Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Joe Blogs: Youk As Yank
Joe Blogs: Youk As Yank: I wrote my first post for Hardball Talk on how it just seems weird -- weirder, even, than normal -- for Kevin Youkilis to be on the Yankees...
The Flagrant Fan: Troy Tulowitzki reclaims best shortstop title
The Flagrant Fan: Troy Tulowitzki reclaims best shortstop title: The only thing that has kept Troy Tulowitzki from acclaim as baseball's best shortstop has been his propensity to get injured. He onl...
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
9 Best Catchers All Time: Part 2 ...
Yesterday I went through my Honorable Mention and the 9th & 8th best catchers of all time. Today it gets even tougher trying to place the seven greatest catchers of all time. It gets especially tough for me once we get into the top five. Today we will look at my #'s 7, 6, 5, and 4 ...
7 Gabby Hartnett: ''Old Tomato Face'' was absolutely one of the greatest catchers of all time. At the time of his retirement, he led all catchers in home runs, rbi's, hits, and doubles. Gabby played almost his entire career with the Chicago Cubs. He led the National League in assists & fielding percentage six times; putouts four times. He had a National League record 163 career double plays and in one stretch had 452 consecutive chances without an error. He had a lifetime fielding percentage of .984. This HOF'er and 6 time All Star selection was known for his strong arm and was the 1935 NL MVP. His lifetime stats include a .297 BA, .370 OBP, .489 SLG., 236 HR, and 1179 RBI. Interesting stories on this great backstop include his '' Homer in the Gloamin', '' and, then Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis admonishing him regarding no future pictures with Al Capone to which Gabby telegraphed the Commissioner, ''Ok, but if you don't want me to have my picture taken with Al Capone, you tell him.'' Gabby Hartnett of the Chicago Cubs was absolutely one of the greatest catchers of all time ...
6 Carlton Fisk: While ''Pudge'' is probably best known for waving his 12th inning, game winning home run fair in the 1975 World Series, he was also known as a superb handler of pitchers & was a fierce competitor. At 6' 2' & 220 lbs, he was crazy strong and he played the game ''the right way.'' He once told Deion Sanders, who chose not to run out a pop fly, ''There is a right way and a wrong way to play this game. You're playing it the wrong way. And the rest of us don't like it. Someday you're going to get this game shoved right down your throat.'' The ''Commander'' was indeed an intense player. This HOF catcher played 24 years behind the plate & was a Gold Glove winner. He had a .988 lifetime fielding percentage. Only Ivan ''Pudge'' Rodriguez played more games behind the plate in the history of the game. Additionally, only Mike Piazza, among catchers, hit more home runs. Carlton Fisk was an eleven time All Star. He was the 1972 ROY and was a 3 time Silver Slugger Award winner. He has more hits & runs scored of any catcher in the Hall. His lifetime stats include a .269 BA, .341 OBP, .457 SLG., 376 HR, 1330 RBI, 1276 RS, and 128 SB's. Pudge played his whole career for the Red Sox and the White Sox. Both teams retired his team numbers; # 27 for the Red Sox and # 72 for the White Sox. As well, each team game him an honorary World Series ring; the Red Sox in 2004 and the White Sox in 2006. In his career, Carlton ''Pudge'' Fisk waived the ball fair all the way into the hearts & minds of baseball fans and all the way into the Hall Of Fame ...
5 Josh Gibson: My choice for the 5th greatest catcher of all time is Josh Gibson. It is so very hard to know exactly where to place him among his peers due to conflicting information. It truly is a shame that we can never know his exact greatness. He has been credited with as many as 84 home runs in a season and anywhere from 800 to 1000 home runs in his career in the Negro leagues, Latino Leagues, and barnstorming tours. The Hall Of Fame has him at almost 800 home runs with a .359 lifetime batting average. He is reported to have won 9 home run titles & 4 batting championships. He is a 10 time All Star and a 2 time Negro League World Series champion. In a Negro League game at Yankee Stadium he hit a 580' home run. A favorite story told on Josh Gibson is as follows: ''In the last of the 9th at Pittsburgh, down a run, with a runner on base and two outs, Gibson hits one high and deep, so far into the twilight sky that it disappears from sight, apparently winning the game. The next day, the same two teams are playing again, now in Washington. Just as the teams have positioned themselves on the field, a ball comes falling out of the sky and a Washington outfielder grabs it. The umpire yells to Gibson, ''You're out! In Pittsburgh, yesterday!.'' While we can't know for sure what kind of pitching he faced throughout his career, we have evidenced the great successes of Jackie Robinson & Roy Campanella among so many others. And so, for me it stands to reason that at the very least, Josh Gibson was an all time great. He is my 5th greatest catcher of all time ...
4 Mike Piazza: This 62nd round draft pick could flat out hit! In 1993 ''Mike'' hit 35 home runs while garnering the ROY Award; the most home runs ever by a rookie catcher. He was just getting started. He would hit .362 just four years later, setting a record for NL catchers. Piazza hit .300 or better nine times. He hit thirty or more home runs eight consecutive years. He hit thirty plus home runs nine times in his career. By the end of his career, he had hit more home runs than any catcher in history. This twelve time All Star won the Silver Slugger Award ten times. His lifetime stats include a .308 BA, .377 OBP, .545 SLG., 427 HR, 1335 RBI, and 1048 RS. He was much better behind the plate than he has been given credit for and he worked hard throughout his career to become better defensively. He finished with a .989 fielding percentage. When it is all said & done, Mike Piazza is the greatest hitting catcher of all time ...
Wow! There are not enough accolades for these four catchers. And yet, my All Time Top 3 Catchers are yet to come ...
Until next time, so long everybody,
Lee [ Cowboy ]
The Flagrant Fan: Jordan Zimmermann - deception, heat and strikes
The Flagrant Fan: Jordan Zimmermann - deception, heat and strikes: Jordan Zimmermann might be the best Number 3 starter in baseball. You can argue whether Strasburg or Gonzalez is Number 1, but everyone w...
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Joe Blogs: A new look … and a look at sports cities
Joe Blogs: A new look … and a look at sports cities: I apologize for the absence … it has been a fairly hectic last few weeks. I am now the national columnist for NBC Sports . The move involved...
Saturday, February 23, 2013
2013 Fantasy: Stephen Strasburg
ESPN fantasy analysts discuss expectations for Stephen Strasburg this season
2013 Fantasy: Yu Darvish
ESPN fantasy analysts discuss whether Yu Darvish will be an elite pitcher this season.
All Time Top 9 Catchers: Part 1 ...
Coming up with the all time top 9 catchers in order was much tougher than I thought it would be. It is extremely hard to compare the greatest catchers from the different era's, let alone not having seen some of the greats play. Based on stats, video clips, articles, other's input, & intangibles here are my : All Time Top 9 Catchers ... Part 1
Honorable Mention:
12 Joe Torre: As we all know Joe Torre has become much more than a very good ballplayer. While there are other catchers that could slide into the # 12 slot, he is my choice. He is a Gold Glove winner & twice led National League catchers in fielding percentage; his lifetime fielding percentage as a catcher was .990. His accreditation's include 9 All Star appearances, a NL MVP, a NL batting championship, NL RBI crown, and the 1971 Hutch Award. He hit over .300 five times, had over 100 RBI five times, and hit 20 plus home runs 6 times. His lifetime stats include a .297 BA, .365 OBP, .452 SLG., 252 HR, and 1185 RBI ...
11 Gary Carter: The ''Kid'' is in the HOF and certainly deservedly so. He is an eleven time All Star and winner of 3 Gold Glove Awards & 5 Silver Slugger Awards. # 8 was a MLB All Star Game MVP twice & a World Series Champion in 1986. Gary Carter was also the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award in 1989. He hit 20 plus home runs 9 times & knocked in 100 or more four times. His lifetime stats include a .262 BA, .335 OBP, 439 SLG, 324 HR, and 1225 RBI. Even towards the end of his career, his teammates still called him the ''Kid.'' Montreal retired his # 8 in 1993.
10 Mickey Cochrane: It qualifies as amazing to me that I don't have this HOF'er ranked higher. There are though 9 other great ones to come. The three time World Series champion is also a two time All Star & two time AL MVP. Cochrane led American League catchers six times in putouts and twice in fielding percentage. His lifetime fielding percentage was .985. His lifetime .419 OBP is the highest all time for catchers. He hit .300 eight times & had an OBP OF .400 or better eight times. His lifetime stats include a .320 BA, .419 OBP, .478 SLG., 119 HR, AND 832 RBI. Cochrane's career was cut short at age 34 when he was hit in the head by a pitch that nearly killed him. He truly was one of the best ...
All Time Top 9 Catchers:
9 Bill Dickey: This eleven time All Star played 19 years for the New York Yankees. He was renowned for his handling of pitchers and for his great competitive nature - after a collision at home plate, he broke the jaw of Carl Reynolds with one punch. He was Lou Gehrig's best friend, and, played himself in the film The Pride of the Yankees. # 8 had a lifetime fielding percentage of .988. He hit better than .300 his first 11 seasons and during his playing career he went to 9 World Series; he & the Yankees won eight of them. Bill Dickey's lifetime stats include a .313BA, .382 OBP, .486 SLG., 202 HR, and 1209 RBI. He was credited with helping Yogi Berra behind the plate. Yogi, in his trademark way of talking said, ''Bill Dickey is learning me all of his experiences.'' # 8 IS # 9 on my list. He was a great one! ...
8 Roy Campanella: Nicknamed ''Campy,'' he began playing Negro League baseball at the age of sixteen in 1937. He began his Major League career in 1948 with the Brooklyn Dodgers, following the great Jackie Robinson's Major League debut in 1947. In his shortened 10 year career, # 39 made 8 All Star appearances, was a World Series champion, and won 3 NL MVP Awards. Campy threw out 57 % of would be base stealers in his career, the highest of any catcher in history. He had a lifetime fielding percentage of .988. His lifetime stats include a .276 BA, .360 OBP, .500 SLG., 242 HR, and 856 RBI in just 10 Major League seasons. One can only imagine what his lifetime stats could have been, had he not had to wait until 1948 to begin his Major League career and had his career not additionally been shortened by his tragic accident. The Los Angeles Dodgers announced the creation of the Roy Campanella Award in 2006, an award given to a Dodger who best exemplifies ''Campy's'' spirit & leadership. Roy Campanella was a great ballplayer, and, a great man ...
Well, there you have it. This is my All Time Top 9 Catchers ... Part 1 / Part 2 is coming soon, possibly tomorrow ...
Until next time, so long everybody ...
Lee [ Cowboy ]
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter That Ever Lived ...
Ted Williams finished his HOF career with the highest batting average of any Major League player who played his entire career outside the ''live ball era.'' He is also 1st in career on base percentage & walks per plate appearance, and, 2nd only to Babe Ruth in career slugging percentage. The Splendid Splinter recorded a hit 34% of the time, and, he reached base an incredible 48% of the time. He was of course the last player in Major League baseball to hit .400; hitting .406 in 1941. Teddy Ballgame did all of this and more while having his career interrupted twice during his prime playing years to serve a total of five years in WWII & the Korean War. If one were to do the math on his lifetime stats plus ''five prime years lost to the Wars,'' his career totals would be even more astounding! This 19 time All Star has the highest career batting average of anyone to play the game with 500 or more home runs. ''The Kid'' won the Triple Crown twice and two times he was the AL MVP. [Arguably, could have had more MVP Awards] The lifetime batting stats of this 6 time AL Batting champion are as follows: .344 BA, .482 OBP, .634 SLG., 521 HR, 525 DB,1839 RBI, 1798 RS, 2021 BB, & 2107 BB/IBB.
While # 9 may not have been the best fielder, his hitting can never come into question; he hit .388 at the age of 39. His relationship with the media and fans, on the other hand, was often times turbulent; it remains questionable, however, how much of this reputation was deserved. At the very least, a true paradox of his life is that he gave generously to those in need; his name is synonymous with one of great contributions to cancer, both from a standpoint of time availability & his link with the Jimmy Fund of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The Fund has stated that, ''Williams would travel everywhere and anywhere, no strings or paychecks attached, to support the cause ....''
And so, this baseball great was not only the great scientist of hitting, the great sport fisherman, and the fighter-bomber pilot of two wars - he was also a man who cared about people. In his HOF speech in 1966, Williams made a statement referencing Satchel Paige & Josh Gibson ''as a symbol to Negro League players'' and calling for their recognition. This was a powerful statement at the time.
# 9 TED WILLIAMS: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived ...
Until next time, so long everybody ...
Lee [ Cowboy ]
Saturday, February 16, 2013
The Flagrant Fan: Relievers by pitch value - Craig Kimbrel is the bo...
The Flagrant Fan: Relievers by pitch value - Craig Kimbrel is the bo...: I took a look yesterday at qualifying starting pitchers using PitchF/X pitch values to find the top ten and bottom ten values using reperto...
Friday, February 15, 2013
The Flagrant Fan: Rating by pitch values - Clayton Kershaw is really...
The Flagrant Fan: Rating by pitch values - Clayton Kershaw is really...: Every year I like to look at the pitch values given by PitchF/X. There are lots of ways to look at how valuable pitchers are (or aren't). T...
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The Flagrant Fan: Adam Wainwright is a projector's dream
The Flagrant Fan: Adam Wainwright is a projector's dream: When I imagine people who project players for a coming season, I think of huge spreadsheets, fast computers and a lot of trying to figure o...
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Joe Blogs: Feb. 11 birthday: Negro National League
Joe Blogs: Feb. 11 birthday: Negro National League: The Negro National League was formed on Feb. 11, 1920 at the Paseo YMCA in Kansas City. Well, anyway, that is the day that I have written in...
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Bob Uecker Quotes to Lighten Your Day ...
Bob Uecker Quotes to Lighten Your Day ...
''Anyone with talent can play in the Major Leagues; for someone like me to stay around as long as I did, I think that's a much greater achievement.''
''They broke it to me gently. The manager came up to me before a game & told me they didn't allow visitor's in the clubhouse.''
''The highlight of my career? In '67 with St. Louis, I walked with the bases loaded to drive in the winning run in an inter-squad game in spring training.''
''When I came up to bat with three men on & two outs in the 9th, I looked in the other teams dugout and they were already in street clothes.''
''People don't know this but I helped the Cardinals to win the pennant. I came down with hepatitis. The trainer injected me with it.''
''Career highlights? I had two. I got an intentional walk from Sandy Koufax and I got out of a rundown against the Mets.''
''If a guy hits .300 every year, what does he have to look forward to? I always tried to stay around .190 with 3 or 4 RBI. And I tried to get them all in September. That way I always had something to talk about during the winter.''
''The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until the ball stops rolling & then pick it up.''
''When I looked at the 3rd base coach, he turned his back on me.''
''I led the league in ''go get 'em next time.''
I hit a grand slam off of Ron Herbel and when his manager Herman Franks came out to get him, he was bringing Herbel's suitcase.''
''Sporting goods companies pay me not to endorse their products.''
''In 1962 I was named Minor League Player of the Year. It was my 2nd season in the bigs.''
''[As the broadcaster Harry Doyle in the movie] Major League, ... just a bit outside.''
On a more serious note:
''The night has been splendid. I can think of no place else I would rather be as a player, as a broadcaster, or as a citizen than right here in Milwaukee.''
I hope that you enjoyed reliving some of Bob Uecker's hilarious quotes ...
Get up, get up, get outta here ... Gone!!!
Until next time, so long everybody ...
Lee [ Cowboy ]
The Flagrant Fan: The remarkably similar careers of Tim Hudson and R...
The Flagrant Fan: The remarkably similar careers of Tim Hudson and R...: Before launching further into the thought process of the bombastic heading of this post, some declarative statements need to be made. First...
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
I Wish, I Hope, I Am Thankful For ...
I Wish, I Hope, I Am Thankful For ...
I wish that I had seen Ted Williams swing the bat; that I had seen Shoeless Joe Jackson play the game. I wish that I had seen Babe Ruth or Josh Gibson hit one of their monstrous home runs; that I had seen Jackie Robinson play the game of baseball and the game of life in a way that made a difference on both playing fields. I wish that Don Denkinger had got the call right at first base in 1985, and that Armando Galaraga had gotten his perfect game. I wish that the cloud of steroids had never entered the game leaving me always to wonder ...
I hope that I am right about this new crop of young ballplayers we have entering the game. I hope that Mike Stanton hits 40 plus monster home runs this year, and that Stephen Strasburg wins 20 games & strikes out 250 plus hitters. I hope for one of the most exciting baseball seasons ever. I hope that I will never take for granted all that the game of baseball has given to me ...
I am thankful for all that the game of baseball has given me, and for all that life has given me ...
"I Don't Believe What I Just Saw, I don't believe what I just saw ..." [ Jack Buck's call on Kirk Gibson's home run ]
Until next time, so long everybody ...
Lee [ Cowboy ]
Joe Blogs: Feb. 6 Birthday: Babe Ruth
Joe Blogs: Feb. 6 Birthday: Babe Ruth: Today is a great celebrity birthday day -- Babe Ruth, Ronald Reagan and Bob Marley were all born on February 6. Also Zsa Zsa Gabor and Axl R...
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Joe Blogs: Feb. 5 Birthday: Henry Aaron
Joe Blogs: Feb. 5 Birthday: Henry Aaron: It is wonderful to know that Henry Aaron and the legendary hockey commentator Don Cherry were born on the same day in 1934. I always love it...
Sunday, February 3, 2013
A Cowboy's Love O f The Game ...
A Cowboys Love of the Game
I am a born and raised St. Louis Cardinal fan; as well, I have been a Rockies fan since their inception. Of equal importance I believe, I am a true fan of the game. The game of baseball has been in my mind, heart, spirit, and soul since I was two years old. I have been so blessed to have had a father who gave to me the gift of the game. As well, I have never taken for granted that in my lifetime I have seen play Hall of Fame caliber ballplayers like Stan Musial, Roberto Clemente, Henry Aaron, Bob Gibson, Willie Mays, Ozzie Smith, Ron Santo, Johnny Bench, Lou Brock, Larry Walker, Albert Pujols, Ryne Sandberg, and Ken Griffey Jr., just to name a few.
I grew up listening to Harry Carey, Jack Buck, and Vin Scully. As a child and eventually a young man, who could have asked for more? It was from these sportscasters and my father that I learned the game with all of its intricacies and learned to love the game. I grew up on the smell of the grass and the crack of the bat; on country field baseball, on acrobatic defensive plays, game winning hits, and walk off home runs. I collected baseball cards and I played the game. I became a sportscaster as well, although never on radio or tv - only in my backyard or my living room.
Other than love and those that I love, and, even as a cowboy, there was never that which was more important to me than the game of baseball. It has brought me joy, great excitements, and even correlations of hard-learned lessons in life. Through baseball I learned of leadership, teamwork, hard work ethic, never say die, and so much more ...
That's part 1 of my love of the game. Why not share yours ...
Swing & a long one ...
Until next time, so long everybody ...
Lee [ Cowboy ]
Saturday, February 2, 2013
The Flagrant Fan: Adrain Beltre - a product of his environment
The Flagrant Fan: Adrain Beltre - a product of his environment: Adrian Beltre will be heading into his Age 34 season with fifteen years already accumulated in his Major League Baseball career. Since his ...
Joe Blogs: Feb. 1 birthday: Paul Blair
Joe Blogs: Feb. 1 birthday: Paul Blair: Paul Blair Sport: Baseball Position: Centerfield Played from 1964 to 1980 Winner of eight gold gloves Age: 69 They called Paul Blair "Motorm...
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