Baseball Roundtable, reporting again from Bleacher Bums XL – The Tulsa Culture Tour.  The  trip will take our busload of 32 baseball fans and friends to six ball games (major- and minor-leagues), in five cities, in four states in eight days.   Along the way, we’ll also take in a number of cultural/historical sights, visit a few breweries and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow baseball fans and friends. Over the next few days, I will continue to blog from the trip to give you an idea of what a Ballpark Tours trip is like.  This post looks at Days Three & Four.  Click here for Days One & Two.

Day Three – June 18, 2023

Day Three of Bleacher Bums XL -The Tulsa Culture Tour started early for many trekkers – with the Kansas City Crowne Plaza Breakfast Buffet: Scrambled eggs with cheese, French toast, sausage, bacon, American Fries, biscuits and gravy, oatmeal  fruit, yogurt, assorted pastries … and ,more.  Well worth the time (and money $14.95).

Our bus left the hotel for the ballpark at about noon – with the Royals again posting the Angels. We, once again, had great seats – upper deck, just beyond third base.  Great sight lines.  Good crowd – and it was Bobblehead Day – a Nicky  Lopez/Vinnie Pasquantino double bobblehead for Fathers’ Day.

Did He Hit A Double? No, He Was Double Hit,

The fourth was an, at least slightly, painful inning for Angels’ 3B Luis Rengifo. With two-out and runners on second and  third, Rengifo was hit by a pitch from the Royals’ Zack Greinke.  That “hit” put him safely at first base.   Then, Rengifo’s teammate – SS Andrew Valazquez – slapped a hard ground ball that hit Rengifo between first and second.  That “hit” put Rengifo out and ended the inning. 

Obligatory Ohtani photo.

The game was a bit cleaner (and shorter)  than yesterday’s 3 hour-13 minute affair … with the Angels winning 5-2 in two hours and 31 minutes.  The key blows were back-to-back home runs by Angels’ DH Shohei Ohtani (two-run) and CF Mike Trout (solo) in the fifth inning. Ohtani’s blast extended his hitting streak, which began June 3, to fifteen games. During those 15 contests, Ohtani went .446-9-20 and stole three bases in four tries. Jared Walsh also homered for the Angels in the top of the ninth. It was Walsh’s first homer in 26 2023 games.

Food Note:  KQC made it again, as one of our trekkers raved about the Smoak Craft Barbeque’s Sampler Platter ( see photo below).  KCQ features local BBQ Pit Masters from Chef J’s, Scott’s Kitchen and Smoak Craft BBQ on a rotating basis.

The Fans Ballpark Tours Creates

Back in 2016, Ballpark Tours’ veteran Nina Manzi spent some time on the tour  teaching Joe Bliven the fine art of keeping score.  Well, Bliven (who is on this trip) has since developed (and had printed) his own scorebook – and it’s a beauty.  Not only, does it include the traditional  “boxes” for scoring the action,  It has spots for such topics as Game Start and End; Seat; Ball Park and City; Mascots, Food; Drink; Weather; National Anthem Performance; and Who’s With You?  It seems like the perfect score sheet – proud that Ballpark Tours helped lay its foundation.

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Trekkers enjoying cocktails at Providence New American Kitchen.

After the game, trekkers went out on the town – focusing primarily on the Power & Light and Art Districts. One popular spot was the  Providence New American Kitchen – noted for its uniquely crafted cocktails. The bar is located in the lower level of the Hilton in what was once “The Drum Room” – an entertainment venue that hosted such stars as ranks Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman and Sammy Davis Jr. Also popular were Tom’s Town Distillery, The Double Shift Brewery (and tap room) and the music at The Green Lady Lounge.  One group travel a bit farther to the barbeque at Slap’s BBQ – a non-nonsense BBQ.

Slap’s BBQ

Day Four – June 19, 2023

Day Four was primarily a bus day – as we rolled from Kansas City to Tulsa, Oklahoma. The on-board Bloody Mary Bar was again open.  “The Rev” provided some music and there (for some unknown reason) was plenty of talk about 1960’s sitcoms  like Gilligan’s Island, The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, The Brady Bunch, My Three Sons, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis — and more.  We did not, by the way, resolve the Ginger versus Mary Ann issue.  Like so many trips, the primary sound was laughter.

We did make a brewery stop for lunch – at the Bricktown Brewery in Joplin, MO.  The chandelier in the entrance proved particularly mesmerizing for our group.  The photo should tell you why.  Overall, the Bricktown stop provided good beer and good food and my tour companions prove good company.

We arrived in Tulsa on the heels of the weekend’s severe and  tornadoes and in the midst of Monday’s 90+ degree heat.    As members of our group prepared to head out for a look at what the area had to offer, they were cautioned to call ahead to make sure the facilities had power.

Big day tomorrow – museum by day, ball game (NW Arkansas Travelers versus Tulsa Drillers) by night – and who knows what else.

More to come.

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

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Friday. June 16, began a baseball adventure … Ballpark Tours Bleacher Bums XL – Tulsa Culture Tour.  The  trip will take our busload of 32 baseball fans and friends to six ball games (major- and minor-leagues), in five cities, in four states in eight days.   Along the way, we’ll also take in a number of cultural/historical sights, visit a few breweries and enjoy the camaraderie and hi-jinx (always wanted to use that word in a post) that have become Ballpark Tours’s traditions. Over the next few days, I will blog from the trip to give you an idea of what a Ballpark Tours trip is like.

Day One – June 16

We departed in a coach bus from Saint Paul, MN on Friday morning, June 16, each of us with our commemorative T-Shirt in hand (or quickly stored in our luggage). Where else could you get a custom-designed, salmon-colored t-shirt with a home run-robbing catch on the front and Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie on the back?

As we motored toward our first stop, plenty was already going on on the bus. (How often do you get to key a sentence with two “ons” in a row?)  Here’s a few of the first-day on-board activities to give you an idea of what a day on the bus is like.

“The Rev” in action.

The K-Kwiz – the Ballpark Tours’ traditional trivia challenge was distributed, as was the annual contest calling for a prediction of the total number of major-league runs scored over a three-day period during the tour.  In addition, one Ballpark Tours regular, affectionately known as “The Rev” went into character as he prepared fed the masses with such treats as Cheez-Its, Oreos, beef sticks, pickled herring and more – even a baseball card for each trekker.

We also went through introductions, sharing baseball stories, as well as tales of misadventures from past Ballpark Tour trips (BPT has been in operation since 1982. I’ve been on 30+ of these “trips.”  Those who were young adults during the ’60s will get my drift.)

One of our intrepid  regulars set up a complimentary Bloody Mary Bar at the back of the bus – complete with such accompaniments as pickles, olives, multiple cheeses, beef sticks, celery, horseradish and spices.  It was breakfast time, so one trekker chose to added a fried, glazed cinnamon roll to his concoction.

The afternoon’s shared snacks  also included Kentucky Bourbon Rice Krispie treats – as though we needed more foods (particularly an item with bourbon in its name).

As we rolled on, there was plenty of laughter and music as the Ballpark Tours family renewed old friendships and forged new ones.

Our first stop on this year’s tour was  the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa.  For those readers not familiar with the Surf Ballroom, It was the sight of the last rock-and-roll concert featuring Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper before they died in a tragic small plane crash after a February 2, 1959 show.  The Surf Ballroom continues as a concert and special events venue – as well as an historic site.  You’ll find the story in the box below.

THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED

The February s, 1959, concert – featuring Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper (Richardson), Dion and the Belmonts and Frankie Sardo – was the eleventh concert in  a Winter Dance Party series that was to take the group of rock-and-rollers to 24 upper midwest cities in 24 days. The Surf Ballroom, which had been host to such stars as the Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison and Little Richard – was an important stop on the tour.  The travel (particularly the bad-weather bus rides ) was grueling and difficult. (In fact, one of the members of Buddy Holly’s band had to leave the tour after getting  frostbite on the bus.)

Holly decided to charter a small plane to take part of the group from Mason City (an airfield near Clear Lake) to to an airfield  near the next concert (Moorhead, MN). The plane never made it, crashing less than ten miles from Mason City in the winter weather –  taking the lives of Holly (22-years-old), Valens (17-years-old), the Big Bopper (28-years-old) and pilot Roger Peterson. The tragedy has been immortalized in monuments, film and several songs (most notably Don McLean’s “ American Pie,” in which the tragic event is referred to as “The Day the Music Died.”  The Surf Ballroom is also host to annual tribute concerts.

For those who like to know such things, the 1959 Winter Dance Party series continued, with such stars as Bobby Vee, Fabian, Frankie Avalon and Jimmy Clanton filling in.

In 2011, the Surf Ballroom was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and, in 2021, it was designated a National Historic Landmark,

Next on the day’s agenda was a visit to the Lua Brewery Brewpub, before checking in to the Downtown Des Moines Holiday Inn Express and Suites.

The first game on our tour was  a 7 p.m. contest between the Indianapolis Indians and the host Iowa Cubs (Des Moines) – a tightly played 2-1 Cubs win that featured a second-inning home run by Iowa SS David Bote and five shutouts innings from Iowa starter Riley Thompson, who came into the game 1-4, with a 6.74 earned run average.  Four Iowa relievers finished the game, giving up just one run over their four innings, while fanning six batters. The capacity crowd  of 11,000+ went home happy – with a win and post-game Friday Fireworks.

A few  additional comments:

1. The scorecard (free) was on two sides of one sheet of paper, but included pre-printed starting lineups (with key stats for each player), all players’ names and numbers and news and notes of interest. You will see the significance of the scorecard description when we look at the Kansas City Royals’ games.
2. The game featured the Triple-A ball-strike challenge system (it was used four times), in which the home-plate umpire calls balls and strikes and a team can challenge calls. The electronic ABS – Automated Ball-strike System – is used to resolve any challenges. Each team gets up to three unsuccessful challenges, with challenges allowed to be initiated only by the catcher, pitcher or hitter.  The challenge was used four times during the game and it was generally agreed that the challenges disrupted game flow and did not seem worth the inconvenience. (Note: The league is also trying out a fully automated ABS. In that system, the ABS call is communicated to the home plate umpire via an earpiece.)
3. The Cubs’ Principal Park had a strictly enforced bag rule.  Lots of fans – including several from our group – had to return their bags to their vehicles (and then re-enter the long entrance lines). I asked one official whether there was a place I could leave my bag (which, incidentally, I have carried into MLB parks) and pick it up after the game. The reply?  “You could drop in the bushes somewhere and go back for it.”

Final wrap:  Crispy played ball game (two hours-one minute), the trip’s first home run, first 6-4-3 double play (regular readers know how I love the ballet of an infield twin killing) and a handful of sparkling defensive plays.

Day Two – Saturday, June 17

Day Two started with the free hot breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express – lots of choices (all good). I opted to go southern and went for the biscuits and gravy and fried bologna. Then it was on the bus for Kansas City ( Missouri – and that will be important later).

We got into KC around lunch time and headed for the 18th and Vine neighborhood – and a prepaid visit to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.  If you’ve never been there, find the time. You’ll get a look at the history of the Negro Leagues and black MLB pioneers.  You can get up close to the displays; there are lots of great films (transferred to video); and you can walk among the greats on “The Field of Legends.”  There is also an impressive display of nearly 200 baseballs signed by former Negro Leagues players – donated by Geddy Lee, lead singer for Rush.

After touring the Museum, a number of our trekkers headed for nearby, renowned Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque; while others went into the neighborhood, where the streets were blocked off for the Juneteenth celebration – lots of stands featuring African-American crafts, clothing, music and foods and even a Corvette Car show.  It was a fortunate coincidence that we were there for this event. I did some shopping and then lunched on a chicken-skewer grilled street-side and doused with homemade hot sauce. Sadly, some of the favorite nearby drinking and eating establishments have closed since my last visit to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (pre-pandemic).

Our Next stop (even before hotel check-in) was Kaufmann Stadium and a 3:10 p.m.Royals/Angels matchup.

Kaufmann Trivia

Kaufmann Stadium has the second-most  playable square footage in the major leagues – behind only Coors Field.

We had great seats at Kaufmann – lower deck, just beyond third base – great sight lines and in the shade  on a hot, humid day.  (Good luck or the expertise of tourmaster Julian? We’ll never know.)   We saw a rarity in today’s age of pitch clocks, disengagement rules, limited batter timeouts – a nine-inning game that exceeded three hours (three hours-13 minutes). The 2023 average time for a nine-inning MLB game, through yesterday, was two-hours and forty minutes (per Baseball-reference.com).  The reason for our three-hour + “show?” Plenty of action on the field.  We witnessed 19 runs, 22 hits, five home runs, 11 walks, one hit batter and five stolen bases.  There were, in fact, only three half-innings in which there were no base runners.  Notably, the Royals’ fans went home happy, after a dramatic comeback over the final three innings.  We will not reveal the names of most of the pitchers, in order to protect the innocent (or not so innocent).

Obligatory Shohei Ohtani photo. You just can’t post about the Angels with an Ohtani picture.

The Angels jumped out to an 8-2 lead over the first 6 ½ innings.  This was due in great part to four home runs, including two by 1B Brandon Drury, his 11^th and 12^th of the season. DH Shohei Ohtani and LF Taylor Ward also went deep.

Shohie Ohtani hit his 23^rd home run of the year in the game – giving him the 2023 MLB lead in long balls.  He also ranks fourth overall and second in the American League in strikeouts as a pitcher.

The Royals then began a remarkable comeback. Remember, these are the 18-51 (now 19-51) last-place Royals. They scored three in the bottom of the seventh and three in the eighth to tie the contest at 8-8 and put the fans into a frenzy. In the ninth, things got even more interesting.  Angels’ SS  Andrew Valazquez (he of two z’s and a q in his last name) led off with a six-pitch walk off Aroldis Chapman.  Valazquez then stole second with pinch-hitter Hunter Renfroe at the plate.  After Renfroe fanned, Valazquez swiped third base with Ohtani at the plate. Ohtani walked and then CF Mike Trout singled  in Valazquez. Chapman then struck out Drury and pinch hitter Chad Wallach to end the frame.  The Angels were now up 9-8 and it looked like the team that built its original  lead on a foundation of four long balls would win it on the impact of two stolen bases.

Not so fast! The Royals were not done yet. Kansas City DH Edward Olivares, facing reliever Chris Devenski, singled to left and was replaced pinch runner Dairon Blanco, who stole second on the second pitch to 3B Maikel Garcia (two can play the stolen base game). Garcia then singled Blanco home and the game was tied. Next up was 2B Nicky Lopez.  On the second pitch to Lopez, Garcia swiped second. On the very next pitch, Lopez laid down a sacrifice bunt (Remember those?) moving Garcia to third.

The next batter was 24-year-old rookie left fielder Samad Taylor – playing in his first MLB game. At this point in his MLB debut, he was zero-for-two with two walks and two runs scored.  Taylor popped an 0-1 pitch to LF and his first MLB hit provided a walk-off Royals’ win. (Taylor, by the way, was hitting .304-6-37, with 34 stolen bases in 62 games at Triple-A when called up.) Note:  If I had to pick a “hero” of the game, it would be Royals’  Bobby Witt, Jr., who went two-for-five, with one double and four RBI.

Youth Will Prevail – At Least This Time

Six of the nine players in the Royals’ starting lineup were in their first or second MLB season:  1B Nick Pratto; SS Bobby Witt, Jr.; RF MJ Melendez; 3B Maikel Garcia; LF Samad Taylor; CF Drew Walker. 

Side Note:   For those still reading, remember earlier I noted that the Iowa Cubs scorecard (free) listed the starting lineups and all the players’ names and numbers?  Well, the Royals’ “Official Scorecard” cost a dollar (free, if you go to Guest Services), but provided no information (no players’ names or numbers).  Not a major-league move.

On the food front, a good trekker review was given to  the KCQ, which features a rotating  group of Kansas City barbeque pit masters.

Post -game it was on to our hotel for check-in  at the Crowne Plaza (Downtown Kansas City ) … a 28-story hotel in the “grand tradition.” More on this in a future posts “from the road.”

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Baseball Roundtable likes a good coincidence. Like Nate Colbert – one of only two major leaguers to hit five home runs in a doubleheader – being in the ballpark (as an eight-year-old) when Stan Musial became the first player to go yard five times a doubleheader.  When I was putting together a “Kwiz” for an upcoming Ballpark Tours trip, I came across another baseball coincidence (coincidences) that intrigued me.

From 1951-2023, there have been just two games in which a player hit two inside-the-park home runs.  Coincidentally:

• Both occurred in the Metrodome;
• Both involved the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox;
• Both were started on the mound by the Twins’ Bert Blyleven.

Okay, that Metrodome locale was not that much of a coincidence.  The domed stadium was known for its high-bounce turf and difficult Teflon roof. So, I’ll the one goes  two-for-three on the coincidence meter.

Photo: Gagne   Park Press Inc., Public domain, via Wikimedia Comm

On October 4, 1986, Twins’ SS Greg Gagne hit two inside-the-park home runs in his first two at bats in a 7-3 win over the White Sox. The first was “lost” in the Teflon roof by CF Daryl Boston, the second bounced over the head of a charging Boston.  (Gagne, by the way, hit a triple in his third at bat). Gagne is the most recent player with a two inside-the-park home run game. Bert Blyleven started for the Twins and recorded a complete-game victory.

The second-most recent double inside-the-parker game belongs to White Sox’ 1B Dick Allen, who – on July 31, 1972 – hit a pair of inside-the-parkers as the White Sox topped the Twins 8-1 in the Metrodome. Blyleven started for the Twins and took the loss. The most recent National  League player to hit two inside-the-park homers in one game was Hank Thompson, Giants – August 16, 1950.

Side note:  Statistics on inside-the-park homers have not always been meticulously tracked.  The remainder of this column is based on the most accurate/confirmable stats available.   

As usual, when Baseball Roundtable look into a topic “one thing always seems to lead to another.”  Here are a few other  few other inside-the-park homer facts:

• Ricky Henderson and Boog Powell have the same number of careers inside-the-park homers (one each).
• In 1909, Ty Cobb earned his only AL home run title with nine round trippers. They were fast trips. All nine of his homers were inside-the-parkers. Cobb’s nine inside-the-park homers are the AL single-season record for ITP round trippers.
• The 1945 Washington Senators (who finished 87-67 – second place) hit just one home run in their home park and it was an inside-the-parker by 1B Joe Kuhel (in a 3-2 Senators’ win on September 7). Side note: The spacious field dimensions of old Griffith Stadium – it was 407-feet to LF-  earned it a reputation as a home run graveyard.)

Jesse Burkett. Photo; Charles M. Conlon

Jesse Burkett holds the record for career inside-the-park (ITP) home runs with 55.  The left-handed hitting outfielder hit 75 total home runs over sixteen MLB seasons (1890-1905), with 55 of those being ITP.  Hall of Famer Burkett was a three-time batting champ, who topped .400 twice while with the NL Cleveland Spiders (.405 in 1895 and .410 in 1896). The AL career ITP home run record belongs to Ty Cobb (46), while the NL record goes to Tommy Leach (48).

• Tom McCreery holds the record for most ITP home runs in a game with three – for the NL Louisville Colonels on July 12, 1897. McCreery hit a total of five home runs that season.
• Forty-five MLB players have hit two ITP home runs in a game, but only four have accomplished that feat more than once (twice each): Dan Brouthers; Jesse Burkett, Ed Delahanty and Roger Bresnahan.
• Ed Delahanty, playing first base for the Philadelphia Colts (Phillies) on July 13, 1896, earned a place in the record books by blasting a record-tying four home runs in a single game. To date, only 18 players have accomplished that feat. Two of Delahanty’s round trippers were inside-the-parkers. He is the only members of the four-homer club to have ITP homers included in their one-game total.
• Luke Stuart of the St. Louis Browns and Johnny LeMaster of the San Francisco Giants are the only two players to hit ITP home runs in their first MLB at bats (August 8, 1921 and September 2, 1975, respectively.)

Never Mind Coach, I Got This

Photo: Public Domain via Wiki Commons

There have been plenty of inside-the-park walk-off (run-off?) home runs, and plenty of inside-the park Grand Slams, but there has been only one inside-the-park walk-off Grand Slam – and that belongs to Roberto Clemente – and it was his first MLB Grand Slam.

 It came on July 25, 1956, with the Pirates’ Clemente batting against the Cubs’ Jim Brosnan in the bottom of the ninth and the Pirates trailing 8-5. There were no outs and Pittsburgh’s Hank Foiles, Bill Virdon and Dick Cole were on base.  Clemente drove a ball to deep left that hit near the light standard and rolled along the warning track to center.  All three runners scored and Clemente ran through the coach’s stop sign at third base, beating the relay.

• Pete Milne had a brief MLB career (three seasons, 47 games, 65 plate appearances) with the Giants (1948-50). He hit only one home run in the majors, but it was a significant. It was the only pinch hit, inside-the park Grand Slam ever (April 27, 1949).
• Sam Crawford holds the single-season record for inside-the-park home runs, with 12 ITP home runs (of his NL-leading 16 dingers) for the Reds in 1901.
• Speedster Ichiro Suzuki – in 2007 – hit the first (still only) All Star Game inside-the-park home run.  Why do I mention that here?  None of Ichiro’s 117 regular-season homers were inside-the-parkers.
• On August 27, 1977, the Texas Rangers’ 3B Toby Harrah and 2B Bump Wills hit back-to-back inside-the-park home runs off consecutive pitches from the Yankees’ Ken Clay. This is one of only two confirmed instances of back-to-back inside-the-parkers in MLB history.

Primary Resources: Baseball-reference.com;  Baseball-almanac.com; Inside the Park Home Runs, Society for American Baseball Research, by Mil Chipp.

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

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

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

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT

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

Jim Thome Steals A Win

Photo by Keith Allison

On this date (May 21), 1997, Cleveland Indians’ first baseman Jim Thome stole his only base of the season.  Not much of a surprise in that statement After all, the 6’4”, 250-pound future Hall of Famer was known for his bat not his speed.  In  is 22-season MLB career, he would swipe only 19 bases , but would launch 612 home runs.

What made his one 1997 steal surprising is that it was a swipe of home – and proved the only run in an Indians 1-0 win over the Royals in Cleveland.

It came in the bottom of the fourth frame.  With Kevin Appier on the mound, Thome opened the inning with a single to short right. Third baseman Matt Williams followed with a single to left, with Thome advancing to second.  Appier then got LF David Justice looking on a 3-2 pitch. Next up was DH Julio Franco, who was safe on a fielder’s choice (Williams forced at second), with Thome moving to third. Then, on the fourth pitch (2-1 count) to RF Brian Giles, Franco broke for second. As Royals’ backstop Tim Spehr threw down to second, Thome broke for home (I was going to say scampered, but Thome never really scampered ).  Franco was safe and Thome scored the game’s  only run,  (The singles by Thome and Williams were the only Indians’ safeties of the game).

Vic Power … Most Recent MLB Player  to Steal Home Twice in a Game

On August 14, 1958, Vic Power became just the eleventh player in AL/NL history to steal home twice in one game – a feat that has not been accomplished since.  Why the surprise?  Power stole only three bases all season.  

In a game against the Tigers (in Cleveland), Detroit was on top of the Tribe 7-4 going into the bottom of the eighth inning – but the Indians fought back. Cleveland RF Rocky Colavito started the inning with his second home run of the game (his 26th of the season). Then pinch-hitter Gary Geiger (hitting for SS Woodie Held) walked. Next up was another pinch hitter – Vic Wertz – for pitcher Morrie Martin. Wertz tied the contest with a two-run long ball.

After a Detroit pitching change – Bill Fischer in for Tom Morgan – Indians’ 2B Bobby Avila reached on an error by Tigers’ 1B Gail Harris. Cleveland 1B Mickey Vernon sacrificed Avila to second and Power singled him home – moving on to second on an error by Detroit catcher Charlie Lau.  And, the pesky Power was just warming up. He went to third on a wild pitch by Fischer and then stole home with LF Minnie Minoso at the plate (after a short fly out to center by catcher Russ Nixon) to run the lead to 9-7. Minoso was hit by a pitch and stole second before CF Larry Doby flied out to end the inning.  The Tribe bullpen, however, could not hold the two-run lead – and the Tigers tied it in the top of the ninth. That opened the door for Power’s historic second steal of home – which came in the bottom of the tenth, with the bases loaded, two outs and one of the AL’s most dependable RBI men (Rocky Colavito, with 74 driven in at that point in the season) at the plate.

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

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

Glenn Brummer – A Running Walk Off

Catchers are usually more noted for defending home plate then stealing it. Cardinals’ backup backstop Glenn Brummer, however, may be best remembered for his walk-off steal of home in the 12^th inning of a Cardinals’ 5-4 win over the Giants on September 22,1982.

Brummer (who had entered the game in the pinch runner in the eighth) started the winning rally with a one-out single to left off the Giants’ Gary Lavelle. Brummer  went to second on a single by CF Willie McGee.  Then after a pop out by 3B Julio Gonzalez, Brummer advanced to third on an infield single by SS Ozzie Smith. Next, with a 1-2 count on LF David Green, Brummer surprised everyone in the park and broke for home.  He was safe, delivering  the walk-off steal of home plate.

Bummer stole only four bases (and was thrown out eight times) in his five-season (178 games played) MLB career.  His final stat line was .251-1-27.

Another Catcher Puts up a Big Steal of Home

In Game Seven of the 1964 World Series (Yankees/Cardinals), Cardinals’ catcher Tim McCarver swiped  home in the bottom of the fourth.  The score was 1-0 Cardinals at the time, and the Redbirds had McCarver on third and RF Mike Shannon on first with one out. The Cardinals successfully executed a double steal with light-hitting Dal Maxvill at the plate. Saint Louis  eventually prevailed 7-5.

During the 1964 regular season, McCarver had stolen just two bases (two attempts). For his 21-season MLB career, McCarver was 61-for-100 in steal attempts. Is career stat line was .271-97-645.

Let’s Take A Chance, It’s Only a Big Game

On October 11, 1997 – in the third game  of the American League Championship Series (Indians/Orioles) –   the two teams came into the 12th inning tied at one apiece. The Orioles failed to score to score in the top of the inning, setting the stage for an historic moment for Indians’ CF Marquis Grissom.  After LF Brian Giles fanned (against Randy Myers) to open the frame, number-nine hitter Grissom walked. That brought up 2B Tony Fernandez, who singled with Grissom  gong to third.  Next was SS Omar Vizquel, who got the “squeeze” sign with a 2-1 count.  Vizquel squared to bunt and missed the ball – with Grissom speeding toward home.  The ball glanced off catcher Lenny Webster’s glove and Grissom was safe and  credited with a walk-off steal of home.   Okay, Grissom stealing home is not a surprise, he did have 429 steals over a 17-season MLB career (1989-2005). But the fact that his was the first-ever MLB post-season walk-off steal of home (and it came on a botched suicide squeeze) qualified Grissom’s dash for this list.

Grissom’s final MLB stat line was .272-227-967, with those 429 steals.

An oddity

Both Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth notched double digit steals of home in their MLB careers (15 and 10, respectively). Rickey Henderson, Lou Brock and Maury Wills did not.

Some steal-of-home tidbits:

• Ty Cobb – no surprise here – holds the MLB career record for steals of home with 54, as well as the single-season record with eight.
• The Yankees’ Bob Muesel stole home an MLB career-record two times in the World Series  (Game Two, 1921 and Game Three, 1928).
• On October 7, 2021 – in Game One of the Red Sox/Rays AL Division Series, Rays’ LF  Randy Arozarena became the fist player to hit a home run and steal home in the same post-season game.
• There have been 34 regular-season walk-off  steals of home in the AL/NL – only one player has two Wally Moses (Athletics – August 20, 1940) and White Sox (July 7, 1943).

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

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On Friday the 14th (of April, 2023), the Toronto Blue Jays topped the Tampa Bay Rays 6-4, stopping the Rays’ season-opening winning steak at 13 games (leaving the Rays tied with the 1987 Brewers and 1982 Braves for the longest season-opening winning streak since 1900).  Who led the charge the put an end to the streak?  Blue Jays’ starting (and winning) pitcher Jose Berrios, who came into the game with an 0-2 record and a 11.17 ERA over his first two starts, played a major role.   Berrios went  five innings (four hits, one run, zero walks, six whiffs).  Also contributing were: Jays’ RF and leadoff hitter George Springer, who opened the bottom of the first with a home run; and SS Bo Bichette, who went five-for-five with a pair of doubles.

A lot has been written about the Rays’ streak. In this post, Baseball Roundtable would like to add a few thoughts about all three of MLB’s post-1900, 13-game, season-opening wining streaks – comparing how they were built, some challenging moments along the way and some unexpected performances .

2023 Rays

Randy Arozarena Photo: All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The Rays’ streak included ten home wins and three on the road, with just one one-run win and six by five or more tallies.  It was easily the most dominant showing by any of the three teams with 13 season-opening wins.

During their streak, the Rays:

• Outscored their opponents 101-30;
• Outhit them .287 to .189;
• Out-homered them 32-6;
• Put up a 2.23 earned run average to the opponents’ 8.24;
• Walked 31 batters to the opponents’ 46;
• Fanned 122 hitters to the opponents’ 94.

Challenging Moment: The closest the Rays came to being stropped mid-streak came on April 10 – Game 10 of the streak – when the they were tied 0-0 with the Red Sox after seven innings and won the game 1-0  on a Brandon Lowe home run in the eighth.

Key contributors to the Rays’ streak (and their stats over the length of the streak);

• 2B Brandon Lowe – .333-5-12;
• LF Randy Arozarena – .314-3-16;
• SS Wander Franco – .333-4-12;
• SP Shane McClanahan – 3-0, 1.59 in three starts;
• SP Jeffrey Springs – 2-0, 0.56 in three starts;
• SP Drew Rasmussen – 2-0, 0.00 in three starts.

Unexpected Hero:  SS Isaac Paredes.  The 24-year-old, opened the 2023 season with a .209 career batting average (168 games over three season), although he had shown some power (.205-20-45 in 111 games in 2022). Paredes played in 12 games during the streak and went .308-3-10.

1987 Brewers

The 1987 Brewers – who finished third in AL East at 91-72 – built their 13-game, season-opening  winning streak on power – outscoring their opponents 91-53, while out-homering them 22 to 12.  They picked up seven road wins and six home victories and faced more challenges than the Rays. The Brewers’ streak included three one-run victories. .Here’s the tale of the tape.

During their streak, the Brewers:

• Outscored their opponents 91-53;
• Outhit them .302 to .246;
• Out-homered them 22-12;
• Put up a 3.64 earned run average to the opponents’ 6.82;
• Walked 36 and fanned 78, to the opponents’ issuing of 52 walks, while fanning 89.

Plenty of contributors on offense:

• LF Rob Deer – .391-7-17;
• CF Robin Yount – .321-2-11;
• 3B Paul Molitor – .370-2-9, with 15 runs scored and six steals.;
• 1B Greg Brock – .349-4-13;
• SS Dale Sveum – .383-2-13.

Om the mound, closer Dan Plesac appeared in seven games, picked up five saves and put up a 2.32 ERA;  Teddy Higuera started three games and won all three (23 inning pitched, 2.74 ERA) ; Juan Nieves went 2-0, 4.26 in three stats, but one was an April 15, complete-game no-hitter versus the Orioles.

Challenging Moment: On April 12 – Game Six of the streak – the Brewers needed 12 innings to top the Rangers (in Texas) in a contest in which they trailed 2-1 after seven innings.  It looked like the Brewers had the game won when the plated three runs in the top of the 11th, but the Rangers scored three in the bottom of the inning (two with two out) to retie the game. A two-run, 12th-inning single by Brewers’ C B.J. Surhoff provided the winning margin.

Unexpected Hero: LF Rob Deer gets the nod here – for his sustained performance during the streak. Deer, a power hitter who came intro the season with a career .227 average, hit .391, with seven home runs, 17 RBI and 13 runs scored during the streak (he played in 12 of the 13 games). Deer collected multiple hits in seven of his 12 games. Deer ended the season with a .238-28-80 line in 134 games.  Those 12 games within the streak represented 9 percent of Deer’s season total, but during the streak he accumulated 25 percent of his season home run  total, 21 percent of his RBI total, 18 percent of his runs scored and 16 percent of his base hits. (For those who like to know such things, Deer was a career .220 hitter -11 seasons – with 230 home runs and 600 RBI).

__________________________________________________

The all-time MLB record of 20 wins to start a season belongs to the 1884 Union Association St. Louis Maroons.  The Union Association did not have a lot of balance in 1884.  The Maroons finished 94-19-1 … a full 21 games ahead of their nearest competitor. During their opening 20-game win streak, they recorded 16 home wins and just four on the road – and outscored their opponents 234-67. On the season, they outscored their opponents 887 to 429. 

__________________________________________________

1982 Braves

The 1982 Braves started the season 13-0 and won the National League West title with an 89-73 record.

During the streak, the Braves:

• Outscored their opponents 66-34;
• Outhit them .272 to .232;
• Out-homered them ten to two.
• Put up a 1.83 earned run average to the opponents’ 4.67;
• Struck out 66 batters to the opponents’ 58;
• Gave up 50 walks to the opponents’ 66.

The Braves’ streak included eight road wins (five home wins); three one-run games; one extra-inning  contest; and one walk-off.

Key players in the Braves 13-game streak were:

• SS Rafael Ramirez (.333-1-9);
• 1B Chris Chambliss (.356-3-5);
• CF Dale Murphy (.256-4-12, with ten runs scored and ten walks).

On the pitching staff, notable contributions were made by relievers Rick Camp (who appeared  seven games and went 2-0, with three saves and a 1.74 ERA) and Gene Garber (who appeared in five games and went 1-0, with three saves an a 0.00 ERA in 11 1/3 innings).  Bob Walk started three games (the Braves won all three) and went 2-0, 0.96.

Challenging Moment:  The Braves’ streak might have been over before it started.  On Opening Day (April 6), the Braves faced the Padres in San Diego – and came away with a 1-0 win.  Brett Butler (who had walked)  scored the only tally on a one-out double by 2B Glen Hubbard in the top of the fifth.   Braves’ starter Rick Mahler, who would go 9-10, 4.21 on the season (and 96-111, 3.99 in 13 MLB seasons) pitched a two-hit, complete-game shutout.

Unexpected Hero(s) : SS Rafael Ramirez, a .235 career hitter coming into the season (two seasons, 145 games), hit .333, with 16 hits, one home run, nine RBI and eight runs scored over the 13 games.  He collected 11 hits over the  first six games of the season.  Ramirez finished the season at .278-10-52 and was .261-53-484 over a 13-season MLB career (1,539 games).  More unusual than unexpected, Rick Camp, who would end up starting 21 games in 1982, opened the season in the bullpen and had two wins and three saves during the streak. He would pick up just two more saves that season, ending the year 11-13, 3.65 with 21 starts and 30 relief appearances, five saves and three complete games.

The Braves first loss came at home on April 22 – as the Reds topped them 2-1.  In that one, Reds’ starting (and winning) pitcher Bruce Berenyi drove in what proved to be the winning run, with a fifth-inning , two-out single off Bob Walk.

Primary Resource:  Baseball-Reference.com

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Yesterday’s (April 14), Mets/Athletics game – won by the Mets 17-6 – featured 17 walks to Mets’ batters, as well as two separate innings in which the Mets scored six runs on just one hit.  Mets’ shortstop Francisco Lindor had both of those hits and collected seven RBI in the process. That contest brought back memories of (and seems an appropriate time to reflect on) perhaps the wildest MLB inning ever – one in which the White Sox scored 11 runs on just one hit.  More on that, but first a look at the Mets’ two wild innings.

Top of the Second Inning:

James Kaprielian pitching for Oakland.

• Mets’ DH Daniel Vogelbach walks (on a 3-2 pitch).
• 3B Eduardo Escobar lines out to right.
• 2B Luis Guillorme walks (on four pitches).
• C Tomas Nido walks (on four pitches), loading the bases.
• CF Brandon Nimmo walks (on a 3-2 pitch), forcing in a run.
• RF Starling Marte walks (on a 3-2 pitch), forcing in a run.
• SS Francisco Lindor hits the first pitch he sees for a Grand Slam.
• 1B Pete Alonso fans (on a 1-2 pitch).
• LF Jeff McNeil pops out to first base.

Top of Sixth inning:

Hogan Harris on the mound for Oakland.

• Daniel Vogelbach grounds out second-to-first.
• Eduardo Escobar walks (on a 3-2 pitch).
• Luis Guiillorme walks (on a 3-2 pitch).
• Tomas Nido walks (on four pitches).
• Brandon Nimmo is hit by a pitch, forcing in a run.
• Staring Marte walks, forcing in a run.
• Francisco Lindor hits a double, scoring all three base runners.
• Pete Alonso walks

Chad Smith comes in to pitch.

• Jeff McNeil is hit by a pitch loading the bases.
• Daniel Vogelbach his into a fielders choice (SS-2B, scoring a run.
• Eduardo Escobar strikes out.

For the game, the Mets scored 17 runs on 11 hits, 17 walks and two hit batsmen. The A’s scored six times on 13 hits and four walks. Surprisingly, there we no wild pitches.

Now for that wildest of all innings – eleven runs on one hit.

On April 22, 1959, the Chicago White Sox completed what may be the weirdest MLB offensive inning ever.

In the seventh inning of a 20-6 road win over the Kansas City A’s, the Chicago White Sox scored 11 runs on just one base hit. In fact, they got only one ball out of the infield.

Nellie Fox drew two bases-loaded walks in the seventh inning of a White Sox 20-6 win.

This unique offensive “outburst” would prove to be a portent of things to come. The 1959 AL pennant-winning White Sox were became known as the “Go-Go Sox” for their ability to manufacture runs despite a punchless offense. (The Sox finished last in the league in home runs and sixth – out of the eight AL teams – in batting average and runs scored, but first in stolen bases and second in walks).

Still, it would have been hard to predict an inning in which the boys from Chicago would plate eleven runs on just one hit (a single) – or to anticipate a frame which included ten walks, a hit batsman, and three opposition errors. Here are few “numbers” from that 11-run inning:

• The Sox sent 17 batters to the plate, but collected just one hit – and, in fact, got only one ball out of the infield.
• Sox’ hitters stepped into the box with runners in scoring position 14 times.
• Sox’ hitters batted with the bases loaded 12 times and never got the ball past the pitcher.
• Eight different White Sox’ players drew walks.
• The Sox drew eight bases-loaded walks (and had one bases-loaded hit batsman).

White Sox 2B Nellie Fox walked twice with the bases loaded in the inning.

Here’s how it went that inning (per baseball-reference.com):

• 1B Ray Boone is safe on a throwing error by A’s shortstop Joe DeMaestri.
• RF Al Smith attempts to sacrifice Boone to second (score was 8-6 at the time) and reaches safely on an error by A’s third baseman Hal Smith.
• LF Johnny Callison singles to right. Scoring Boone and Smith (with the help of an error by A’s right fielder Roger Maris). Callison ends up on third.
• SS Louis Aparicio walks – steals second (runners now on second and third).
• P Bob Shaw walks (loading bases).
• PH Earl Torgeson (batting for 3B Sammy Esposito) walks (scoring Callison).
• 2B Nellie Fox walks (scoring Aparicio).
• CF Jim Landis reaches on fielder’s choice – grounding back to pitcher Mark Freeman, who takes the force at home (bases still loaded).
• C Sherman Lollar walks (scoring Torgeson, bases still loaded).
• Ray Boone makes his second plate appearance of the inning and walks (scoring Nellie Fox).
• Al Smith makes his second plate appearance of the inning and walks (scoring Landis).
• Johnny Callison, who had the only hit of the inning in his first plate appearance, is hit by a pitch (scoring Lollar, bases still loaded). Lou Skizas comes in to run for Callison.
• Louis Aparicio draws his second walk of the inning (scoring Boone, bases still loaded).
• Bob Shaw strikes out.
• PH Bubba Phillips (batting for Torgeson, who batted for Esposito earlier in the inning) walks (scoring Smith, bases still full).
• Nellie Fox draws his second bases loaded walk of the inning (scoring Skizas).
• Jim Landis grounds out pitcher to first to end the inning.

The 20-runs the White Sox scored that day were the most they plated in any game that season.  Another side note: It did not start out like it was going to be a good day for the White Sox.  The A’s knocked Chicago’s starting pitcher Early Wynn – who would go on to lead the AL in wins with 22 – out of the game with six runs on six hits and two walks in the first 1 2/3 innings. The Sox actually trailed 6-1 after two frames. A few other stats:

• The Sox collected a total of 16 hits and 13 walks in the contest; which also saw four Kansas City errors.
• In addition, to scoring 20 times, Chicago left eleven runners on base.
• Nellie Fox was the offensive star of the game – with four hits (five at bats), two walks and five RBI.
• The A’s used six pitchers in the contest, three in the seventh inning.

Primary Resource:  Baseball-Reference.com

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

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

Baltimore Orioles- Andy Rutschman. Gunnar Henderson, Grayson Rodriguez

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

With the Orioles the watch list is all about youth.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chicago White Sox – Oscar Colas

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

Cleveland Guardians – Jose Ramirez and Emmanuel Clase

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

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

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

Detroit Tigers …. Miguel Cabrera

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

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

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

The Numbers Game

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

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

Houston Astros – Jose Abreu and Hunter Brown

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

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

Kansas City Royals –  Vinnie Pasquantino

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

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

Kinda Shifty if You Ask Me

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

Los Angeles Angels – Shohei Ohtani

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

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

More “Firsts” for Ohtani

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

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

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

Minnesota Twins – Byron Buxton

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

New York Yankees – DJ LeMahieu and Anthony Volpe

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

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

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

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

Oakland Athletics – Ryan Noda

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

Seattle Mariners – Julio Rodriguez

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

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

Tampa Bay Rays – Kevin Cash

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

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

Texas Rangers – Jacob deGrom and Josh Jung

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

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

Toronto Blue Jays – The Outfield

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

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

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