Rick Monday Saves The American Flag April 25, 1976

On This Day in Baseball History April 25, 1976: In front of a crowd of 25,167 fans watching the Chicago Cubs against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Dodger Stadium, Cubs center-fielder Rick Monday stops two men from burning the American Flag on the field in between innings. Nothing that I can write can replace what Rick Monday said in the article Monday's act heroic after 30 years by Ben Platt from MLB.com dated April 25, 2006:

"In between the top and bottom of the fourth inning, I was just getting loose in the outfield, throwing the ball back and forth. Jose Cardenal was in left field and I was in center. I don't know if I heard the crowd first or saw the guys first, but two people ran on the field. After a number of years of playing, when someone comes on the field, you don't know what's going to happen. Is it because they had too much to drink? Is it because they're trying to win a bet? Is it because they don't like you or do they have a message that they're trying to present?

"When these two guys ran on the field, something wasn't right. And it wasn't right from the standpoint that one of them had something cradled under his arm. It turned out to be an American flag. They came from the left-field corner, went past Cardenal to shallow left-center field.

"That's when I saw the flag. They unfurled it as if it was a picnic blanket. They knelt beside it, not to pay homage but to harm it as one of the guys was pulling out of his pocket somewhere a big can of lighter fluid. He began to douse it.

"What they were doing was wrong then, in 1976. In my mind, it's wrong now, in 2006. It's the way I was raised. My thoughts were reinforced with my six years in the Marine Corp Reserves. It was also reinforced by a lot of friends who lost their lives protecting the rights and freedoms that flag represented.

"So I started to run after them. To this day, I couldn't tell you what was running through my mind except I was mad, I was angry and it was wrong for a lot of reasons.
"Then the wind blew the first match out. There was hardly ever any wind at Dodger Stadium. The second match was lit, just as I got there. I did think that if I could bowl them over, they can't do what they're trying to do.

"I saw them go and put the match down to the flag. It's soaked in lighter fluid at this time. Well, they can't light it if they don't have it. So I just scooped it up.
"My first thought was, 'Is this on fire?' Well, fortunately, it was not. I continue to run. One of the men threw the can of lighter fluid at me. We found out he was not a prospect. He did not have a good arm. Thank goodness.

"Tommy Lasorda was in his last year as third-base coach before he took over for Hall of Fame manager Walter Alston. Tommy ran past me and called these guys every name in the longshoreman's encyclopedia."

"A lot of people don't know this, but he beat me to the flag," recalls Lasorda. "I saw Rick start running over from center field to left. I didn't know what it was, but as soon as I saw him start, I took off and I ran out there, and of course, by that time, Rick had picked up the flag and continued running. When I got there, I see these two guys and I told them, 'Why don't one of you guys take a swing at me?' because there were 50-something thousand people in the ballpark and I only wanted them to swing at me, so I could defend myself and do a job on them."

Monday continued, "Doug Rau, a left-handed pitcher for the Dodgers at the time, came out of the dugout and I handed the flag to him. The two guys were led off the field through the Dodger bullpen.

"After the guys left, there was a buzz in the stands, people being aghast with what had taken place. Without being prompted, and I don't know where it started, but people began to sing 'God Bless America.' When I reflect back upon it now, I still get goose bumps."

Watch Rick Monday give his version of what happens in the following video Greatest Baseball Play -- Rick Monday, April 25, 1976:

The thought of the burning of the American flag on the field of play at the National Pastime just doesn't seem right. Thank you Rick Monday for doing the right thing.
Until Then Keep Playing Ball, Baseball Sisco #baseballsisco #baseballsiscokidstyle
For Further Reading: - Here is the boxscore for the April 25, 1976 game between the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers

Week Two Points and Highlights

Week two of the MLB season is in the books here are a few things that stood out to me:

- Kris Bryant Gets The Call Up
Chicago Cubs phenom Kris Bryant finally got the callup to the big league team on April 17th (which happens to be the anniversary of Mickey Mantle's debut in 1951) and proceeds to go 0-4 in with three strikeouts against the San Diego Padres. What does that mean? Not a damn thing. Chalk his debut to nerves. Bryant finished the weekend batting .300 with three hits including a double. He showed plate discipline by walking three times and only striking out four times, with three of those in the first game he played in. I think Bryant will be fine as long as people realize that he is indeed only 23-years of age.

The expectations by the Cubs faithful need to stay realistic. Winning will take time with the young team they have. They need to do things taking baby steps at first and then developing into a winning team. That takes time and patience. I mean the Cubs haven't won a World Series in over 100-years. What's waiting a few more to get it done right.

- Red Sox’s Rusney Castillo Sidelined Indefinitely With Shoulder Injury
While the buzz is high in Chicago with the promotion of prospect Kris Bryant, the buzz is down with Boston's phenom Rusney Castillo. The word on Castillo wasn't if he was getting called up but when. To the point that on a recent ESPN broadcast, the analysts were debating on which current Boston Red Sox outfielder would become the odd-man out when the eventual call-up was made.

Now the word from Beantown is that Castillo has been shut down due to a shoulder injury. According to the article Red Sox’s Rusney Castillo Sidelined Indefinitely With Shoulder Injury by Ricky Doyle from NESN dated April 14, 2015, Castillo's had an An MRI which revealed only inflammation and no structural damage in Castillo’s right shoulder.

Unlike the aforementioned Bryant who is under contractual control by the Cubs at a bargain rookie rate, Castillo is not. Castillo was signed last August by the Red Sox as a free agent at the tune of seven-year, $72.5 million dollars. While I'm sure there are many a member of the Boston faithful wondering if the Bosox will get their money's worth from Castillo, patience needs to be shown. This injury didn't come through negligence. It came while on the field.

- Alex Rodriguez's Performance
I had a brief discussion about this early last week. It really is hard to root for Alex Rodriguez. For years I rooted for him. I felt that he had hit rock bottom with his admission of PED use in 2009 and that he a reached redemption with his performance coming back from injury and helping the Yankees win the 2009 World Series. But the shenanigans from the last few years including those that led to a circus of a hearing which led to a year long suspension really soured me on him. The joke among Yankees fans was that Derek Jeter was retiring to avoid the A-Rod media circus that would start upon his reinstatement for the 2015 season. But I have to admit, throughout Spring Training and in the first two weeks of the season, A-Rod has been an exemplary and productive member of the team.

He's played everywhere manager Joe Girardi has asked him to play and he has been very productive at the plate, showing flashes of plate discipline and the powerful swing that propelled him to the superstar level in MLB. A-Rod finished this weekend with a slash line of .316/.447/.711 with 12 hits in 38 at-bats including three doubles and four home runs. He does have 15 strikeouts but also 9 walks so he is showing discipline at the plate.

Perhaps A-Rod has gotten tired of the media circus and the drama that he seems to bring upon himself. Maybe he can redeem himself with a productive end to his illustrious and disappointing career, walking off into the sunset with his head held high.

- Defending Champs Losing Ways
Giants' fans are wondering what has happened to their three time World Series Champions. The Gigantes have had a bit of a rough stretch in terms of both injuries to vital players and in games lost. Its best to have a losing streak in April rather than one in September. I know many like to invoke the "Odd Year Curse" for the Giants. In case you don't know what that is, since 2010, the Giants have won the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014 with a second place 86-76 season in 2011 and a fourth place 76-86 season in 2013. Both odd year seasons resulted in no post-season appearance for the Gigantes. Now if you believe in that sort of thing, then you might as well stop watching now. Even thought the NL West is reloaded for bear this season, the 2015 campaign is only two weeks in. So climb off the ledge fans of the Gigantes and have faith in your team.

- Mike Trout becomes the youngest player to 100 homers and 100 stolen bases
Trout reached the 100 homers/100 stolen base plateau this past Friday night. In doing so, he became the youngest player to do so. at 23-years and 251-days old, he eclipsed the aforementioned Alex Rodriguez who was the prior fastest to 100 homers/100 stolen bases. Rodriguez did so at 23-years 309-days old in 1999. According to Alden Gonzalez in his article Trout Smashes 100th Career Home Run from MLB.com dated April 17, 2015, Trout is the second player in Angels history with triple digits in homers and steals. The other Angel is Darren Erstad who had 114 homers and 170 stolen bases.

Trout had a 30/30 season in 2012 with 30 homers/49 stolen bases and narrowly missed another 30/30 season in 2013 with 27 homers/33 stolen bases. Last season Trout's stolen base production dropped significantly as he became a major run producer. He had 36 homers with only 16 stolen bases. Will Trout utilize his speed more this season to try and steal more bases or will he just focus on driving in runs with his power. That will remain to be seen.

- The Kansas City Royals Finally Lose
And in the most surprising news of the fledgling 2015 season, the American League Champion Kansas City Royals had their hopes for a 162-0 season dashed in a loss against the Minnesota Twins. The same way I tell Giants fans to just chill out about their team losing, I need to tell the same thing to those jumping off the Royals bandwagon after not only losing one game against the Twins, but losing two games and the series to the Twinkies.

Its good that the Royals are feisty (having a bench clearing incident against Mike Trout and the Angels) and are winning games but let's be honest. Its only two weeks in. Historically, how many teams have gone undefeated in the first week or two of the season and not make the playoffs. Probably quite a few. I'm not saying this is what will happen to the Royals. But eight straight wins is only roughly 5% of the games played in the season. There are WAY too many games to be played to stress out. They are playing good ball. Enjoy it!!! We'll check back and see where they are in June.

I know some Mets' fans will take me to task for not mentioning their current run. I don't want to jinx the Metropolitanos. I promise to mention them in the post for the third week of the Major League season.

Until Then Keep Playing Ball,
Baseball Sisco
#baseballsisco
#baseballsiscokidstyle

Andre Dawson Steals His 300th Base September 22, 1990

On this day in Baseball History September 22, 1990: Andre Dawson of the Chicago Cubs steals his 300th base off of Ron Darling and Mackey Sasser of the New York Mets. The 300th stolen base is significant since it allowed Dawson to join Willie Mays as the only players to have hit 300 home runs, 300 stolen bases and 2000 hits.

Dawson hit his 300th home run against Ron Darling of the New York Mets on April 23, 1989 and gets his 2,000th hit against pitcher Jim Clancy of the Houston Astros at the Astrodome August 18, 1989.

Dawson would retire at the end of the 1996 season. He would be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010 with 78% of the vote (420/539 ballots).

Since Dawson joined Mays on the 300 Hit, 300 Stolen Base, and 2000 hit club, a number of other players have joined them. Who are they? I'll keep that one in the bag for a future post.

Until Then Keep Playing Ball,
Baseball Sisco
#baseballsisco
#baseballsiscokidstyle

For Further Reading:
- Click here to access Andre Dawson's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click here to access the article '89 brought milestones, playoffs for Dawson by Carrie Muskat from MLB.com dated June 21, 2010
- Click here to access the article 1990: Andre Dawson of the CUBS stole his 300th base in an... from the Chicago Tribune dated September 22, 2004
- Click here to access the post Andre Dawson by Dan D'Addona for the SABR Baseball Biography Project
- Click here to access the blogpage Hawk 4 The Hall

A Quartet of Hall of Famers Debut on September 17th Part II

On this day in Baseball History September 17: In a continuation from my last post, A Quartet of Hall of Famers Debut on September 17th Part I, four future Hall of Famers made their debut on September 17th. The last post profiled Eddie Collins and Stan Musial. Let's see who the other two were.

Ernie Banks September 17, 1953

The man that would be known as Mr. Cub made his debut for the Chicago Cubs on September 17, 1953 against the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field, Chicago. Banks hold the distinction of being the first African-American player on the Chicago Cubs though he wasn't the first African-American signed by the Cubs. The article Banks grew from early Baker influence: First two black Cubs players formed tight bond by Carrie Muskat from MLB.com dated April 13, 2012 describes this further:

Ernie Banks was the first African-American to play for the Cubs, making his Major League debut on Sept. 17, 1953, at Wrigley Field. Three days later, Gene Baker, who was the first African-American player the Cubs signed, made his debut. If not for a minor injury, the two would've been in the lineup on the same day.

Baker signed with the Cubs in 1950 and spent three years in the Minor Leagues. Banks signed less than a week before his debut. And if it weren't for Baker, Banks may not have made it to the Hall of Fame.

Baker was a star at basketball and track in high school in Davenport, Iowa, and played sandlot baseball. He got more serious about baseball when he served in the Navy. In 1947, Baker was a star infielder for St. Ambrose University in Davenport. He was signed by the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro League to play shortstop and batted .293 his rookie season.

The Cubs saw Baker and signed him, assigning him to the Des Moines Bruins of the Class A Western League. The Monarchs would eventually replace Baker with another shortstop -- Banks.

Baker hit .321 for the Bruins in 1950 and was promoted to the Springfield Cubs of the International League, then the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League.

Wendell Smith, now in the writer's wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame and an African-American, felt the Cubs were holding Baker back for no reason.

"The most controversial player in the Chicago Cubs organization is a 28-year-old shortstop who plays 2,000 miles from here," Smith wrote in August 1953. "He is Gene Baker of Los Angeles, the Cubs' No. 1 Minor League affiliate. Are the Cubs purposely overlooking this smooth fielding shortstop for whom they paid $6,500 to the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League in 1950?"

In Smith's story, Wid Matthews, the Cubs director of player personnel at that time, said the team didn't feel Baker was ready. One month later, Baker and Banks arrived at Wrigley on the same day, Sept. 14, 1953. Banks was 22 and came from the Monarchs, where he had hit .380 with 23 homers. Baker was six years older.

They were called up at the perfect time. The Cubs were playing the Brooklyn Dodgers at Wrigley when Banks and Baker arrived. Jackie Robinson, the first player to break the color barrier in the Major Leagues, talked to the young shortstop and told him to not say anything, not listen to anything, Banks said.

"It was that type of atmosphere -- it was, 'OK, you're here, but you're not here,'" Banks said. "I fit into that. I was quiet anyways. Gene Baker, he was different. He was from Iowa, and he had played in Los Angeles against white players and had more experience."

Baker was more outspoken than Banks.

"One day we were coming back home after a game, and [Baker] said, 'All these guys are angry with you,' and I said, 'For what?'" Banks said. "He said, 'You're hustling too much, you're showing everybody up.'

"I said, 'I thought you're supposed to play hard,'" Banks said. "I said, 'What should I do?' He said, 'Keep on doing it.' He was a very bright guy. He was the brightest guy I've ever been around. He allowed me to learn from my own experiences."

Since both Baker and Banks were shortstops, the Cubs decided to move Baker to second base, because they felt he could make the adjustment easier. The next season, 1954, they were regulars in the Cubs' lineup and the first black double-play combination in the Major Leagues.

Here is the boxscore for the September 17, 1953 game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs from the September 18, 1953 edition of the New York Times:

Banks would play for the Chicago Cubs 19 seasons, retiring after the 1971 campaign. Banks would be inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977 with 83.8% of the vote (321/383 ballots).

- Click here to access Ernie Banks' career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click here to access Gene Baker's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click here to access the article Banks grew from early Baker influence: First two black Cubs players formed tight bond by Carrie Muskat from MLB.com dated April 13, 2012

Brooks Robinson September 17, 1955

The player that many believe is the best defensive third-baseman in the history of the game made his debut for the Baltimore Orioles on September 17, 1955 against the Washington Senators at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore. Unlike the previously profiled Collins, Musial and Banks, Robinson's debut and start to his Major League career was inauspicious to say the least. The article Brooks Robinson by Maxwell Cates from the SABR Baseball Biography Project goes into the problems facing Robinson at the point of his debut:

After graduating from Central High School in 1955, Robinson and his parents considered several baseball offers before signing with Baltimore Orioles scout Arthur Ehlers for $4,000. The Orioles were a lowly organization at the time, just a season removed from their transfer from St. Louis. Ehlers used the organization’s position to convince Robinson that “with us, you have the chance to move up faster than with probably any other club.”

Robinson began his professional career in York, Pennsylvania, with a reputation as a weak hitter. Even the public address announcer for the Piedmont League club did not take the prospect seriously, announcing him as Bob Robinson in his first plate appearance. Years later Robinson credited Paul Richards for seeing his “raw ability and for [refusing] to listen to the people that didn’t think I’d ever hit in the big leagues.” Robinson batted .091 (2-for-22) in a brief September call-up.

“I thought Paul was kidding when he had me watch the kid work out one day,” recalled teammate Gene Woodling. “He couldn’t hit, he couldn’t run, and his arm wasn’t that strong.” Robinson spent the next four years splitting time between the major and minor leagues.

Here is the boxscore for the September 17, 1953 game between the Washington Senators and the Baltimore Orioles from the September 18, 1953 edition of the New York Times:

Its funny to read about how Robinson was considered a prospect that couldn't hit, run and didn't have a strong arm knowing now that he is considered by many as being the best third-baseman to ever play the game. You have any doubts? Robinson won 16-straight Gold Gloves at 3rd from 1960-1975 and 15-straight All-Star appearances from 1960-1974. Robinson would retire on August 13, 1977. Robinson would be inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983 with 92% of the vote (344/374 ballots).

Not bad for a a prospect that couldn't hit, run and didn't have a strong arm. ;)

- Click here to access Brooks Robinson's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click here to access the article Brooks Robinson by Maxwell Cates from the SABR Baseball Biography Project 

I'm curious. Are there any other days on the calendar where a number of future Hall of Famers debuted on the same day in different years? If you know of any, please feel free to email me at baseballsiscokidstyle@gmail.com or send me a tweet at @BaseballSisco.

Until Then Keep Playing Ball,
Baseball Sisco
#baseballsisco
#baseballsiscokidstyle

Mark McGwire Hits Home Run Number 62 September 8, 1998

On this day in Baseball History September 8, 1998: Slugger Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals broke Roger Maris' record for home runs in a single season, hitting number 62 off Chicago Cubs pitcher Steve Trachsel at Busch Stadium, St. Louis. McGwire would finish the 1998 season with 70 single season record setting home runs. Where the achievement was celebrated by many at the time, McGwire's admission of steroid use on January 11, 2010 has placed a cloud over his 70 home run season of 1998.

Maris' single season record stood since 1961 and was in itself a point of controversy. Maris' record was looked upon by some as not being legitimate on the point that it took Maris' eight more games than it took the original single season home run king Babe Ruth to hit 60 in 1927.

Regardless of how some people feel today, that was an emotional moment in the history of the game. I can't speak for anyone but myself but I remember sitting on the edge of my seat with every at-bat that both McGwire and Sammy Sosa took waiting to see how would hit the ball out of the park. McGwire would finish with 70 homers while Sosa finished with 66.

I know many fans have been embittered with the whole "Steroid Era". For myself I can say that I am not. I am not going to sit here and thump my proverbial bible as some baseball writers, executives and TV people do today. Why? Everyone benefitted from the Steroid Era. Newspapers profited, TV/Cable networks profited, MLB profited, owners profited, players profited, vendors profited, sponsors profited. Everyone profited, even us fans. And I don't see anyone of those groups that profited giving back any of those profits back. So it is easy for many of them to place themselves on a higher moral plane without realizing that many of them just turned a blind eye to what was going on because it was convenient to "not rock the boat". Think back to 16-years ago (looking past your bitterness) and tell me that watching those clips, like the one up above don't give you goosebumps. I know they did to me.

The game we love isn't a perfect game, played by human beings, that for as much as we place them on the high pedestals aren't perfect. Many are flawed. Many do things to get an edge be it for fame, records or millions. That isn't a product of the Steroid Era. Many players throughout the history of Baseball have done that in different ways, shapes and forms. For better or worse Baseball is, and probably always be a game where cheating thrives. I would suggest that you read Roger I Abrams book "The Dark Side of the Diamond: Gambling, Violence, Drugs and Alcoholism in the National Pastime". Abrams does an amazing job researching different eras and you'd be surprised at the lengths some players (even some of them Hall of Famers) have gone to gain an edge.  

Will that change? No. I think players will continue to look for ways to find an edge be it via physical means or by equipment and hardware. Many will celebrate those who we believe to have done it "cleanly" or the "right way". If you as a player, with the rules in place against PED's decide to do so and get caught then so be it. You get your just desserts.

I'm so over the Steroid talk. When do we start complaining about Nano-tech, muscular implants and ocular implants in Baseball ;)

Until Then Keep Playing Ball,
Baseball Sisco
#baseballsisco
#baseballsiscokidstyle

For Further Reading:
- Click here to access Mark McGwire's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click here to read my article The Return of Mark McGwire from my former blog Baseballism.blogspot.com from January 9, 2010
- Click here to access McGwire Surpasses Maris With 62nd Home Run by Richard Justice from the Washington Post dated September 8, 1998
- Click here to access the article Mark McGwire Falls: Roger Maris & Babe Ruth Regain Title, "Home Run Kings" by Patrick Read from Bleacher Report dated January 11, 2010

   

Lou Brock Singles for his 3000th Hit August 13, 1979

On this day in Baseball History, Lou Brock of the St. Louis Cardinals singles against Dennis Lamp of the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium to become the 14th player to reach the 3000-hit plateau. Here are the fourteen players that had reached the 3000-hit plateau before Brock:

1. Unknown Cap Anson
2. 06/09/1914 Honus Wagner
3. 09/27/1914 Nap Lajoie (first game of the doubleheader)
4. 08/19/1921 Ty Cobb (second game of the doubleheader)
5. 05/17/1925 Tris Speaker
6. 06/03/1925 Eddie Collins
7. 06/19/1942 Paul Waner
8. 05/13/1958 Stan Musial
9. 05/17/1970 Hank Aaron (second game of the doubleheader)
10. 07/18/1970 Willie Mays
11. 09/30/1972 Roberto Clemente
12. 09/24/1974 Al Kaline
13. 05/05/1978 Pete Rose

Brock was originally signed as a free agent by the Chicago Cubs in 1960 and after faltering with the Cubs, he would be traded to the Cardinals in 1964 for pitcher Ernie Broglio. Brock would blossom into the feared base stealer of his era, leading the National League in steals eight times with 118 steals being his career best in 1974. Brock would be the career base steal leader with 938 stolen bases until Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson eclipsed the record on May 1, 1991 while with the Oakland Athletics. 

Brock was a six-time National League All-Star and a top ten finalist for the NL MVP award five-times, coming in second for the award in 1974. Brock was a model of consistency playing in 150+ games a season for eleven straight seasons from 1964-1974 and playing in 123 games in 1962, 148 games in 1963, 136 games in 1975, 133 games in 1976, 141 games in 1977 and 120 games in 1979. Aside from his rookie season of 1961, Brock failed to play in 100 more games in only one season, 1978. 

Brock would retire after the 1979 season with 938 steals, 3023 hits and a career .293 batting average. Lou Brock would be inducted into the Hall of Fame by Baseball Writers of America as a player in 1985 with 80% of the vote (315/395 ballots).

A month later, Carl Yaztremski of the Boston Red Sox would join Lou Brock as a member of the 3000-hits club. I'll touch upon that next month. 

Until Then Keep Playing Ball,

Baseball Sisco

#baseballsisco

#baseballsiscokidstyle

For Further Reading:

- Click Here to access the career statistics for Lou Brock from Baseball Reference.com

Greg Maddux Gets His 300th Win August 7, 2004

On this day in Baseball History August 7, 2004, Greg Maddux of the Chicago Cubs becomes the 22nd player to reach the 300-win plateau with a 8-4 victory against the San Francisco Giants at SBC Park. Though it wasn't a Maddux-like performance, he still was able to win by giving up four runs, seven hits and three walks over five-plus innings while striking out three.

Here is the list of the other 21 300-game winners at the time Ryan joined the club (in the order in which they reached the plateau):

1. 1888 Pud Calvin
2. 1890 Tim Keefe
3. 1890 Mickey Welch
4. 1891 Charles Radbourne
5. 1892 John Clarkson
6. 1900 Kid Nichols
7. 1901 Cy Young
8. 1912 Christy Mathewson
9. 1915 Ed Plank
10. 1920 Walter Johnson
11. 1924 Grover Alexander
12. 1941 Lefty Grove
13. 1961 Warren Spahn
14. 1963 Early Wynne
15. 1982 Gaylord Perry
16. 1983 Steve Carlton
17. 1985 Tom Seaver
18. 1985 Phil Niekro
19. 1986 Don Sutton
20. 1990 Nolan Ryan
21. 2003 Roger Clemens

Maddux would go on to win a total of 355 games which places him at number eight on the all-time wins list. Here are the other seven pitchers that are ahead of Maddux on this list:

1. Cy Young 511 wins RHP
2. Walter Johnson 417 wins RHP
3. Pete Alexander 373 wins RHP
4. Christy Mathewson 373 wins RHP
5. Pud Galvin 365 wins RHP
6. Warren Spahn 363 wins LHP
7. Kid Nichols 361 wins RHP
8. Greg Maddux 355 wins RHP

Maddux won four consecutive National League Cy Young Awards (1992-1995), placed in the top five of NL Cy Young Voting nine times. He would make seven All-Star appearances and win a staggering eighteen Gold Gloves.

Maddux would retire in 2008 after 23-seasons and was inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer after having received 97.2% of the vote (555/571 ballots).

Bobby Cox, Tony LaRussa, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas, Greg Maddux and Joe Torre

The Professor was one of the best we've ever seen play the game, doing so not through power and sheer force but through finesse and calculated pitching. Thanks for the memories.

Until Then Keep Playing Ball,
Baseball Sisco
#baseballsisco
#baseballsiscokidstyle

For Further Reading:
- Click Here to access Greg Maddux's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click Here to access the boxscore for Greg Maddux's 300th win on August 7, 2004 from Baseball Reference.com
- Click Here to access the article Maddux welcomed into the 300 club by Carrie Muskat from MLB.com dated August 7, 2004

Things Are About To Come Full Circle For Alfonso Soriano

Rumors are stating that the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs are close to a trade that would bring back Alfonso Soriano to the Bronx. Now whether or not this is a good move for the Yankees is not the point for this post. What I want to look at is how this move closes the circle on the February 16, 2004 traded that sent Soriano and Joaquin Arias to the Texas Rangers for Alex Rodriguez. Why is Soriano's return closing the circle?

It would seem that with Ryan Braun's suspension yesterday due to his involvement in the Biogenesis PED investigation it is almost a matter of time that Alex Rodriguez gets his due in the form of a suspension (or even worse for him a ban) from Baseball. Nine years removed from that trade we can potentially see a lineup that includes Soriano but no Rodriguez. It really is funny how things like this work in Baseball.

My friend Melvin asked me why the Yankees keep trading for half-ass players. Here was my response:

I'm not totally sure. I think they need to reassure the fan base that they are doing something to salvage the season. Plus they aren't willing to trade for an expensive piece in terms of giving up top tier prospects. Soriano is a salary dump for the Cubs. They'll take something minimal from the Yankees to be rid of him.

My friend Steven added another important layer to my comment by stating that some fans need a "name" and the illusion that the team is adding offense.

Whether or not Soriano can make a difference remains to be seen. I do believe that his bat behind Robinson Cano is an upgrade from Vernon Wells and Travis Hafner. Maybe a trade back to the city that saw his career start might give him a jump start to break from the ennui that he possibly felt in Chicago. Plus his contract runs into 2014 which would leave the Yankees with a potential signed outfield of Soriano, Ichiro Suzuki and Brett Gardner with Wells and possibly Curtis Granderson (if they chose to resign him). I'm not sure if the AA Trenton Thunder trio of Slade Heathcott, Tyler Austin and Ramon Flores are ready to play next season in the Bronx. But if they aren't I guess Soriano, Ichiro and Gardner will have to do.

We'll see how it plays out in the next day or so.

Sisco Kid

The Amazing Walk Discipline of Bob Tewksbury

My friend Christopher and I were talking about the 1987 Yankees earlier today when he mentioned that former Yankees pitcher Bob Tewksbury walked a total of 20 batters during the 1992 season. I had mentioned that I needed to look at his statistics a bit more closely and I was amazed at how little number of batters he walked over his career. Before I go into his lack of walks, I wanted to go into a little background on Tewksbury.

Tewksbury was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 19th Round of the 1981 Draft. After a number of seasons in the minors, Tewksbury was called up in April of 1986 and made his debut on April 11, 1986. He would pitch during the 1986 and part of the 1987 season for the Yankees before being sent down to the Yankees AAA affiliate Columbus Clippers. His demotion caused Tewksbury to ask for a trade.

His wishes were granted with his being traded on July 13, 1987 with Rich Scheid and Dean Wilkins to the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Steve Trout in one of the many lopsided trades the Yankees seemed to fall prey to during the late 1980's. Trout went 0-4 wth a 6.60 ERA in his only season with the Yankees and would himself be traded with Henry Cotto to the Seattle Mariners for Lee Guetterman, Clay Parker and Wade Taylor.

Tewksbury never really seemed to find himself in his season and a half with the Cubs going 0-4 with a 6.75 ERA in only 8 games pitched. He would be granted free agency and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. It was with the Cardinals that he would show flashes of his limited walk potential.

In six seasons with the Cardinals (968.2 IP), Tewksbury walked a total of 125. That's an average of almost 21 walks in an average of 161 innings pitched. Here are the number of innings and walks during his six years in St. Louis:

Year	IP	BB	BB/9
1989	30.0	10	3.0
1990	145.1	15	0.9
1991	191.0	38	1.8
1992	233.0	20	0.8
1993	213.2	20	0.8
1994	155.2	22	1.3

Tewksbury led the National League in 1992 and 1993 with less than one walk per nine innings pitched. He would still be impressive in the walks department upon joining the Texas Rangers for the 1995 season, the San Diego Padres in 1996 and the Minnesota Twins to close out his career in 1997-1998. Here are his walk totals for those seasons:

Year	IP	BB	BB/9
1995	129.2	20	1.4
1996	206.2	43	1.9
1997	168.2	31	1.7
1998	148.1	20	1.2

Tewksbury's best season was the 1992 season when he made his only All-Star appearance and was third in the National League Cy Young Award voting. Here are his statistics for that season:

Player		W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	W-L%		IP	H	R	ER		BB	K	WHIP
Bob Tewksbury		16	5	2.16	33	32	5	0	.762		233	217	63	56		20	91	1.017

Now I'm not saying that Tewksbury was an elite power pitcher and starter. Far from it, but let's see who, if anyone, came close to that 20 walk range in close to 200 innings during last season. The closest  starter that I've been able to find is Cliff Lee of the Philadelphia Phillies who walked 28 batters in 211.0 innings pitched. Kyle Lohse formerly of the St. Louis Cardinals walked 38 in 211.0 innings pitched and Bronson Arroyo of the Cincinnati Reds walked 35 in 202.0 innings pitched. 
It makes you wonder what the Yankees may have looked like if they had kept pitchers like Bob Tewksbury, Doug Drabek, Jose Rijo and Al Leiter instead of trading them for players who did not produce for the team as these young players may have. The Yankees dynasty might have come sooner...or might not have come at all. I leave you to speculate on that.
Sisco Kid


For Further Reading: - Click Here to access Bob Tewksbury's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com - Click Here for the article Cubs Put New Man In Action from the Chicago Tribune website dated July 17, 1987 - Click Here for the article Yanks Trade Trout, Cotto To Mariners from the Sun Sentinel website dated December 23, 1987

Jamie Moyer Is A Role Model

I just finished reading Tyler Kepner's article At 49, Jamie Moyer Is Slower, but Not Stopping from today's New York Times. Before I go into what I think of Jamie Moyer, I wanted to highlight some facts that Kepner highlights:

- At 49 years 5 months and 3 days Moyer would stand to become the oldest pitcher to win a game
- He is currently older than 8 managers and 18 general managers
- Started playing professionally before 15 players on the Rockies 40-man roster were born
- Played in 49 different ballparks of which 14 no longer exist
- Played in the last game in Wrigley Field before the lights were installed (1988)
- Second in career wins after the age of 40 with 103 (Phil Niekro had 121)
- Career leader in Home runs allowed with 511

What do I think of Jamie Moyer? I think the man is a role-model. He was told in college that he had a very slow fastball. It wouldn't even register over 90mph. Most ballplayers would have been discouraged to even continue, but not Moyer. He continued to work on his trade, giving his all to perfect his skills which was recognized by major league scouts. His dedication led to his being drafted by the Chicago Cubs. He would struggle at the major league level eventually being released by the Cubs in 1991 and being offered a chance to work as a coach with the team. Most players would have jumped at that chance, but not Moyer.

He decided to start from scratch with the AAA Toledo Mud Hens for the entire 1992 season and then playing with the Baltimore Orioles from 1993-1995 before being traded to the Seattle Mariners. It was with the Mariners that Moyer made himself known, not as a power pitcher, but as a pitcher who could succeed by hitting his spots with finesse and savvy. Working within his strengths not his perceived weaknesses. That was in 1996. Here we are now in 2013. 2013!!!! And Moyer is still out there, trying to earn a spot in the rotation of the Colorado Rockies.

Here's to determination and outright love for the game. Moyer doesn't do it for the money or the adoration. He's not a primadonna who plays for the glory, preening like a peacock in front of the cameras. The man feels like he can still succeed at the level that he is used to playing at and will try to do so until he can't. Moyer has a dream and he is hoping to continue to live that dream by playing in the Major Leagues. I believe that if he reached the point in his career where he couldn't complete not due to age but due to skill, that he would thank the game for what it has given him and walk away into the sunset without any regrets.

If a child is out there looking for a role model to whom they can say, I want to be like someone, that someone should be Jamie Moyer. Continued success to you, you now have a lifelong fan in me rooting for you.

FH

For Further Reading:
- Click Here to access Jamie Moyer's career statistics from BaseballReference.com
- Click Here to access the homepage of the Moyer Foundation, established by Jamie Moyer and his wife Karen Moyer

Alfonso Soriano and How the Mighty Have Fallen

In March of 2010 I wrote a post on my Latinoball blog site called ¿Que Le Paso a Alfonso Soriano?. In this post, I reference an article that I had read from the Washington Post, which basically said that the Chicago Cubs did not get what they paid for in Soriano. Here the Cubs are left with four years on his contract at the sum of $18 million per year until 2014. With Soriano currently batting .249 with 14HR and 41 RBI with 76 strikeouts and only 16 walks it seems that the Cubs are willing to eat a significant part of Soriano’s contract in order to move him.

Mike Axisa of MLBTradeRumors.com states in his article Cubs Willing To Eat High Percentage Of Soriano's Deal that based on sources the Cubs would be:

"willing to absorb a high percentage" of the money left on his deal if the right trade offer came along. There is more than $60M left on his eight-year, $136MM contract.

Soriano also has a full no-trade clause that unbeknown to him was included in his contract. In an interview with Chicago Sun-Times reporter Gordon Wittenmyer Soriano had the following to say about waiving his no-trade clause:

"If it was a contender, yes," Soriano said of waiving the no-trade. "Of course, I want to win. I want to win here. But if not here, then somewhere else. . . .First of all, I don’t want to leave here. I want to stay here because we’ve got to win it. But if they want to trade me, I think the team they would want to trade me to would be a contender that I could help."

If the last few seasons are an indication, the Chicago Cubs will not be winning anything anytime soon. Discarding players like Aramis Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano and rebuilding the team around players such as Starlin Castro might be the way to go.

It seems that at the age of 35, (yes Yankees fans, it has been 10 seasons since Soriano almost won the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks with a homerun against Curt Schilling in the 6th inning of Game 7) that Soriano’s best days might be behind him. A future in the AL as a potential DH and occasional outfield replacement might be his best bet.

FH

For Further Reading:
- Click Here for Alfonso Soriano's career statistics from Baseball-Reference.com

Winter Meetings Day Three

A few of these transactions were reported after I signed off. So here goes day Three:

- Carlos Peña signs with the Chicago Cubs
Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated reports that the Chicago Cubs and Carlos Peña have agreed on a 1-year $10 million dollar contract. Peña, formerly of the Tampa Bay Rays, is coming off of a disappointing season at the plate. In 2010, Peña hit .196 with 28 HRs and 84 RBI. In 484 at-bats he had 95 hits (18 2B/0 3B/28 HR) to go along with 87 walks and 158 strikeouts. His OPS was .732 (325 OBP%/407 SLG%).

From 2007-2009 Peña averaged 39 HRs (144 in the last 4 seasons) and 108 RBI with 95 walks and 157 strikeouts so we know he can be an offensive force from the left side of the plate. His signing with the Cubs fills a need for the team since Derreck Lee was traded last season to the Atlanta Braves. Peña joins Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez in a lineup that has the potential to be potent. The question remains whether or not one or all of these players can stay healthy and play at their potential.

- Click Here for Carlos Peña's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

- Matt Diaz signs with the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates continued with their very active showing at the Winter Meetings by signing outfielder Matt Diaz. Pirates beat reporter for MLB.com Jen Langosch reports that Diaz, formerly of the Atlanta Braves, signed a two-year agreement for "approximately $4.25 million.".

In 2010 Diaz batted .250 with 7HRs and 31 RBI. In 224 at-bats, Diaz had 56 hits (17 2B/2 3B/7 HR) with 13 walks and 44 strikeouts.

Langosch says the following about Diaz in relation to his role with the Pirates:

The Pirates have been looking for someone who can be a threat against left-handed pitching, and Diaz is exactly that. He batted. 273 against lefties last season and is a career .335 hitter against southpaws.

Diaz played primarily in left while with Atlanta, but his fit with the Pirates would be in right. He has played 78 career games as a right fielder and batted .305 in his five-year stay with Atlanta.

I'll be honest when I say I don't know much about Diaz. Guess I'll have to track him in the box scores to see his progress.

- Click Here to access Matt Diaz's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

That's all for now. I'll be back soon with (hopefully) some more news and signings.

FH

¿Que La Paso a Carlos Zambrano?

It feels like deja-vu that I am writing this kind of post about a Cubs player. Back in March I wrote about what has happened to Alfonso Soriano (Click here to see that posting). This season has been a very hectic and disappointing season for Carlos Zambrano which came to a head with his dugout temper tantrum against Derreck Lee and the Chicago Cubs bench. In case you haven't seen the video, click here to see it on MLB.com. Zambrano felt as if Derreck Lee had not properly played a ball that went down the first base line. What Zambrano fails to realize is that after the next player got on base, he was the one who served up the long ball to Carlos Quentin. After his outburst left teammates red in the face and wet from the Gatorade container he tipped over, Zambrano was sent home by manager Lou Piniella and was later suspended indefinitely. The following comments were made Chicago Cubs Genereal Manager Ted Hendry after the game:

"His conduct was not acceptable, his actions toward his teammates and staff were not acceptable. He will not be at the ballpark [Saturday]. We'll play with 24 [players]. From my point of view, we'll play with 24 before we tolerate that kind of behavior."

It is how I like to say about Zambrano's countryman Ozzie Guillen, when you are winning and producing, the tamtrums and comments are allowed. In Zambrano's case, from 2003-2008, he was 91-51 with a 3.39 ERA in 193 games started with 8 complete games and 3 shutouts. In 1266 innings pitched Zambrano gave up 1053 hits, walked 549 and recorded 1075K's for a WHIP of 1.265. But the last two seasons have been different.

Due to injuries and ineffectiveness, Zambrano has a 12-13 record with a 4.24 ERA in 37 games started (13 relief appearances this season) with 1 complete game and 1 shutout. In 225 innings pitched Zambrano gave up 224 hits, walked 103 and recorded 205K's for a WHIP of 1.453. His lack of performance got him a demotion to the bullpen for the majority of the first half of this season and now his outburst got him a full demotion from the team and maybe out of Chicago.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella made the following comments regarding Zambrano:

"That's something that can't be tolerated. He came in after he got the third out and he started yelling and screaming. It was embarrassing. ... There's no excuse for this, none at all, no excuse whatsoever.

"I'm embarrassed, he should be embarrassed. He's going to have to apologize to his teammates, that's for darn sure. We've got our share of problems, we don't need those. I sent him home, yes."

How many apologies can Zambrano make to his teammates before they get fully tired of his act. Only time will tell. We'll see how this plays out. All I can say is that Zambrano is a very good pitcher with strong desire and emotion that has let said emotions get the better of him and has derailed his career. Again, only time will tell on how this will end up for Zambrano.

FH

For Further Reading:
- Click here for Paul Sullivan's article on Chicagobreakngsports.com regarding the Zambrano dugout outburst.
- Click here for video footage of Cubs GM Ted Hendry talking about Zambrano's suspension.
- Click here to access Carlos Zambrano's statistics on Baseballreference.com.