May Day, May Day! Today's Birthday Team's going to have some serious trouble scoring runs.

C: Charlie O'Brien
1B: Felix Torres
2B: Jose Lind
3B: 1880s non-Whoop-La Bill White
SS: Johnny Berardino
CF: Von Joshua
RF: Al Zarilla

SP: George McQuillan
SP/LF: Frank Foreman
SP: Armando Reynoso
SP: Heinie Meine
SP: Bob Harris
RP: Roy Lee Jackson

Greatest Ever Russian-Born Ballplayer: Victor Starffin
Designated Canadian: Rich Butler

George McQuillan was already going insane from syphilis by 1912 so whatever he had to say should probably be taken with a grain of salt.

...or a grain of salt peter.

Today is also the 20th anniversary of Rickey's 1,000th stolen base. And the 21st anniversary of his passing Lou Brock.

I didn't want to steal Dag's thunder, as I was unsure what his history piece would be about today, but two other significant events occurred on May 1.

128 years ago today, Fleet Walker made his MLB debut and 92 years ago today, Joe Oeschger and Leon Cadore each threw a 26-inning complete game...and neither one got the victory.

128 years ago today, Fleet Walker made his MLB debut and 92 years ago today, Joe Oeschger and Leon Cadore each threw a 26-inning complete game...and neither one got the victory.

Good to note. Also, check out what Early Wynn did on this day in 1959. To get the full effect, look at both his pitching and batting lines on the day.

Two questions:

1. If I subscribe to MLB.tv, do I get access to programming on MLB Network (Clubhouse Confidential, Prime 9)?

2. People made a big deal that Brandon Weeden was the oldest first round pick (28) in the NFL. Who is the oldest MLB first round draft pick?

1. No.
2. Good question. No idea. Probably some college senior in the very early days of the draft.

Thanks God, and sorry for using your name in vain this morning.

I was thinking maybe a guy that went indy leagues would be a candidate. Luke Hochevar was a few months from being 23 when he was the #1 overall draft pick. Aaron Crow and JD Drew were almost 23 as well when they finally signed.

Anybody know why that Wynn game took 2:46? CGs by both teams didn't normally take that long in 1959. Rain? Both verrrrry slow workers? Or what?

EDIT: also, in 1959 Wynn was apparently throwing the knuckleball more than he had been - I wondered about that b/c of the Ks, BBs, and PBs.
Must've been a good headwind in Chicago that day.

Anybody know why that Wynn game took 2:46? CGs by both teams didn't normally take that long in 1959. Rain? Both verrrrry slow workers? Or what?

Don't know for sure but Wynn struck out 14 and walked 7; that had to eat up quite a bit of time, especially if he went deep in the count on many batters. Again, I don't know but I suspect that Wynn might have been working more slowly at that point in his career. He really wanted that 300th win and there is a better than zero chance that "knuckleball" might have been moisture assisted. It takes time to properly prepare a good "knuckleball".

Anybody know why that Wynn game took 2:46?

The Retrosheet play-by-play for the game references two injuries: Wertz in the first "pulled a muscle in his back stretching" on the Aparicio groundout, and Stephens in the 8th "hurt his wrist making a tumbling catch", and also notes that Gernert was ejected in bottom of the 6th inning ("for arguing call at firstbase" on the 2nd out). Any or all of those plays might have slowed things down a bit.

Here's the link w/ Retrosheet's comments: http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1959/B05010CHA1959.htm

Who is the oldest MLB first round draft pick?
That is a good question. As for recent years... possibly someone who went on a religious mission? A fifth year senior?
Outside the first round, I think I've seen a 25 year old get drafted.

EDIT: I'm a dummy - Cubans. Prieto was 25 (as a first rounder), Marti was, like, 32 when he was drafted.

The Retrosheet play-by-play for the game references two injuries: Wertz in the first "pulled a muscle in his back stretching" on the Aparicio groundout, and Stephens in the 8th "hurt his wrist making a tumbling catch", and also notes that Gernert was ejected in bottom of the 6th inning ("for arguing call at firstbase" on the 2nd out). Any or all of those plays might have slowed things down a bit.

Here's the link w/ Retrosheet's comments: http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1959/B05010CHA1959.htm

Ahhh, thank you. Makes a bit more sense, especially in combination with the "knuckleball" (as opposed to a knuckleball) comment.
If Wynn not only threw the "knuckleball," but spent time between every pitch going Full Gaylord, that'd certainly account for a chunk of time, too.

Good call der!

Late this year Brandon McCarthy plans to spent time between every pitch going Full Gaylord, in protest against closed-mindedness.

George McQuillan was already going insane from syphilis by 1912 so whatever he had to say should probably be taken with a grain of salt.

This was during his two years with the Columbus Senators, after the divorce, alcoholism, secondary syphilis diagnosis, bankruptcy, and marital reconciliation accompanied by jewelry stolen during convalescence in Hot Springs, Arkansas phases of his career, but before the near-fatal line drive to the head, comeback with the Pirates, and manager of the Mississippi Valley League's Rock Island Islanders phases of his career.

Late this year Brandon McCarthy plans to spent time between every pitch going Full Gaylord, in protest against closed-mindedness.

On the one hand, I knew someone was going to go there with that.
On the other hand, I would completely love it if some pitcher actually started doing all that stuff, even for one game.
Perry was extremely entertaining, all the while keeping guys guessing.

Aren't there a bunch of MLB vets on minor league deals that have opt-outs this week? Aaron Cook and I believe Jeff Francis and Kevin Kouzmanoff come to mind. Any of them opting-out?

Game of the day (yesterday): Rays 3, Mariners 2 (11). Annoying as it is to have to pick the game that injured my four-time defending preseason pick for AL MVP, there's nothing else that's a reasonable choice, and it does grade out as the 5th-best game of the year so far (5.68). The teams traded runs in the second, Seattle on a Miguel Olivo home run and Tampa on a walk, double, and single; after a steal, they had the go-ahead runs in scoring position with one out, but left them there. From that point on, the game was virtually rally-free for a while - the only runners to advance past first in the next 5 innings were a pair of Rays with 2 outs in the fifth, and they were stranded on a foul bunt strikeout from Elliott Johnson, who replaced Longoria. In the eighth, the Rays drew a pair of walks, but didn't add the hits needed to bring them in; in the ninth, the M's put runners at the corners with one away, but pinch runner Muenori Kawasaki was thrown out at home on a ground ball. The Rays put a runner at third with two outs in the tenth, but Johnson fanned again to end the inning. Jesus Montero finally ended the scoring drought by leading off the Seattle half of the eleventh with a home run, but Tampa Bay came back to tie once more as Luke Scott doubled and pinch-runner Jeff Keppinger scored on a 2-out BJ Upton single. And then, with a pair of runners on and one away in the twelfth, Johnson finally came through, singling in the winning run.

Side note: This game was Felix Hernandez's third no-decision of the year. In all three, he has pitched 8 innings and given up one run or less.

Game of the day (last year): Indians 3, Tigers 2 (13). Detroit struck first in the top of the fourth on solo homers by Miguel Cabrera and Ryan Raburn. Cleveland responded in similar fashion, with Carlos Santana going deep in the fourth and Michael Brantley tying the score on a solo shot in the sixth; they proceeded to load the bases later in that inning without pushing the go-ahead run in. The Tigers put the go-ahead run in scoring position in the eighth and tenth innings, but failed to take advantage; Cleveland had runners on second and third with two away in the eleventh, but the Tigers survived and extended the game. In the thirteenth, Cabrera led off the top of the inning with a double, but wasn't moved forward. Cleveland took advantage in the bottom of the inning, with Brantley singling, taking second on an errant pickoff throw and third on a sac bunt, and after a pair of intentional walks, scoring the winning run on an Orlando Cabrera single.

It's actually not all that great a game as 13-inning games go. But 13-inning games are pretty much all terrific, so it still gets a 5.05, 95th percentile on the year.

they were stranded on a foul bunt strikeout from Elliott Johnson, who replaced Longoria.

He was bunting with two outs and two strikes?

He was bunting with two outs and two strikes?

According to the B-R play-by-play, yes. Checking it, ESPN agrees.

Only a genius like Joe Maddon could pull off a strategy like that.

I don't expect this to last, but Tyler Colvin is hitting .310 w/13 hits in 42 AB's (including 2 HR's). He has 1 BB and 16 strikeouts.