) and the Red Sox’ Rick Porcello, who topped seven innings per start over six starts, and went 4-1, 2.61. Porcello, who tossed 44 2/3 innings, fanned 41 batters against just four free passes.

NL Pitcher of the Month – Kyle Hendricks, RH, Cubs

It was a tough call in the NL, but BBRT gives a slight edge to the Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks. Hendricks went 4-0 in six starts (no NL pitcher won more than four games in the month) and had the lowest August ERA among MLB starters at 1.28, as well as the third-lowest WHIP (0.78). He also averaged seven innings per start and fanned 36 hitters (versus seven walks) over 42 1/3 innings. Also in the running were the Nationals’ Max Scherzer (4-1, 3.05 with an NL-leading 51 strikeouts); the Cubs’ Jon Lester (3-0, 1.71); and Cubs’ closer Aroldis Chapman (tied for the MLB August lead in saves with 11, sporting a 1.38 ERA, 22 strikeouts in 13 innings).

AL Team of the Month – Kansas City Royals

The Royals were the only AL team to reach 20 wins in August (20-9) – and they did it primarily on the strength of their pitching staff. For the month, Kansas City finished ninth in runs scored (132) in the AL, but gave up the fewest runs in their league (90 ). With an August ERA of 2.71, the Royals were the only AL team with an ERA under 3.00 (next best was Toronto at 3.63). KC got strong starting performances out of the likes of Ian Kennedy (3-0, 1.86), Danny Duffy (5-1, 2.51) and Yordano Ventura (3-0, 2.55), supported by a lights-out bullpen – including Kelvin Herrera (10 saves and a 2.35 ERA for the month), Matt Strahm (no earned runs in 11 games), Brian Flynn (no earned runs in nine games), and Pete Moylan (1.00 ERA in 15 games). The Royals big month brought them back into the Wild Card chase (three games out – after being 8 ½ out at the end of July).

NL Team of the Month – Chicago Cubs

Wrigley be “Wrockin'” in 2016.

The Cubs’ did it all in August – scoring the NL’s third-most runs (143) and giving up the league’s fewest tallies (85).The Cubbies boasted MLB’s lowest August ERA, a miniscule 2.66. The MLB average was 4.33 – and the AL Royals were the only other team under 3.00. Just consider the mound staff’s August results: three starters with August ERAs under 2.00 – Kyle Hendricks (4-0, 1.28), John Lackey (1-0, 1.66) and Jon Lester (3-0, 1.71); as well as a bullpen led by the likes of Aroldis Chapman (11 saves, 1.38 ERA in 15 appearances); Justin Grimm (0.82 ERA in 12 appearances) and Trevor Cahill (1.93 in seven appearances). On offense, they looked to the likes of Kris Bryant (.383-10-22), Anthony Rizzo (.324-2-14); Addison Russell (.250-7-23); and Dexter Fowler (.263-2-7, with 26 runs scored). The Cubs now enjoy a 15 -game lead over the NL Central second-place Cardinals – up from 7 ½ a month ago – Wrigley be Wrockin’.

Wins and Losses

While the Cubs and Royals were the only teams to reach 20 wins in September (see Teams of the Month, above), the Rangers had a solid month at 18-10 – despite middle-of-the pack numbers (eighth in the AL in ERA and tenth in runs scored for the month). Four teams picked up 17 wins August: the Yankees, Blue Jays and Nationals (all at 17-11) and the Red Sox (17-13). Minnesota was the only MLB team to earn less than ten wins (9-20), despite scoring the AL’s fourth-most August runs (142, just eight less than Boston’s league high for the month). Ah, but there’s the pitching. The Twins gave up a n MLB-high 192 runs in August and were the only team with an ERA over six (6.21) for the month.

The San Francisco Roller Coaster

The San Francisco Giants – who came into August with a 61-44 record and a two-game lead in the NL West – went 11-16 and fell to second place, 1.5 games behind the Dodgers. There have been plenty of ups and down in the Bay City, this season. Here are the Giants’ month by month 2016 records: April … 12-13; May … 21-8; June … 17-10; July … 11-13; August … 11-16).

If the season ended August 21, your playoff teams would be:

AL: Rangers; Blue Jays; Indians. Wild Cards: Red Sox; Orioles/Detroit (tie). The AL East is the most competitive race, with the top three teams separated by just four games as of August 31; and the Orioles just two games out of a Wild Card spot.

NL: Cubs; Nationals; Dodgers. Wild Cards: Giants; Cardinals. The Dodgers and Giants are locked in the most competitive battle for a division title (NL West); with San Francisco trailing LA by 1 1/2 games.

YOU WILL FIND FULL STANDINGS (as of August 31) AND AUGUST RECORDS AT THE END OF THIS LENGTHY POST.

It Has Indeed Rained on Our Parade

Umbrella Night rained out.

On August 10, the Minnesota Twins scheduled Umbrella Night. What transpired was pretty much a microcosm of the Twins’ 2016 season – it rained on their parade. Yes, on Umbrella Night, a truly major league downpour stopped the game in the top of the third inning, with the Twins up 5-0 over the Houston Astros. After a 2 ½-hour rain delay, the game was postponed and the Twins’ lead washed away. The game was replayed the following day, with the Twins losing 10-2 (after losing that day’s regularly scheduled contest 15-7). The storm was a portent of things to come, The Twins were 6-3 in the first nine days of August (after a promising 15-11 June), although still 19 games under .500. After the rainout, they went 3-17, finishing August with an 49-84 record, the worst in the MLB (and riding an active 13-game losing streak). Ouch!

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NOW, BEFORE WE LOOK AT INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES, LET’S REVIEW SOME TEAM STATS.

TEAM BATTING LEADERS FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST

Runs Scored

AL: Red Sox (150); Yankees (148); Rays (144)

NL: Rockies (173); Nationals (157); Cubs (143)

Only the A’s and Marlins scored fewer than 100 runs in August – at 99 and 97, respectively. Miami also hit the fewest home runs of any team in August (21). Clearly the Fish miss Giancarlo Stanton. Oakland and Miami also had MLB’s lowest August team batting averages (.235 and .250, respectively).

Batting Average

AL: Indians (.280); Red Sox (.276); Yankees (.274)

NL: Rockies (.298); Nationals (.279); Reds and Cubs (.276)

Home Runs

AL: Orioles (55); Blue Jays (47); Yankees (42)

NL: Cardinals (46); Mets (45); Brewers and Rockies (40)

Stolen Bases

AL: Indians (34); Royals (26); Rangers (17)

NL: Brewers and D-backs (42); Reds (31)

The Orioles doubled their stolen base total from July – stealing two bags in August.

A few other stats of interest:

When it comes to striking out, the Brewers did it more than anybody in August, 288 times to be exact. At the other end of the spectrum were the Angels, whose hitters fanned just 188 times.
Milwaukee spent a lot of time not putting the ball in play – leading all of MLB in August in both strikeouts (see bullet point above) and walks (129 – one of only four teams to draw 100 free passes).
No one used the sacrifice to move runners up more than Kansas City – with 14 sacrifice hits (bunts) in August. The MLB average was five.

TEAM, PITCHING LEADERS FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST

Earned Run Average

AL: Royals (2.71); Blue Jays (3.63); Tigers (3.64)

NL: Cubs (2.66); Pirates (3.41); Giants (3.88)

Pitching, pitching, pitching. The two teams with the best August ERA’s also had the best Augut Won-Lost records.

Strikeouts

AL: Astros (274); Rays (272); Indians (266)

NL: Cubs (254); Mets (245); Nationals (237)

Other August stats of interest:

Despite pitchers batting in the NL, the top four pitching staff in strikeouts were in the AL.
The Cubs and Astros were the only teams to be among the top three in August strikeouts, as well as among the three best in terms of fewest walks allowed.

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AUGUST HIGHLIGHTS

Now, let’s look at some individual highlights for August.

They Call Him the Streak —

From July 25 through August 12, Rockies’ rookie left fielder David Dahl hit in 17 straight games. A nice little streak, but nothing that special (after all, DiMaggio hit in 56 straight) – unless you consider that those 17 games were the first 17 games of Dahl’s MLB career, giving him a share of the MLB record for the longest hitting streak to start a career. (Dahl went zero-for-four in his 18th MLB game). The 22-year-old rookie collected 24 hits in 70 at bats (.358) during his streak – including one double, three triples and three home runs. Over the 17 games, he drove in ten runs and scored 17. For more on Dahl and his streak, click here.
From his second at bat August 25 until his second-to-last at bat August 27, Red Sox’ 2B Dustin Pedroia collected hits in 11 straight at bats – just one short of the MLB record shared by: Johnny Kling (Cubs, 1902); Pinky Higgins (Red Sox, 1938); and Walt Dropo (Tigers, 1952). During his streak, Pedroia collected ten singles and a double, scored twice and drove in three. Pedroia raised his average 15 points during the streak (.306 to .321). Despite Pedroia’s streak, the Red Sox lost two of the three contests.
Red Sox right-hander Rick Porcello started six games in August, going 4-2 and proving just how much he likes home cooking. He won all four starts at Fenway and lost both road starts. It ran Porcello’s 2016 record to 18-3 (leading MLB in victories). It also raised his 2016 record at Fenway to 13-0, 3.03 in 14 starts. On the road, he is 5-3, 3.49 in 13 starts. This 13-0 home record puts Porcello just two wins away from the modern MLB record for an undefeated season at home. Last season, the Astros’ Dallas Keuchel went 15-0, 1.46 at Minute Maid Park.
On August 11^th, Orioles’ closer Zach Britton not only recorded his 35^th save in 35 opportunities this season, he also notched his MLB-record 39^th straight appearance without allowing an earned run. He stretched that record to 43 games (41 1/3 innings), before allowing an earned run in an appearance against the Nationals on August 24.

Off to a Good Start – The Finish, Not So Much —

On August 19, the power-packed Orioles (leading the majors in home runs), set a major league record (first time since 1900) by hitting four home runs before making their first out of the game. It went like this: after the Astros scored once in the top of the first inning, the Orioles sent CF/leadoff hitter Adam Jones to the plate against Houston starter Collin McHugh. Jones hit McHugh’s first pitch of the game over the LF fence. (Notably, Astros’ leadoff hitter RF George Springer had also started the game with a homer). Orioles’ LF Hyon Soo Kim followed with a single to center, after which 3B Manny Machado homered to center. Then 1B Chris Davis homered to right center and RF Mark Trumbo hammered one out to center. DH Pedro Alvarez grounded out to second to end the hit parade – and McHugh gave up two more singles before getting out of the inning trailing 5-0.

Despite the fast start, the Orioles lost the game – which featured nine home runs – by a score of 15-8.

More #Why I Hate the DH —

On August 5, Cardinals’ southpaw Jaime Garcia went eight strong innings (three hits, one walk, 11 strikeouts) in beating the Braves 1-0 in Saint Louis. AND, Garcia had one of only two Cardinal hits – driving in the winning run with a single in the second inning.

Three Times the Charm – and Good Company —

Photo by Dennis Heller

On Augst 14th, Red Sox’ RF Mookie Betts belted three home runs (and a single) as the Red Sox topped the D-backs 16-2 at Fenway. Betts scored four runs and drove in eight in the contest. He also tied the AL record for games with three (or more) home runs in a season (two). The last (only other) Red Sox hitter to accompliah that feat was Ted William in 1957. Other American Leaguers to have two three-home-run games in a season: Doug DeCinces, Angels, 1982; Joe Carter, Indians, 1989; Cecil Fielder, Blue Jays, 1990; Geronimo Berroa, A’s, 1996; Carlos Delgado, Blue Jays, 2001. The record? Sammy Sosa, three games of three home runs for the Cubs in 2001.

Lucky Number Seven —

On August 9, Giants’ SS Brandon Crawford tied the National League record for base hits in a single game – going seven-for-eight as the Giants topped the Marlins (in Miami) 8-7 in 14 innings. Crawford’s seventh and final hit – a single to center in the top of the 14th inning drove in the go-ahead run – tying the record and winning the game. Crawford’s seven hits included five singles, a double and a triple – and he scored once and drove in a pair of runs. For more on his day – and an incredible nine-hit performance, click here.

How About a Game of 500? —

On August 6, Marlins’ RF Giancarlo Stanton hit the only (thus far) 500-foot home run of the 2016 season – a 504-foot solo blast in the fifth inning of the Marlins 12-6 road loss to the Rockies. Note: Statcast had the home run at 504 feet, ESPN Home run Tracker at 495.

Lucky Number Three —

On August 7, the Philadelphia Phillies turned a nifty 5-4-3 triple play (Maikel Franco to Cesar Hernandez to Tommy Joseph), the sixth triple killing this season (a single-season record-tying three by the White Sox already). The play came in the seventh inning of the Phillies’ 6-5 win over the Padres in San Diego. (BBRT note: The record for total triple plays in an MLB season is 11 – 1924, 1929, 1979. The only years in which MLB saw no triple plays were 1961 and 1974.)

MLB Post Season Schedule Announced – Nothing Like November Baseball —

Major League Baseball has announced is 2016 post season schedule. Here are a few key dates:

AL Wild Card game – October 4
NL Wild Card game – October 5
AL Division Series – Opens October 6
NL Division Series – Opens October 7
AL Championship Series – Opens October 14
NL Championship Series – Opens October 15
World Series – Opens October 25
World Series seventh game (if necessary) – November 2.

Movin’ On Up —

On August 7, Ichiro Suzuki notched his 3,000^th Major League hit – a triple off Rockies’ reliever Chris Rusin in the seventh inning of a 10-7 Marlins win in Denver. He became just the second player to hit a triple for hit number 3,000 (Paul Molitor is the other). The 3,000^th safety put Ichiro at number-thirty on the MLB “hit list.” By month’s end, he added 12 more hits, moving up to number 27. Next target: Rafael Palmeiro at 3,020. Making Ichiro’s feat even more impressive is that he made his MLB debut at age 27 – after collecting 1,278 hits in Japan.
Angels’ DH Albert Pujols started August with 20 home runs on the season and 580 in his career – putting him at number 12 all time. In August, he added six home runs, moving up to number nine. Next target: Sammy Sosa at 609.
A shout out to Indians’ top catching prospect Francisco Mejia of the High A Lynchburg Hillcats on his 50-game hitting streak, which started May 27 and came to an end August 14. It was professional baseball’s fourth-longest streak ever. For details on the record 69-game hitting streak, click here. During his streak, the 20-year-old Mejia hit .386, with eight home runs and 42 RBI.

Trumbo Goes Deep – Or not at All —

From the seventh inning of Baltimore’s August 11^th 9-6 win over Oakland (when he hit a Grand Slam) until his first inning single in Baltimore’s August 23^rd game against Washington (won by Baltimore 8-1), Orioles’ right fielder Mark Trumbo went 7-for-36 (.195), which probably shouldn’t rate a mention here. However, all seven of Trumbo hits in that span were home runs (three solo shots, one two-run long ball, a three-run homer and the Grand Slam). This made Trumbo the first Oriole to collect home runs on seven straight hits, four short of Mark McGwire’s 11 straight (MLB record) in 2001.

Trumbo’s streak covered 11 games – and included four hitless contests. Baltimore went 5-2 in games featuring a Trumbo home run during the streak, and 0-4 in games in which he didn’t go deep. As August closed, Trumbo was leading MLB with 40 home runs.

Mark McGwire – All or Nothing Times Eleven

Photo by drcliffordchoi

From The sixth inning of a Cardinals’ 17-11 loss to the Astros on July 18, 2001 (when he hit a solo home run) until hitting a single in the fifth inning of a Cardinals’ 8-4 win over Reds, Mark McGwire collected 11 hits – all of them home runs – setting the MLB record for consecutive hits that were home runs. During that span, McGwire appeared in 21 games, going 11-for-66 (.166) and driving in 17 runs. (Note: The 11th home run came in the 18th game of the streak – August 12 – but McGwire had two hitless games before collecting the single.) During his streak, McGwire had 11 hitless contests. During the stretch, the Cardinals went 8-2 in games in which McGwire homered and 4-7 in games he was held hitless. McGwire finished the season (his final MLB season) with a .187 average, 29 home runs and 64 RBI in 97 games. The four-time HR champ retired with a .263 career average, 583 home runs and 1,414 RBI.

You’re Only as Old as You Feel —

On August 24^th, David Ortiz smacked his 30^th home run of the season – a two-run shot (bringing Big Papi to the 100 RBI mark in this, his final, season). The long ball came in the top of the first inning (in a game Boston eventually lost 4-3 to Tampa Bay in 11 innings.) As you might expect, it marked another milestone for the Boston DH.

With the home run, Ortiz became the oldest player in MLB history to reach the 30-home run mark – at 40 years, nine months and six days. It was also Ortiz’ 10^th 100-RBI season, and made him the only player to reach the 30-home run, 100-RBI mark in his final campaign. (BBRT is assuming he will follow through on his retirement announcement.)

How good has Big Papi’s farewell season been? He closed August hitting .313 – 31-102, with an AL-leading 42 doubles and even two stolen bases.

Just One Moore Would Have Been Nice —

On August 25th, Matt Moore, acquired by San Francisco at the trade deadline, picked up his first win as a Giant – and he did it in (nearly) spectacular fashion, coming within one out of no-hitting the rival Dodgers. With two outs in the ninth, Moore had given up no hits, no runs, with three walks and seven strikeouts. Up stepped Dodger SS Corey Seager – on what just happened to be Corey Seager Bobble Head Night. Seager hit a soft line drive to right field for a single – ending the no-hitter and Moore’s outing. (Moore was relieved by Santiago Casilla, who got the final out.)

No Circles for the Brewers —

On Thursday, August 11^th, the Milwaukee Brewers refused to be denied – becoming just the 19^th MLB team (since 1900) to score in every inning of a ball game. The Brewers collected 14 hits in the 11-3 win over the Braves and the line score looked like this:

Braves 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 3 9 1

Brewers 2 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 X 11 14 0

The Brewers’ attack featured home runs by 1B Chris Carter, 2B Scooter Gennett; and RF-3B Hernan Perez.

_____________________________________________________

Now, how about a look at individual stat leaders for August?

INDIVIDUAL BATTING LEADEERS FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST

Batting Average (minimum 75 at bats)

AL: Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox (.406); J.D. Martinez, Tigers (.404); Gary Sanchez, Yankees (.389)

NL: DJ LeMahieu, Rockies (.439); Joey Votto, Reds (.394); Neil Walker, Mets (.389)

Among players with at least 75 at bats in August, the lowest average belonged to the Royals’ Raul Mondesi at .160 (13-for-81). The lowest average (again at least 75 at bats) in the NL went to the Marlins’ Marcel Ozuna at .162 (17-for-105). Thirteen players with at least 75 at bats hit under .200 for the month – including MLB home run leader (on the season) Oriole Mark Trumbo, who hit .184, but with ten homers and 21 RBI.

Home Runs

AL: Brian Dozier, Twins (13); Gary Sanchez, Yankees (11); Chris Davis, Mark Trumbo and Manny Machado, Orioles (each with 10)

NL: Charlie Blackmon, Rockies (11); five with 10

RBI

AL: Jose Altuve, Astros; Mookie Betts, Red Sox; Brian Dozier, Twins (each with 27)

NL: Nolan Arenado, Rockies (36); Ryan Braun, Brewers (28); Joey Votto, Reds (26)

Runs Scored

AL: Brian Dozier, Twins (27); George Springer, Astros (25); Alex Bregman, Astros (23)

NL: Charlie Blackmon, Rockies (30); Kris Bryant, Cubs (29); three with 27

Stolen Bases

AL: Rajai Davis, Indians (9); Jose Ramirez, Indians (9); Elvis Andrus, Rangers (7)

NL: Billy Hamilton, Reds (19); Jonathan Villar, Brewers (15); three with eleven

No one fanned more in August than the Red Sox Jackie Bradley, Jr. – with 39 whiffs in 106 at bats. Bradley hit .198-5-13 for the month. In the NL, the Giants’ Brandon Belt (.237-3-17) and Padres’ Will Myers (.216-3-9) each fanned 37 times in 97 at bats.

INDIVIDUAL PITCHING LEADERS FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST

Earned Run Average (minimum 25 innings pitched)

AL: Carlos Rondon, White Sox (1.47); Ian Kennedy, Royals (1.86); Jose Quintana, White Sox (2.29)

NL: Kyle Hendricks, Cubs (1.28); John Lackey, Cubs (1.66); Jon Lester, Cubs (1.71)

The highest ERA among pitchers who tossed at least 25 innings in August goes to the Indians’ Josh Tomlin (11.48 in six starts). Over in the NL, Jimmy Nelson of the Brewers started six games and produced an ERA of 9.00.

Wins

AL: Corey Kluber, Indians (5-0); Danny Duffy, Royals (5-1); eight with four

NL: Ten with four

Strikeouts

AL: Chris Sale, White Sox (52 in 46 2/3 IP); Chris Archer, Rays (47 in 38 2/3 IP); Carlos Carrasco, Indians (46 in 36 1/3IP)

NL: Max Scherzer, Nationals (51 in 41 1/3 IP); Brandon Finnegan (41 in 37 1/3 IP); Robbie Ray, D-backs (38 in 30 IP)

Saves

AL: Edwin Diaz, Mariners (11), Kelvin Herrera, Royals (10); three with eight

NL: Aroldis Chapman, Cubs (11); Tory Watson, Pirates (10), Kenley Jansen, Dodgers (9)

August Observations:

Chris Sale led all of MLB in strikeouts (52), had a 2.89 ERA in six starts and led the majors in complete games (2) – and still won only once against three losses. On the other hand, the Cardinals’ Jaime Garcia went 3-2 with an ERA of more than 5.00.
Aroldis Chapman (Cubs) and Edwin Diaz (Royals) tied for the MLB lead in saves – yet Diaz’ ERA was nearly three times as high as Chapman’s (3.95 versus 1.38).
The three lowest NL ERAs (at least 25 August innings) went to Cubs (Kyle Hendricks, John Lackey and Jon Lester). In 14 August starts, their combined ERA was 1.51.
The Phillies’ Hector Neris led MLB in August “holds” with eight. He pitched in 14 games (14 2/3 innings) and gave up just one earned run.

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Now, a look at a few Year-to-Date Stats.

LEADING TEAM BATTING STATS THROUGH AUGUST 31

Batting Average

AL: Red Sox (.285); Tigers (.266); Indians (.265)

NL: Rockies (.275); Marlins (.268); D-backs (.263)

No one pinch hits like the “fella’s from Missouri.” Only two teams have pinch hit batting average over .300 on the season: The Cardinals (.348/64-for-184) and the Royals (.303/19-for-33). The MLB overall pinch-hitting average (through August) was .210, and 13 teams have PH averages below the Mendoza Line (sub-.200).

Runs Scored

AL: Red Sox (724): Blue Jays (653); Indians (646)

NL: Rockies (709); Cubs (672); Cardinals (650)

No team has put fewer runs on the board this season than the Phillies (492 as of August 31). The Phillies also have the second worst team batting average (.238, the Padres are at .236).

Home Runs

AL: Orioles (209); Blue Jays (196); Mariners (179)

NL: Cardinals (189); Mets (178); Nationals (176)

Stolen Bases

AL: Indians (106); Royals (89); Astros (88)

NL: Brewers (147); Reds (114); D-backs (112)

The Orioles clearly have power (as attested by their MLB-leading 209 home runs; on a pace for 255). Speed, however, is a different story. The Baltimore Birds do not fly – they are dead last in stolen bases with 15 on the season. No other team has less than 30.

TEAM PITCHING LEADERS THROUGH AUGUST 31

Earned Run Average

AL: Blue Jays (3.79); Indians (3.81); Astros (3.90)

NL: Cubs (3.13); Nationals (3.44); Mets (3.63)

Through August, the Twins and D-backs have the worst ERA’s in their respective leaguues – both at 5.12.

Complete Games

AL: Red Sox (8); White Sox (6); Indians (5)

NL: Giants (9); Cubs (4); Dodgers (3 – Don’t they miss Kershaw?)

Strikeouts

AL: Yankees (1,160); Astros (1,155); Indians (1,138)

NL: Dodgers (1,225); Nationals (1,219); Cubs (1,177)

Saves

AL: Orioles (46); Rangers (46); Mariners (41)

NL: Marlins (46); Mets (45); Pirates (45)

The Chicago White Sox lead all of MLB in Blown Saves through August with 26 – against 38 saves.

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Now, the individual leaders.

INDIVIDUAL BATTING LEADERS THROUGH AUGUST 31

Batting Average (minimum 400 plate appearances)

AL: Jose Altuve, Astros (.351); Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox (.323); Mookie Betts, Red Sox (.320)

NL: DJ LeMahieu, Rockies (.345); Daniel Murphy, Nationals (.341); Martin Prado, Marlins (.319)

The lowest average among players with at least 400 plate appearnces belongs to White Sox’ 3B todd Frazier at .212. However, he also has 33 home runs, 83 RBI and ten stolen bases.

Runs Scored

AL: Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays (106); Mookie Betts, Red Sox (103); Mike Trout, Angels (102)

NL: Kris Bryant, Cubs (111); Nolan Arenado, Rockies (98); Charlie Blackmon, Rockies (90)

Home Runs

AL: Mark Trumbo, Orioles (40); Edwin Encarnacion, Bluye Jays (36); two with 34

NL: Nolan Arenado, Rockies and Kris Bryant, Cubs (36); Chris Carter, Brewers (30)

RBI

AL: Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays (106); Albert Pujols, Angels (103); David Ortiz, Red Sox (102)

NL: Nolan Arenado, Rockies (115); Daniel Murphy, Nationals (98); Anthony Rizzo, Cubs (93)

Stolen Bases

AL: Rajai Davis, Indians (30); Jose Altuve, Astros (26); Mike Trout, Angels (21)

NL: Billy Hamilton, Reds (54); Jonathan Villar, Brewers (50); Starling Marte, Pirates (46)

INDIVIDUAL PITCHING LEADERS THROGH AUGUST 31

Earned Run Average

AL: Jose Quintana, White Sox (2.77); Aaron Sanchez, Blue Jays (2.88); Cole Hamels, Rangers (2.91)

NL: Kyle Hendricks, Cubs (2.09); Madison Bumgarner, Giants (2.49); Noah Syndegaard, Mets (2.55)

Wins

AL; Rick Porcello, Red Sox (18-3) J.A. Happ, Blue Jays (17-4); three with 15.

NL: Jake Arrietts, Cubs (16-5); Stephen Strasburg, Nationals (15-4); Max Scherzer, Nationals (15-7)

Chris Archer of the Rays leads MLB in losses through August(8-17, 4.10).

Saves

AL: Zach Britton, Orioles (39); Fernando Rodriguez, Tigers (37); Dave Robertson, White Sox (33)

NL: Jeurys Familia, Mets (44); Kenley Jansen, Dodgers (40); Mark Melancon Nats/Pirates (37)

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FINALLY, the standing as of August 31.

MLB Standings Through August 31 (Won-lost for August in parentheses)

Won Lost Pct. GB Aug. Record

AL EAST

Toronto 76 57 .571 … (17-1l)

Boston 74 59 .556 2.0 (17-13)

Baltimore 72 61 .541 4.0 (13-16)

New York 69 63 .523 6.5 (17-11)

Tampa Bay 56 76 .424 19.5 (14-15)

AL CENTRAL

Cleveland 76 56 .576 … (16-14)

Detroit 72 61 .541 4.5 (15-15)

Kansas City 69 64 .519 7.5 (20-9)

Chicago 63 69 .4xx 13.0 (12-15)

Minnesota 49 84 .368 27.5 (9-20)

AL WEST

Texas 80 54 .597 … (18-10)

Houston 71 62 .534 8.5 (16-13)

Seattle 68 65 .511 11.5 (16-13)

Los Angeles 59 74 .444 20.5 (12-16)

Oakland 57 76 .429 22.5 (10-18)

NL EAST

Washington 78 55 .586 … (17-11)

New York 69 64 .519 9.0 (15-14)

Miami 67 66 .504 11.0 (10-18)

Philadelphia 6o 73 .451 18.0 (12-14)

Atlanta 50 83 .376 28.0 (13-15)

NL CENTRAL

Chicago 85 47 .644 … (22-6)

St. Louis 70 62 .530 15.0 (14-13)

Pittsburgh 67 64 .511 17.5 (15-13)

Milwaukee 57 76 .429 28.5 (10-20)

Cincinnati 55 77 .417 30.0 (13-15)

NL WEST

Los Angeles 74 59 .556 … (15-13)

San Francisco 72 60 .545 1.5 (11-16)

Colorado 64 69 .481 10.0 (12-16)

Arizona 56 77 .421 18.0 (13-15)

San Diego 55 77 .4xx 18.5 (10-17)

Whew! Still with me? If so, thanks!!

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; Baseball Bloggers Alliance.

Filed Under: News

Ballpark Tours 2016 – Day Nine – The Negro Leagues Museum and A Bad Beat Down

August 20, 2016 by David

Day Nine – also known as August 19^th to those not “on the bus” – sees us still in Kansas City, hoping to make up for leaving last night’s game (which, with the rain delay, went to 2:16 a.m. today) early. Click here for Day 8 details.

This proved to be a very good day, starting with a 10:00 a.m. cab ride to 18^th and Vine – and visits to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the American Jazz Museum ($10 admission for each museum, $15 if you visit them both. Less if you, like me, are over 65.)

If you are a baseball fan, you can’t afford to miss the Negro Leagues Museum, which gives you a look at some of the richest – and some of the most poignant – times of our baseball history. Located in the 18^th and Vine district, the museum takes you through the history of the Negro Leagues – and individuals of color – across baseball history. The story is told with a wide range of films, audio visual exhibits, photographs and memorabilia of all kinds. It is indeed a history lesson. You’ll learn a lot not just about baseball, but also about American history, race relations and attitudes.

Satchel Paige pitches to Martin Dihigo, with Josh Gibson catching – on the Field of Legens.

While the museum includes exhibits honoring Negro League greats, its centerpiece is the Field of Legends – a museum-sized baseball field manned by nearly life-sized bronze statues of key figures from the Negro Leagues’ history.

There is so much here – honoring players and teams – that it is impossible to do it justice in the space of this blog. My recommendation, take the time to take this trip through a very important part of both the past and future of our national game.

From the Negro Leagues Museum, we made our way to the American Jazz museum (housed in the same building) – where we were able to get and eyeful and earful of the greats from this unique American music genre. The museum included plenty of listening stations to enjoy the greats (and even separate the music into the parts that make up the whole) and visual impressions of the history of jazz (from photographs and films of jazz greats to album cover art to jazz club neon). If you are a fan of jazz, this visit is a must.

After our museum visit, we took the advice of the locals and headed to Danny’s Big Easy – practically across the street from the museums – for Cajun food. There were four of us in our group and the reaction was unanimous – WOW! Great, and we really mean great, Cajun food; as well as a server whose “life is a party and you are all invited” attitude made the experience even more enjoyable. Among the items we had: Crawfish Etouffee; Jambalaya; Catfish Po’ Boy; mac ‘n cheese; wings; specially seasoned house fries; and hush puppies. We washed it down with wine, but when one of our group asked about a beverage called “Living Easy,” they brought us a free one with four straws. (Also of interest was the fact that they had Kool-Aid on the menu for three dollars.)

We were at Danny’s Big Easy for lunch, but in the evening, the bar/restaurant features a variety of entertainment – Blues, Zydeco, Jazz, R&B, Funk, Reggae, Salsa and more. We were wishing we didn’t have a ball game tonight; we could have spent the evening at Danny’s. Five stars, without a doubt.

Later, I learned that other tour participants took in such attractions as the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art (just about a block from the hotel) and the National World War I Museum (2 1/2 miles away, but within range of the hotel’s shuttle service). In addition, small groups took advantage of both the Westport and Country Club Plaza area shopping and dining opportunities.

A great night for baseball. The game not so much. Unless you were a Royals’ fan.

And then, there was the game. I’ve already touched upon Kauffman Stadium (see Day Eight, here). Let me just say that tonight was a great night for baseball – clear skies, temperatures in the 70’s and seats in right field near the fountains.

After two innings, it looked like a pretty good game, with the Royals’ Ian Kennedy and the Twins’ Hector Santiago locked in a 0-0 duel. In the bottom of the third, however, the Royals turned three doubles (SS Alcides Escobar, 3B Cheslor Cuthberth and LF Lorenzo Cain) and a single (2B Christian Cuthbert) into three runs – and the rout was on. The Royals held the Twins scoreless (Kennedy went eight innings and gave up just four hits and no walks, while fanning six), while tacking on one run in the fourth, four in the fifth, one in the sixgth and one in the seventh. The final: Twins – no runs on four hits and no errors; Royals – 10 runs on 17 hits and no errors. Of the Royals’ 17 safeties, nine were for extra bases: six doubles and three home runs (two for RF Alex Gordon, one for C Salvador Perez). Our Minnesota-centric group suffered greatly, We did, however, win a challenge on a close play in the bottom of the sixth – they can’t take that away from us.

Yesterday, I promised a bit more about Kauffman Stadium concessions. I did observe that the funnel cakes were very popular with locals, as was the Topsy Popcorn (which I tasted and would agree had just the right “buttery” flavor). Also high on the list if you are visiting Kauffman should be the the Jamaican jerk sausage sandwich, served on a toasted baguette with mango habañero salsa, green apple slaw and coconut chutney – at the reasonable price of $13. I’d follow that with the a Berrie Kabob dessert.

So, there’a a look at Day Nine. It’s off to Des Moines at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow for an Iowa Cubs game – the last game on our ten-day tour.

For more on Day One, click here; Day Two, here; Day Three, here; Day Four, here; Day Five, here; Day Six, here; Day 7, here, Day Eight, here.

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT.

Member Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; Baseball Bloggers Alliance.

Filed Under: Ballpark Tours, News

Ballpark Tours 2016 – Day Eight – Called Up to the Show

August 20, 2016 by David

If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to hear it, does it still make a noise?

Why I ask, you ask! Because Day Eight of Ball Park Tours Bleacher Bums XXXIV was defined as much (or more) by what we didn’t see, than by what we saw.

Let’s start by talking a little baseball – Twins baseball, because we are now in Kansas City, taking in a pair of Royals/Twins tilts. Yes. after just six minor league games, we’ve been called up to “The Show.”

Kauffman Stadium before the monsoon.

We arrived, by bus, at Kauffman Stadium under ominous skies and even more ominous weather reports. Predictions were that a major storm front would roll in about 9:00 p.m. (7:15 game time) with significant rainfall, high winds and plenty of lightening. We were well-armed for the confrontation, with umbrellas, Ballpark Tours 30th Anniversary windbreakers and ponchos (many bought at the Chattanooga Lookouts game).

The game started on time, with the Twins’ Jose Berrios (2-3, 9.32) facing off against the Royals’ Edison Volquez (9-10, 4.95). We didn’t expect a pitchers’ duel – and we didn’t get one.

The Royals struck first, in an ugly second inning. Berrios started the frame by fanning Royals’ DH Kendrys Morales. From that point on, things fell apart. C Salvador Perez singled; LF Alex Gordon walked; SS Alicides Escobar singled in a run; 2B Raul Mondesi walked, loading the bases. Then Berrios walked CF Jarrod Dyson AND 3b Cheslor Cutberth – forcing in two runs (no more exciting play in baseball than the bases-loaded walk) – before getting RF Lorenzo Cain to end the inning on a 6-4-3 double play. Three runs on two hits and four walks – not a good sign.

The Twins came back on a long home run by 2B Brian Dozier (his 28th) leading off the third. But, the Royals countered in the fourth, producing a run on a walk (of course) and two singles.

Then in the top of the fifth, with storms threatening (and eventually arriving), the Twins rallied with: a double by CF Eddie Rosario; a run scoring double by C Juan Centeno; a strikeout by LF Danny Santana; a single by Dozier (who then stole second); and a two-run single by SS Jorge Polanco – tying the game at 4-4. It was at precisely that time, with Joe Mauer coming up, that the skies began to open up, the tarps came out and game went into a rain delay.

That’s what we saw. Here’s what we didn’t see.

Rainfall fallout in the lobby.

First, having studied, the weather reports, we didn’t wait too long before heading back to the hotel on the bus. (Our early departure was the rule, rather than the exception, among fans at the game.) From there, some of our folks headed out on the town, while others watched on smart phones to see if the game would resume – the stakes were high, there had been some friendly wagering on whether we would see any more rainouts (after the Day One washout) on this trip. The speculation was accompanied by adult beverages in the lobby, where discussions touched on such topics as that night’s game and suspended versus cancelled game rules, Pete Reiser, Kaufmann Stadium concession prices, Mike Trout and the Twins’ pitching staff.

Shortly before midnight, when the lobby was pretty much empty (bar closed at 11:30) – and after a three-hour-plus rain delay – play resumed. Twins’ 1B Mauer walked to put runners on first and second (remember the Polanco double that tied the game); 3B Plouffe popped up; and RF Max Kepler was called out on strikes to end the fifth inning. The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the 11^th inning, when Kansas City pushed across a run to win it by a 5-4 score – AT APPROXXIMATELY 2:15 a.m. Yes, we missed an exciting game. Yes, some of us might (and that’s a big MIGHT) have stayed. But it takes a village to do a baseball tour – and there are times that community interests must prevail. Plus, we still have baseball on the slate for Saturday and Sunday.

Now, a brief look at the day (I have to wrap this post up early, a group of us are headed to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum this morning).

Breakfast and a show.

On Day Eight, we had an early morning departure from the Marion (IL) Holiday Inn Express (8:30 a.m.), so the free buffet breakfast was pretty well attended. Two highlights from breakfast (which included the usual items like scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, cinnamon rolls, toast, biscuits and gravy, etc.): 1) They had a pancake machine. (You know, the ones that shoot out pancakes like a copier – or, as I like to say “Breakfast and a show.” 2) One of our tour group walked to a nearby Krispy Kreme and brought back warm donuts. Glazed donuts and coffee, great start to the day.

The trip to Kansas City was about six hours – including a lunch stop – and much of it was spent retelling tales from earlier in the trip (and discussing the scoring possibilities related to the extra inning “gift” runners in the Frontier League). The lunch break was near a truck plaza, so we had our choices of fast food offerings. I selected Arby’s and it proved a good decision. Remember that meatball sandwich I couldn’t get in Marion? The limited time special at Arby’s was – wait for it – a meatball sandwich. The baseball gods apparently were smiling down on our maroon coach.

Oh, a little coach story here. We are traveling on a Sugar Loaf (name of company) coach and some of our participants overhead local residents at one of our stops talking about the bus, speculating that “Sugar Loaf” was a touring country band. I guess we are traveling in luxury – and we did stop in Nashville. Next gig, Kauffman Stadium.

ADDENDUM TO DAY SEVEN

An additional bit of information on Day Seven – for the full day, click here. I noted yesterday that the Frontier League has adopted rules that have each team starting any inning after the tenth inning with a runner on second – and wondered about the scoring. After a deeper look, I have found that the “gift” runner is designated on the scorecard as (ITB) – indicating a runner put on via international rules. I also found that, while the pitcher who allows such a gift runner to score can still take the loss, the ITB runner’s tally is not considered an earned run.

Also, here is a photo of the Ballpark Tours group leading the seventh-inning rendition of Take Me Out to the Ball Game. Given that the entire Southern Illinois Minors field is artificial turf (even the “dirt” portions), it might have been more appropriate if we had lip-synched the tune.

We checked into the Holiday Inn Country Club Plaza in Kansas City at about 4:00 p.m., with the bus slated to head to the ball park at 6:00 for a 7:15 game. You’ve already read about the game – which is also how we found out about most of it. So, let’s look at the ballpark.

Arriving at Kaufmann Stadium, you first notice the higher level of security (as opposed to all our minor league stops) … bag searches and metal detectors were the order of the day. Once inside the stadium, which opened in 1973 and underwent significant renovation in the late 2000’s, you notice the steep upper deck, massive “Crown Vision” scoreboard/video board in center field and the right field fountain area.

Our group also noticed the concession prices – reporting paying $11 for a beer and $7 for a bottle of water. Sticker shock quickly set in (of course, we had just come off the $1 beer, hot dogs and peanuts in Marion). I’ll try to have more on concessions at Kaufman Stadium in my Day Nine post. I didn’t have a lot of time for sampling after visiting the Royals Hall of Fame, picking up my Bloody Mary, acquiring ($1) and filling out the lineup on my scorecard, finding my seat and then joining the hoards fleeing the storm.

NOTE: Spoiler Alert – Given our Saturday/Sunday schedule, I may have to combine Days Nine and Ten into one final report.

A talk on uniforms of the past was part of the Royals HOF experience.

If you are visiting Kauffman, I would suggest that, before you take your seat, you visit the Royals Hall of Fame Museum (open until the top of the ninth inning). It’s located on the plaza in the right field corner. You’ll find lots of great memorabilia, as well as plaques for the Royals (team) Hall of Fame members. The biggest attraction seems to be the opportunity to have your picture taken with the 2015 World Series trophy – there was a long line of still giddy Royals’ fan waiting for that photo op. I was impressed with the big number five constructed out of 3,154 baseballs – one for every George Brett regular season hit.

Our seats were in the lower deck, down the right field line, good sight lines, but (as expected) further from the action than in the minor league parks we had visited. But then again, we had been called up to “The Show.” There looked to be about 30,000 fans in the house (reported attendance was 28,463) and they were a loud and enthusiastic lot. (Although it was hard to tell, since we were seated very near a set of speakers that blasted out the “Get Loud” music at almost painful decibel levels).

The Bloody Mary – $10 at the Boulevard Pub – was adequate: good pour; spicy, but not over bearing (it could have used a touch more tabasco and a bit of celery salt); it included a lime wedge, but I do like more substance in a Bloody Mary (maybe a celery stick, olives or a pickle spear.) Still at $10, it was a better bargain than the $11 beer. (One of our group reported paying $27 for two beers and a bag of peanuts.)

One popular concession item with our group was the “Berrie Kabob” – available for $7 at a nearby concession stand or from strolling vendors. They consisted of chocolate dipped strawberries, bananas and brownies (in various combinations) on a stick – and were delicious. If you are looking for dessert, this one is a hit.

That’s it for Day Eight. For the reports on Day One, click here; Day Two, here; Day Three, here. Day Four, here; Day Five, here; Day Six, here; Day Seven , here.

The Day in MLB

A big day for home runs in MLB yesterday – a total of 49 round trippers in 15 games (only one in our game, but at least we were there for it). A few observations;

In Baltimore, the Orioles bashed four round trippers before they made their first out – in a losing cause. (They lost 15-8 to the Astros.)

The Cardinals tied an MLB record with their ninth consecutive multi-homer game, hitting a pair of long balls as they topped the Phillies 4-3 in 11 innings.

In Baltimore, both leadoff hitters started their team’s offense with first-inning home runs (George Springer, Astros/Adam Jones, Orioles). Not to be outdone, the leadoff hitters for the Cubs and Rockies (Dexter Fowler, Cubs/David Dahl, Rockies) matched the feat.

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

Members: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; Baseball Bloggers Alliance.

Filed Under: Ballpark Tours, BB Fun Facts, News

Bleacher Bums XXXIV – Ballpark Tours 2016 – Day Three

August 15, 2016 by David

Day Three of Ballpark Tours XXXIV sees us remaining in Memphis, with a second Tacoma Raniers/Memphis Redbirds game slated for 6:05 p.m.

As usual on BPT “free days,” the group split up to pursue local history, culture and/or cuisine – and, thank you Julian, much of the travel was accomplished via hotel shuttle. The most popular destinations seemed to be Graceland (It is Elvis Week here, after all); The National Civil Rights Museum; and the Sun (Records) Studio Tour.

Being as major fan of the blues, I headed toward the Beale Street Entertainment District, where the barbeque is sweet and the live music starts at 11 a.m. and runs straight through to 3 a.m. It’s also where I saw quite a few of my fellow tour participants. I stopped to take in a few tunes at a handful of clubs before heading for lunch at my previously selected destination – B.B. King’s Blues Club. I could not miss visiting the original B.B. King’s location. I was not disappointed. The house band was great – back in Minnesota they’d be headliners – and so were the Memphis-style dry-rub ribs. I hung out at B.B. King’s for a couple of hours (or a couple of brews, depending on how you measure) before heading over to Autozone Park for the evening’s ball game (6:05 p.m. start),

It was another heavy, humid day – with storms predicted –which may have contributed to the very small crowd (as might the Redbirds sub-.500 record). We did not, however, get rained on. The announced attendance was 3,517, but I’d be surprised if there were more than 2,500. – and they were a quiet bunch, despite Memphis’ 6-2 win. We tried to get something going, but often all you heard was the “sound of one fan clapping.” Good seats again, by the way, third-base side this time.

It was a cleaner game than yesterday, eight hits apiece, only four walks, and just one error. Once again, however, the pitchers lacked “command.” We saw six hurlers and every one had either a wild pitch (four in the game) or hit batter (two). Redbirds’ starter Jeremy Hefner got off to a shaky starts (giving up a two-run homer in the first), but settled down and ended up giving up just the two runs over 6 2/3 innings – six hits, no walks, five strikeouts.) Both cleanup hitters, as they are supposed to, did some damage. Tacoma catcher Rob Brantley poled a two-run home runs (his 13^th of the season) in the first. (Brantly’s line on the season is .244-13-38). The Redbirds’ number-four hitter – CF David Washington – hit a three-run dinger (his 23^rd of the season at Memphis and 28^th overall) in the fifth. His 2016 line with Memphis (at the end of the game) stood at .245-23-52.,

The game’s outcome really turned on the Redbirds’ half of the fifth, when Raniers’ starter Zach Lee’s inning went: 3B Jacob Wilson, hit-by-pitch; SS Alex Mejia, strikeout; 2B Breyvic Valera, single (his third hit of the game); 1B Efren Navarro, run-scoring single; DH Jose Martinez, strikeout; LF David Washington, three-run homer; C Mike Ohlman, flyout.

For those the like to know such things, Memphis is a home power – now having won 14 of their last 20 home games and boasting a 36-25 home record and a 22-37 mark on the road.

Once again, we received a free Redbirds hat, hot dog and beverage. I decided to give my hat “to a kid” and, as luck would have it, shortly after I picked it up, a youngster (I’d say about 12-years-old) came up and asked me how much the hats cost. He walked away with a free one – mission accomplished.

I’ve already commented on the ballpark and the Bloody Mary’s, so this report from the road will be short. (For Day One, click here. For Day Two, here). Next stop, Nashville for a pair of Nashville Sounds versus Reno Aces games – and more libation, laughter and music.

A Streak Ends

Yesterday (August 14), Francisco Mejia (switch-hitting catcher in the Indian’s system) saw his 50-game hitting streak come to an end. He went zero-for-three with a walk for Lynchburg in his team’s 6-0 loss to Winston Salem. It was this season’s longest streak in professional baseball, and the fourth-longest all-time. Joe Wilhoit holds the record at 69 games – you can read about that streak here.

Mejia’s streak was split between two teams – Lynchburg (High A) – 26 games and Lake County (A) – 24 games. During the streak, he hit .386, with eight homers and 42 RBI. Considered one of the Indians’ top five prospects, Mejia is .345, with nine home runs and 73 RBI on the season – and is .290-24-186 over four minor league seasons.

Well that’s it for Day Three – more reports from the road to come.

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; Baseball Bloggers Alliance.

Filed Under: Ballpark Tours, BB Fun Facts, News

David Dahl – It’s Raining Records

August 12, 2016 by David

At 9:00 a.m. on Friday, August 12, 32 baseball fans – myself included – set out on Ballpark Tours Bleacher Bums XXXIV – a trip designed to take us to ten baseball games, in seven cities in ten days. From Peoria (IL) to Memphis (TN) to Nashville (TN) to Chattanooga (TN) to Marion (IL) to Kansas City (MO) to Des Moines (IA), we would be taking in professional baseball at many levels (Independent, A, AA, AAA and Major League).

It was a fine rolling start, featuring some typical Ballpark Tours’ hoopla including the distribution of our tour t-shirts, a baseball book exchange, a Bloody Mary Bar at the back of the bus (open at 11:15 a.m.) and snacks (cheese, meats, crackers) to accompany the morning beverages. As lunch time came around, we stopped for a rest-area picnic, where tour participants broke out fare from chicken-salad pocket breads to smoked whitefish and double butter brie to sushi.

As we re-boarded and burned up the miles with baseball stories and memories from past Ballpark Tours’ trips, we also received copies of this trip’s Trivia Kwiz and forms for a contest to guess the number of major league runs scored during the upcoming weekend. Wow, apparently there is homework on this trip – but it’s baseball homework.

Shortly after the lunch stop, the unrelenting rain started and, when we pulled into Peoria (a six-hour bus ride), we found our first game had been postponed – just the second rainout in Ballpark Tours’ 34-year history. Undaunted, groups set out from the hotel – the very nice Staybridge Inn and Suites (my room had a queen bed, coach and coffee table, desk, refrigerator, microwave, stove and even an icemaker and dishwasher). Our destination(s)? Local restaurants and pubs, on foot or via hotel shuttle.

Libation and laughter (as well as supper) were the order of the evening. The group I joined headed to Ulrich’s Rebellion Room – a nearby Irish-style pub. Despite the rain, and some disappointment with the cancelled game (and missed fireworks and lost bobbleheads), there were plenty of smiles, laughter and toasts to our national pastime. And, imagine, the response, when the group learned the pub didn’t close until 4:00 a.m. and the kitchen was open until 3:00. That’s hospitality.

I actually headed back to the hotel a little early, which gave me a chance to tune in to coverage of the day’s major league contests. Of particular interest was the Rockies/Phillies game and the performance of Colorado’s rookie outfielder David Dahl.

David Dahl – For the Record

I kept an eye on Rockies’ rookie left fielder David Dahl Friday evening. Thursday, Dahl hit in his 17^th straight game (in what was just his 17^th major league game) – tying the MLB record for the longest hitting streak to begin a career.

Dahl, who had a chance to claim the record (at 18 games) all to himself, went zero-for-four in the Rockies’ 10-6 loss to the Phillies on Friday – striking out three times. Ironically, one of the strikeouts helped a Phillies’ rookie tie another record. Dahl led off the second inning against Phillies’ starter Jake Thompson and fanned on a curveball in the dirt, a wild pitch that also eluded catcher Cameron Rupp. Dahl reached first on the WP; Rockies; RF Gerarado Parra followed with a single; and catcher Nick Hundley was safe on an error (scoring Dahl). Thompson then struck out 1B Ben Paulsen, SS Daniel Descalso and P Jon Gray – to notch an MLB record-tying four strikeouts in an inning.

But, back to Dahl. The 22-year-old rookie collected 24 hits in 70 at bats (.358) during his streak – including one double, three triples and three home runs. Over the 17 games, he drove in ten runs and scored 17. Dahl moved up from AA Hartford to AAA Albuquerque before his call up, hitting .314 with 18 home runs, 61 RBI and 17 steals in a combined 92 games. Dahl was selected – out of Mountain High School in Birmingham, Alabama – in the first round of the 2013 MLB draft (10th overall). He carried a .310 average with 47 home runs and 74 stolen bases over five minor league seasons (367 games). .

Dahl tied the record of Chuck Aleno, 3B for the Reds, who was called up May 15 1941. During his 17-game streak, Aleno hit .389 (28 for 72), with two doubles, two triples, nine RBI and 12 runs scored. Aleno finished the year at .289-1-18 in 54 games, the most he would ever play in an MLB season, When he was called up, the 24-year-old Aleno was in his fifth professional season and was hitting .348 (19 games) for the AA Indianapolis Indians of the American Association. Aleno played 17 seasons of professional ball, part of four in the majors. His MLB career line was .209-2-34 in 118 games.

It’s back on the bus tomorrow with, hopefully some game action, Memphis Redbirds, to report.

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; Baseball Bloggers Alliance.

Filed Under: Ballpark Tours, News, Uncategorized

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