SCD: Bobby Cox Rookie Card Goes from Common Box to Hall of Fame

Cox collecting. Who knew?!

But for Bobby Cox, the cards of him as a player are limited. Topps issued one for him in 1969 (#237) after his only full major league season as a Yankee third baseman and then he disappeared from cards until he became manager of the Braves in 1978.

Cox, who debuted in the big leagues at age 26 after being acquired from Atlanta in December of 1967, was basically was a one-season wonder for the Yankees who used him as a starter in 1968 and then replaced him with ...

OAG: A Conversation With Baseball Legend Johnny Bench

The one where Dennis Menke becomes Dennis Mickey.

BL: Johnny, you’re working with the Topps baseball card company. Do you remember receiving your first card after you reached the majors?

JB: Surely you jest. Of course I do, my goodness gracious. That’s what made you a major leaguer. So I loved it. I thought it was the greatest thing ever. Now I say “Look at me.” You could carry ‘em around, “Here, have my card.”

BL: In the 1970s the Reds went to the World Series four times, ...

mets.com: Through hitting system, Mets aim to build winner

Mets players received statistical breakdowns of their 2013 performances centered upon Bases Per Out, an internally developed metric that seeks to measure a player’s overall offensive production.

Players with less than three years of service time were told that their BPOs would determine bonuses tacked onto future salary offers. Each base—one for a walk or single, two for a double—would earn them $200 more than what they would otherwise receive. Each out would slice off $100.

The Secret Service Threatened to Kill Mr. Met

DUCKING MASS?

Mr. Met, the mascot for baseball’s saddest franchise, received a stern warning from the Secret Service in 1997, when President Clinton visited Shea Stadium: “Approach the president, and we go for the kill shot.”

Former Mr. Met AJ Mass recounted the death threat in his new book, Yes, It’s Hot in Here: Adventures in the Weird, Woolly World of Sports Mascots.....

“We have snipers all around the stadium, just in case something were to happen. Like I said, do whatever it is you ...

Pirates Acquire Ike Davis From Mets

I had to make sure Zack Thornton wasn’t Zach Stewart, but does it matter?

A long-awaited deal has finally been struck, as the Mets officially dealt first baseman Ike Davis to the Pirates in exchange for minor league righty Zack Thornton and a player to be named later…

For New York, the departure of Davis means that the club will move ahead with Lucas Duda as its regular first baseman, a role that he had taken on early in 2014. It also marks the end to an ultimately disappointing tenure in New ...

A’s, Doolittle agree to 4-year extension

OAKLAND—The Athletics have agreed to terms with left-handed pitcher Sean Doolittle on a new five-year contract for the 2014 through 2018 seasons. The agreement also includes club options for both the ‘19 and ‘20 seasons.

The A’s have always gone for these long-term contracts for young pitchers, but I think this is the first time they’ve done it with a reliever. Along with Johnson’s $10M signing the A’s seem to be shifting away from “relievers are fungible”. Who knows what the terms are, of ...

RB: Carlos Beltran: more of a center fielder than Mickey Mantle, Ty Cobb or Duke Snider. So what?

Well, a-beat the drum and hold the phone call from Jack O’Connell.

Brain Kenny led a panel discussion on MLB Network yesterday about whether Carlos Beltran has a shot at the Hall of Fame.  The consensus was yes.  My immediate reaction was that Beltran was benefiting from having his hitting compared to center fielders, that if he were compared to right fielders like Hank Aaron then Beltran would have more difficulty.

While Beltran have may a few years to go, right now he is included among ...

Mitchell: Now Playing First Base for the Yankees

With nary an Ex-Ray Barker on the horizon.

This all raises the question of why nobody on the Yankees in spring training looked around and saw an injury prone first baseman, three veteran outfielders vying for time in right and DH—center field and left field are occupied by Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury, two of the Yankees best players—and thought to give one of the veterans a first baseman’s glove. First base is generally considered the least demanding defensive position to play, but it is ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 4-18-2014

El Paso Herald, April 18, 1914:

The worst luck in the world follows the sight of a cross eyed person, according to the ball players. However this “jinx” may be broken by spitting in your hat immediately. In procuring bat boys to carry the clubs from the home plate back to the bench and kepe them neatly piled in order, baseball managers, as a rule pick out the worst looking youth to be found. He is retained as long as things go well, but when the time arrives that the team hits a slump another ...

Fletcher: Foes have slowed Trout in one category so far - steals

But..but..Miguel Cabrera has none.

Of all the elements of the young Angels season that have not gone according to expectations, there might be nothing as surprising as this: It took Mike Trout 14 games to even attempt a stolen base.

This is a guy, after all, who stole 49 bases as a rookie, a guy whose value is accentuated by his combination of power and speed.

Stealing bases, however, is about more than speed. It’s about opportunity, and that has been the obstacle for Trout since the start ...

OMNICHATTER FOR APRIL 18, 2014

The OMNICHATTER has never walked 8 batters in an inning….

NY Daily News: Secret Service Threatened To Shoot Mr. Met

A Secret Service agent threatened to put some high heat in the Mets mascot’s oversized dome if he ventured too close to former President Bill Clinton during a 1997 game at Shea Stadium. “We have snipers all around the stadium, just in case something were to happen,” the agent warned. “Like I said, do whatever it is you normally do. But approach the President, and we go for the kill shot. Are we clear?”

AJ Mass, the man inside the Mr. Met outfit from 1994-97, recounted his brush with ...

Robothal: What a relief! A’s could use bullpen differently than other teams

The natural question, now that Jim Johnson has thrown five consecutive scoreless innings, is whether the $10 million reliever soon will return to the closer’s role.

Well, what if the Athletics refuse to entertain the notion?

What if they take a wrecking ball to traditional bullpen roles and use their best relievers in the highest-leverage situations, regardless of inning?

If ever there was a general manager who would be willing to defy baseball’s conventional wisdom, it’s Billy Beane. ...Read More...

JE (Jason Epstein) Posted: April 17, 2014 at 05:14 PM | 9 comment(s)
  Beats: athletics, bullpens, relievers

Design Room: Top 10 Logos in MLB History.

The Montreal Expos (French: Expos de Montréal) team started in 1969 and never changed their logo.  For almost 40 years the team held on to this awesome mark because it was smart and looked great. Expos de Montreal Baseball. That is the secret behind this logo. Interwoven script pieces all come together to abbreviate the full name of the team. This logo is a little dated looking, but I can imagine this being modernized and still looking amazing without significant change. That is how you know ...

Escape from Cuba: Yasiel Puig’s Untold Journey to the Dodgers

Fascinating look into Puig’s journey from Cuba to the Dodgers:

In a no-tell motel on Isla Mujeres, eight miles off the coast of Cancún, Yasiel Puig’s escape had come to a halt. Confined to a corner room at the end of a shabby horseshoe-shaped courtyard, he could only wait and hope, for his value to be appraised, his freedom to be bought. There was nothing personal about it, no loved one vowing to pay any price, only the calculus of a crude business. What was this gladiator-size man, with ...

MLB: Offense’s performance vs. Brewers favors Matheny’s interpretation of stats

Matheny Math: Minimal polynomial (Busch field theory).

Matheny studies the individual splits closely. His interpretation of those numbers might be typical in some cases, but it might also be surprising in others.

What works for Matheny in either case is his essential belief in his players.

“You know, when I see a guy who’s had even just a couple of at-bats against a pitcher, but has had success, there’s usually knowledge on both sides,” the manager said. “I don’t use the opposite side very ...

George Brett, Inspiration for the Song “Royals”, Meets Lorde

Last year [the New Zealand pop singer Lorde] told VHI that she saw a photo in National Geographic “of this dude just signing baseballs. He was a baseball player and his shirt said, ‘Royals.’ It was just that word. It’s really cool.”

Orioles launch D.C. invasion with billboard near Nationals Park

Hey, at least they’re not the Baltimore Rabbits.

Have you heard?! Have you heard?! There’s a billboard promoting Orioles tickets near the D.C.-Maryland border and it’s rubbing some Nationals fans the wrong way.

...Grant Paulsen and Danny Rouhier spent a segment discussing the billboard, which is located seven miles from Nationals Park, yesterday on 106.7 The Fan. On the LaVar and Dukes Show, Chad Dukes conceded that the billboard makes good business sense before going on a rant against ...

Hartlaub: For the love of the snot rocket: Why Bumgarner’s Farmer John is good for baseball

Dobbs…get some.

Madison Bumgarner’s grand slam in his last start against the Colorado Rockies was a hell of a statement. But the exclamation point came at the end of his trip around the bases – when the pitcher placed his left index finger on his nose, and emptied the contents of his right nostril near home plate.

As the lefty gets ready to take the mound again tonight, I have a hard time explaining why the Bumgarner snot rocket is pretty much my favorite thing in Bay Area sports right ...

Chris Resop - The Most Interesting Reliever in the World

As some of you may know, I am quite fond of ridiculously lopsided batter-pitcher match-ups. The match-up that everyone’s been freaking out about lately is Paul Goldschmidt vs. Tim Lincecum, and rightfully so. It’s completely ridiculous. Anyway, I was recently checking out Starlin Castro’s most lopsided match-ups. Sure enough, there was Resop. Castro is 6-8 with three home runs, zero walks, zero strikeouts, and one hit-by-pitch against Mr. Resop. Interesting! Sorta. Using our buddy Daren ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 4-17-2014

Hugh Fullerton via Toledo News-Bee, April 17, 1914:

Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the man who soaked Standard Oil $29,000,000 for violating the balk rule, has been named to decide the most important part of the baseball war.

Whether or not they know it, Judge Landis is the most eminently qualified man in the world to decide any question that may arise in the damage suit that has been brought by the Philadelphia National league team against the Federal league leaders.

Fortunately for the ...

OMNICHATTER for April 17, 2014

I will never be mistaken for Cal Ripken, or Lou Gehrig, or even Prince Fielder. Still, here’s the Omnichatter. 12 games, including appearances by SALE, VERLANDER, PRICE, WAINWRIGHT and so on.

Paine: Advanced Stats Love Jackie Robinson

Only four position players in MLB history — Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner and Lou Gehrig — had more WAR between the ages of 29 and 34. Numbers like that are why, despite Robinson’s short career, James ranked Robinson as the fourth-best second baseman ever in “New Historical Baseball Abstract.”

So much for sabermetrics underappreciating Robinson’s skills.

WAR can measure Robinson’s terrifying impact on the basepaths (he generated 31 more runs than an average player). WAR ...

Gleeman: Mets minor league team is hosting “Seinfeld night”

Commenter: “I hear the Mets are going to have a related promotion at Citi Field where they score about nothing.”

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of “Seinfeld” starting on NBC the Mets’ Single-A affiliate, the Brooklyn Cyclones of the New York-Penn League, are hosting a “Seinfeld Night” at the ballpark on July 5.

Darren Rovell of ESPN.com reports that the first 2,500 fans will get a Keith Hernandez bobblehead depicting him from the “Magic Loogie” episode of the show. Some other ...

Daniel Bryan’s ‘YES!’ chant has spread to the Pirates’ dugout

I once started an “Unpredictable! Unpredictable! Unpredictable!” Johnny Rodz chant after Clay Bellinger’s first career HR. Just never caught on.

The Pirates and Reds grappled in an absolute homerfest Monday in Cincinnati, launching an absurdly entertaining 10 long balls before rain halted the game after six innings. A half-dozen of those long balls came courtesy of Pittsburgh batters, leading the Bucs to adopt a new team celebration.

After years of the Dude, Where’s My Car-inspired Zoltan, ...

Astros To Promote George Springer

Good couple of weeks for UConn!

(Astros also demote the hapless Lucas Harrell.)

Top outfield prospect George Springer will join the Astros tomorrow, reports Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter)...

Springer climbed up prospect rating boards after a monster 2013 campaign in which he hit a combined .303/.411/.600, and posted 37 home runs and 45 stolen bases, in 589 plate appearances split between Double-A and Triple-A. Entering the 2014 season, analysts rated Springer between 18th ...

Exposition:The Jonah Keri Mega Q&A

INSTREAM: Going back to the 1969 Staub trade, on Page 27 you talk about how Manager Gene Mauch “Went to meet with the Astros, leveraging contacts he had within the organization.” How difficult do you think it is for a GM or president to trade with other ballclubs in the absence of deep relationships? From 1976 to 1991, the Expos and Cincinnati Reds exchanged a total of 32 players. I know it’s 15 years and there’s a few GMs in there, but that’s a lot of trades.

JONAH KERI: That ...

Nightengale: Pujols nears 500 home runs…and no one seems to care

Could always ask Brad Lidge.

It’s sure getting harder and harder to impress us these days.

Here we are, on the brink of one of the most magnificent milestones in all of sports, and it seems nobody cares.

Just 25 men in Major League Baseball history have ever hit 500 homers in their lifetime, and here’s Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols ready to join them after hitting No. 496 on Monday night.

Yet it’s getting all of the acclaim of an NBA triple-double.

What has happened to us? ...Read More...

Repoz Posted: April 16, 2014 at 10:10 AM | 82 comment(s)
  Beats: angels, history

Verducci: Overuse of young pitchers fueling MLB’s Tommy John surgery problem

On MLB Network, Mitch Williams got so worked up arguing with Verducci over this…they’re still scraping Suavecito pomadesplosion residue off the walls.

What’s going on? Just in recent years, American teenage pitchers significantly have increased the intensity of two of the greatest risk factors for injury: Velocity and volume. And because of the growth in the travel/showcase model, the risks are only growing worse.

First, here is a basic understanding of how the arm works. It is “accepted ...

OMNICHATTER: Wednesday April 16, 2014

TBR, Odorizzi 12:35 PM
@BAL, Gonzalez

CHC, 1:05 PM
@NYY,

CHC, Wood 7:05 PM
@NYY, Pineda

CLE, McAlliste 7:08 PM
@DET, Sanchez

SEA, [bold]Hernandez[/bold] 8:05 PM
@TEX, [bold]Darvish[/bold]

BOS, Buchholz 8:10 PM
@CHW, Danks

KCR, Guthrie 8:10 PM
@HOU, Keuchel

TOR, Dickey 8:10 PM
@MIN, Pelfrey

OAK, Milone 10:05 PM
@LAA, Skaggs

PIT, Liriano 12:35 PM
@CIN, Cueto

STL, Kelly 1:10 PM
@MIL, Peralta

NYM, Gee 3:40 PM
@ARI, McCarthy
...Read More...