Cleveland Cy Young Pitchers October 10, 2024

What's up peeps. I'm watching Game 4 of the Guardians vs the Tigers and the annoucners were talking about Guardian pitchers that have won the American League Cy Young Award. That got me thinking about which pitchers have won the award for the Indians/Guardians. I thought that the list was longer. The award was won six times by five pitchers. Here are the winners.  

Gaylord Perry 1972

C.C. Sabathia 2007

Cliff Lee 2008

Corey Kluber 2014 and 2017

Shane Bieber 2020

I really thought that Cleveland had more Cy Young winners. I was thinking that Bartolo Colon won his Cy Young in Cleveland. He actually won it in 2005 with the Angels. He placed 4th in Cy Young voting in 1999. Recently deceased Luis Tiant had a phenomenal 1968 season for the Indians going 21-9 with a 1.60 ERA. But it would be hard to not have the 31-game winner Denny McLain win the Cy Young unanimously, which he did. Bob Feller played in the era before the Cy Young was being awarded.

Would you have thought that another Cleveland pitcher would have won the A.L. Cy Young? Let me know in the comments box. 

Until Then Keep Playing Ball,

Baseball Sisco
#BaseballSisco
#BaseballSiscoKidStyle

Who Was Walt Bond April 1, 2018

With the news that 6'7" Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees was playing Centerfield against the Blue Jays this past Saturday, it was reported that Judge would break the record for tallest Centerfielder. The previously tallest player to play CF was Walt Bond (October 19, 1937 - September 14, 1967.). It got me thinking, I can't say that I had ever heard about Walt Bond. What I found out about him was very tragic.

Bond played in the majors from 1960 to 1967. He would play first base and the outfield for the Cleveland Indians from 1960-1962, Houston Colt 45's/Astros from 1964-1965 and the Minnesota Twins in 1967. Bond's best season came in 1964 when he his .254 with 20 Homers and 85 RBIs in 147 games with the Colt 45's. So what happened to Walt Bond?

While serving in the Army, Bond was diagnosed with Leukemia. He would fight Leukemia throughout his baseball career, eventually dying from the illness on September 14, 1967 at the young age of 29.

Its a shame to hear about a ballplayer being taken so young due to illness. At least with Aaron Judge playing in CF this past Saturday, a small measure of light was shed on the short career of Walt Bond. May you continue to Rest in Peace Walt Bond.

For Further Reading:

- Walt Bond's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Walt Bond Dies at the age of 29 from the Morning Record dated September 15, 1967

First American League Night Game May 16, 1939

On This Day in Baseball History May 16, 1939: The first American League night game took place at Philadelphia's Shibe Park when Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics hosted the Cleveland Indians in front of 15,109 fans.

The game would go into the 10th inning tied 3-3 until the Indians broke the game open with five runs in the top of the 10th. The Tribe would win the game by a score of 8-3.

The Athletics would become only the third MLB franchise to host a game under the lights after the Cincinnati Reds who were the first on May 24, 1935 and the Brooklyn Dodgers on June 15, 1938, which is significant in Baseball history as being the night when Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Vandermeer threw his second consecutive no-hitter.

It is believed that the first professional Baseball game under the light took place on May 2, 1930, when the Des Moines, Iowa, team hosted Wichita for a Western League game. Many minor league teams would use lights to play night games five years before the majors in an attempt to stay viable during the Great Depression.

Here is the box score to the May 16, 1939 night game between the Cleveland Indians and the Philadelphia Athletics:

It really is amazing to think of a time where Baseball games were played primarily during the daytime. Aside from the Cubs who still play the majority of their home games during the day, we take it for granted today that the majority of the games are played under the lights. And with the profit margins leaning higher during night games, I don't see MLB teams playing less games at night and more during the day, especially during the week.

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

A Couple of 20-Game Winner Accomplishments September 8th

On this day in Baseball History September 8th: A couple of milestones were reached by two 20-Game winners.

- September 8, 1939

Cleveland Indians starter Bob Feller becomes the youngest pitcher to win 20-games. Feller won his 20th game at the age of 20 years old against the St. Louis Browns at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Feller's record would stand until August 25, 1985 when New York Mets starting pitcher Dwight "Dr. K" Gooden defeated the San Diego Padres at Shea Stadium 9-3 to become the youngest 20-game winner in Major League Baseball history. Here is my August 25, 2014 post Dr. K Becomes the Youngest 20-Game Winner August 25, 1985.

Feller would finish the season with a 24-9 record and a 2.85 ERA with 24 complete games in 35 games started. Here is the box score for the September 8, 1939 game between the Cleveland Indians vs. the St. Louis Browns

- Click here to access Bob Feller's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

- Click here to access the official Bob Feller webpage

- September 8, 1963

Milwaukee Braves starter Warren Spahn ties legendary pitcher Christy Mathewson with 13 20-win seasons. Spahn pitched a complete game for his 20th against Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 at Connie Mack Stadium (aka Shibe Park before 1953), Philadelphia.

Mathewson had 12-consecutive 20-win seasons from 1903-1914. His first 20-game season came in 1901. The pitcher with the most 20-game seasons is Cy Young. Young had 15 20-game win seasons. You can also add on the 5 30-game win seasons to that list as well. Walter Johnson and Kid Nichols had 12 20-game win seasons. Spahn would finish the season with a 23-7 record with a 2.60 ERA with 22 COMPLETE GAMES!!!!! Mind boggling. Let me blow your mind, Spahn for his career had 382 complete games out of 665 games started. LOL.

Here is the box score for the September 8, 1963 game between the Milwaukee Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies.

- Click here to access Warren Spahn's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click here to access Christy Mathewson's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click here to access Cy Young's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click here to access Walter Johnson's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click here to access Kid Nichols' career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

Both Feller and Spahn had the 20-game historical moments on September 8th. While Feller was a tender 20-years of age when he achieved his first 20-game season, Spahn was the grizzled age of 42 when he reached his final 20-year season. Which one do you think we see sooner: a 20-year old 20-game winner or a 42-year old 20-game winner?

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

Francona and Hurdle Win Their First Manager of the Year Awards

The Manager of the Year awards for the American and National leagues were announced yesterday with Terry Francona of the Cleveland Indians and Clint Hurdle of the Pittsburgh Pirates winning the awards. Francona had 16 of 30 first place votes for 112 points in a tightly packed ballot. Hurdle had 25 of 20 first place votes for 140 points.

Francona in his first season at the helm of the Cleveland Indians led the team to a 92-70 record and a Wild Card berth. The Indians would eventually end up losing to the Tampa Bay Rays in the Wild Card playoff game. Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell received 12 first place votes for a total of 96 points in leading the Boston Red Sox to a World Series title after finishing in last place of the American League East last season. Bob Melvin of the Oakland Athletics came in third with 36 points.

Hurdle led the Pirates to a 94-68 record in the National League Central which was not only good enough for a National League Wild Card berth but also the 20-year losing season streak in Pittsburgh was broken. The Pirates defeated their division rival Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card playoff game and lost in five games to the eventual National League champion St. Louis Cardinals.

What I find interesting about the vote is that Hurdle didn't win the award unanimously. Don Mattingly of the Los Angeles Dodgers came in second with 68 points (2-first place votes) and Fredi Gonzalez of the Atlanta Braves third with 43 votes (3-first place votes). I know people have different points of view, but leading a team to an impressive record, a second round playoff spot AND breaking a 20-year losing record streak translates to an unanimous Manager of the Year showing. But that's just me.

I'm not disappointed in the least with the winners of the Manager of the Year awards. If Farrell or Melvin would have won, I still wouldn't be disappointed. The three top managers in the American League Manager of the Year award ballot did an amazing job with leading their respective teams to winning records during the 2013 season.

Tomorrow is when the Cy Young Awards are announced. The finalists for the American League Cy Young are Yu Darvish of the Texas Rangers, Hisashi Iwakuma of the Seattle Mariners and Max Scherzer of the Detroit Tigers. In the National League, Jose Fernandez of the Miami Marlins, Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals are the NL Cy Young finalists. It should be interesting to see who wins.

Sisco Kid

For Further Reading:
- Click Here to access the breakdown of the American League Manager of the Year vote from the BBWAA website
- Click Here to access the breakdown of the National League Manager of the Year vote from the BBWAA website

Brazilians In The Major Leagues

Brazilians and Baseball seem to make strange bedfellows. When one thinks of Brazilians and sports you would think about Futbol, Basketball, Mixed Martial Arts and even Rodeo. Baseball doesn't even seem to come up in the conversation. But it seems that there has been some inroads which have translated in two major leaguers.

Cleveland first baseman-catcher
Yan Gomes. (Rich Pilling/Getty Images)

The first Brazilian born major leaguer is the catcher for the Cleveland Indians Yan Gomes. Gomes was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 10th round of the 2009 draft playing out of the University of Tennessee. After making his way through the Blue Jays minor league system, Gomes made history on May 17, 2012. Against the Yankees, Gomes got his first hit for a Brazilian born player on the day of his debut.

Gomes was born on July 19, 1987 in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. After his family moved to the United States, Gomes went to High School in Miami and was originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 39th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball but decided to not sign. As I stated above he eventually was drafted in 2009 with the Blue Jays in the 2009 draft.

In his only season with the Blue Jays:

Player		G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI		BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG	OPS
Yan Gomes		43	98	9	20	4	0	4	13		6	32	0	0	.264	.367	.204	.631

On November 3, 2012 , Gomes was traded with Mike Aviles to the Cleveland Indians for pitcher Esmil Rogers. Gomes has seen limited duty this season backing up Carlos Santana. So far this season:

Player		G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI		BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG	OPS
Yan Gomes		43	145	23	41	8	2	7	23		8	29	2	0	.314	.510	.283	.824

Up to today's date, Gomes was the only Brazilian born major leaguer until Andre Rienzo made his debut for the Chicago White Sox against Gomes' Cleveland Indians marking the first time that two (the only two) players born in Brazil faced each other on a Major League field. Rienzo is the first Brazilian-born pitcher in the Major Leagues. 

Rienzo was born on June 5, 1988 in São Paulo, Brazil. Similar to Gomes, Rienzo's family emigrated to the United States. Rienzo would sign as an undrafted free agent with the Chicago White Sox in 2009 and started in the minors. Rienzo would find himself in some controversy when he failed a drug test in 2012, testing positive for metabolites of Stanozolol which is a performance-enhancing drug. While Rienzo stated that he he unknowingly ingested the PED via a supplement that he bought in Brazil, he decided to take responsibility and served his 50-game suspension. He came back and kept working hard. His hard work would be duly rewarded.

It was announced yesterday that Chicago starter Jake Peavy would not be able to make his start in Tuesday night's game against the Indians and that Rienzo would be brought up. In his debut against the Indians, Rienzo became the first White Sox rookie since Jack McDowell in 1987 to throw seven innings in his major league debut without allowing an earned run. In total Rienzo gave up five hits giving up three unearned runs with six strikeouts and three walks in the no-decision. How did Rienzo do against his countryman Gomes?

Gomes had the upperhand against Rienzo by getting a single in the third inning and a bases loaded walk in the fifth. Rienzo would end up striking out Gomes in the seventh. 

With the impressive showing of the Barry Larkin managed Team Brazil in the 2013 World Baseball Classic with three competitive games against Pool A teams Japan, Cuba and China it seems that the future is bright. I believe that the next Brazilian major leaguer might be Tampa Bay Single-A prospect Leonardo Reginatto who seemed to me to shine in the three games that he played in the WBC. Also impressive for Brazil was Rafael Fernandes who plays in the Nippon Professional Baseball League (NPB) for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. 

We'll have to see how that plays out. Either way its good to see the sport continually grow in markets and countries where the sport is not the main sport. 

Sisco Kid

For Further Reading

- Click Here to access Yan Gomes' career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

- Click Here to access Andre Rienzo's career statistics from Baseball Cube.com

- Click Here to access Leonardo Reginatto's career statistics from Baseball Cube.com

- Click Here to access Rafael Fernandes' career statistics from Baseball Cube.com

- Click Here to access Scott Powers' article Two minor leaguers suspended from ESPN Chicago's website dated April 26, 2012

- Click Here to access Mark Gonzales' article entitled Rienzo impressive in major league debut for Sox from the Chicago Tribune website dated July 30, 2013
- Click Here to access the box score for the July 30th game against the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Indians

What A Difference Ten Games Makes

The key to any professional Baseball team is to get off to a good start and try to maintain a consistent pace throughout the season. Now that is often easier said than done since many factors can undermine a good start such as injuries, inefficient play and difficult scheduling. For this post, I wanted to look at four MLB teams whose place in the standings have changed significantly in the last ten games.

The Cleveland Indians
The Indians were sitting at .500 with a 13-13 record before they ripped off 8 wins in their last 10 games to take the lead in the American League Central with a 21-15 record. They've been led by a power surge in the homerun department and much improved starting pitching specifically from Ubaldo Jimenez and Scott Kazmir. The team that got shellacked by the Yankees earlier this season seems to have gotten their act together. Whether they stay that way or revert to their previous form remains to be seen.

- Team Report on the Cleveland Indians from Yahoo! Sports
- The Cleveland Indians page from Yahoo! Sports

The Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox had the best record in the league at 20-8 before they ran into a brick wall called the Texas Rangers. Going into that series the Red Sox had won 8 out of their last 10 games and seemed to be running optimally on all cylinders. What happened in the next 10 games includes a three game sweep by the American League West leaders Rangers, dropping three out of four to the Minnesota Twins at home and dropping two or three to the seemingly reawakening Toronto Blue Jays. The slide has left the Red Sox in third place in the American League East with a 22-16 record.

I think Manager John Farrell says it best:

"I think we've got a number of guys dealing with frustration right now. There's no question about it...The key for us is maintaining our level of preparation and our work routine. Those are the two things that we can control."

The Red Sox go into a pivotal series against division rival Tampa Bay Rays who are owners of a 6-game winning streak and are 7-3 in their last 10 games.

- Team Report on the Boston Red Sox from Yahoo! Sports
- The Boston Red Sox Page from Yahoo! Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals are sitting atop the National League Central with a 23-15 record after ripping off 8 wins in their last 10 games behind solid pitching by starters Adam Wainright, Shelby Miller, Lance Lynn and Jamie Garcia. The Cardinals seem to be the pace setter in a seemingly three team race in the National League Central. Both the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates are close to the Cardinals and are playing very good baseball sitting only two to three games behind the Cardinals.

The Cardinals have a stretch where they play against under .500 teams (Mets, Brewers, Padres and Dodgers) they can add more distance within the division.

- Team Report on the St. Louis Cardinals from Yahoo! Sports
- The St. Louis Cardinals Page from Yahoo! Sports

Atlanta Braves
The Braves struggles are more than just in the last 10 games. After ripping off a 12-1 start to the 2013 season, the Braves have gone 9-15 since to sit at 21-16. They are barely hanging on to first place in the National League East. The Washington Nationals have seemed to have gotten a bit more consistent (with the exception of Stephen Strausberg) by playing good ball in the last 10 games of their own.

The seemingly explosive Braves offense just seems to be unbalanced these days. In the last three games against the San Francisco Giants, the Braves only scored 4 runs while giving up 23 to a team that really isn't one of the most dynamic when it comes to scoring many runs. It seems that the hits and runs just seem to come from a handful of players. Justin Upton has slowed down, B.J. Upton is struggling mightily, Dan Uggla still seems to not be able to find his form in Atlanta, Jason Heyward's bat is missed in the lineup. The return of Brian McCann and his hot bat might help to spark the Braves' offense but the pitching also needs to step up and stop giving up so many runs. Braves Manager Fredi Gonzalez says it best:

"We haven't been real fun to watch right now. What did we score? Four runs the past couple games. They have a good club, and any time we made a mistake they took advantage. We haven't gone deep into a game with our pitching, and we haven't been scoring runs. They're a good team."

The Braves have a decent stretch against the surprising 21-17 Arizona Diamondbacks, the Dodgers, Twins and division rival Mets. Can the Braves rediscover the energy that caused them to run roughshod over the league to start the season or will they continue to struggle going into the month of June.

- Team Report on the Atlanta Braves from Yahoo! Sports
- The Atlanta Braves Page from Yahoo! Sports

Sisco Kid