Ty Cobb Becomes The First Player to Reach 4,000 Hits July 18, 1927

On This Day in Baseball History July 18, 1927: Philadelphia Athletics outfielder Ty Cobb became the first Major League Baseball player to reach the 4,000 hit plateau against his former team the Detroit Tigers at the Tigers home Navin Field. He would hit his 4,000th hit against Tigers pitcher Sam Gibson in the top of the first inning.

Unlike the fanfare that reaching such a milestone would garner in today's Baseball world, Cobb reaching 4,000 barely garnered any press. The New York Times of July 19, 1927 not only doesn't mention Cobb reaching 4,000 hits, he isn't even mentioned in the two paragraph article describing the 5-3 loss by the Athletics. The blogpost No hoopla when Ty Cobb got his 4,000th hit by Richard Bak from the Detroit Athletic Company dated November 18, 2013 mentions some of the Detroit press from that day's baseball action:

As Harry Salsinger wrote in the next day’s Detroit News, “Cobb hit a line drive into right field and [Harry] Heilmann, trying for a one-handed catch, got his glove on the ball but it bounced out and gave Cobb a scratch two-bagger.” Harry Bullion of the Detroit Free Press described Cobb’s hit as “a lucky double [that] slid off Heilmann’s gloved hand and helped in the making of two runs.” The 2-0 lead didn’t last long as Detroit countered with three runs in the bottom of the first off Lefty Grove.

Significantly, the game was not held up to acknowledge the historic base hit and Cobb didn’t ask for the ball. In fact, Cobb’s accomplishment was scarcely acknowledged in the next day’s papers. One reason is that little emphasis was put on such arcane records then. Another is that it was considered just another ho-hum day at the office for the 40-year-old Cobb, a hitting machine who seemed likely to go on forever. Who was to say that he wouldn’t reach 5,000 hits someday? The same attitude prevailed at the end of the summer when Babe Ruth clouted his 60th home run, breaking his own record. Like 4,000 hits, 60 home runs made for a nice round number, but many observers figured the Yankees’ slugger might one day hit 65 or 70, so why get too excited?

The Free Press ran a column of notes with the headline: “Bengals In Third Place; Ty Cobb Gets 4,000th Hit.” Bullion wrote: “When Cobb made his fluke double in the first inning, it was his 4,000th major league safety. He’s so far ahead of all records of other batsmen that he will never be beaten or tied.”

Trying not to be defeated in trying to find something on Cobb's 4,000th, I decided to look into a trusted resource that I have used before when posting about Cobb.

I pulled my worn copy of Ty Cobb: My Life in Baseball with Al Stump off my Baseball book shelf and to my dismay, I found NOTHING about the day Cobb delivered his 4,000th hit. The only mention of his accomplishments during the 1927 season for the A's is on page 257:

My personal performance in 1927 was satisfactory: a matter of 175 hits in 134 games, 104 runs scored and another 93 driven in for an average of .357. At forty-one, I could still leg it a bit, if 22 stolen bases was any evidence.

Cobb would become the charter member of the 4,000 hit club that day and finish his career with 4,191 hits. On page 146, Cobb would claim that out of the 4,191 hits he collected over his 24-year career, 72-plus percent of them were singles. He had 3,054 singles out of his total of 4,191 hits for an accurate 72.9 percent.

There is only one other member of the 4,000 hit club and that is the man who would eventually pass Ty Cobb as Baseball's All-time hit king: Pete Rose. Rose would reach 4,000 hits on April 13, 1984 and would pass Cobb on September 11, 1985 with his 4,192nd hit. Rose would finish his career with 4,256 hits.

So much for trying to find something Cobb may have said concerning the day he hit his 4,000th hit. Oh well. Though the article doesn't mention the accomplishment here is the boxscore for the Philadelphia Athletics vs. The Detroit Tigers on July 18, 1927 from the July 19, 1927 edition of the New York Times:

Will we ever see another player reach 4,000 hits? I always thought that Derek Jeter had a chance before he broke his ankle in the postseason against the Detroit Tigers in 2013. He would finish his career in 2014 with 3,465 hits. Anyone want to take a guess on who, if anyone, can reach 4,000 hits in today's game?

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

Week Three Points and Highlights

Week Three of the 2015 season is in the books and here are a few things I came across.

- Nelson Cruz
The other day I posted the following tweet:

With every homerun Nelson Cruz hits, Robinson Cano's smile gets bigger and bigger. #NelsonCruz #RobinsonCano #SeattleMariners #Mariners
— Baseball Sisco (@BaseballSisco) April 16, 2015

I think I have to amend that tweet. With every homerun Nelson Cruz hits, the entire Seattle Mariners team's smiles get bigger and bigger. What a difference a year makes.

Last season I made mention that while I understood why Robinson Cano signed with the Mariners, I questioned the decision since he would not have much in the way of protection in the lineup. Well, things change this season with the offseason signing of Nelson Cruz. Again, what a difference a year makes.

Last season, Cruz signed for a budget $8-million with the Orioles coming off a 50-games suspension resulting from the Biogenesis scandal and put up an MVP caliber season for the Orioles. Now Cruz is batting after Cano in a lineup that is re-markedly improved along with a solid rotation. For the season Cruz is putting up a slash line of .324/.361/.750 with 9 homers and 20 RBI. So far the M's are sitting tied for 4th place at 7-11 with the surprising Houston Astros sitting pretty a-top the American League West 11-7. I can see the Mariners righting the ship and starting to club the ball. We'll see what happens as the season moves along.

- How About Those New York Mets
I mentioned that last week I would talk about the Metropolitanos. Well, the Mets ripped off an 11-game win streak including a 10-0 homestand against division rivals Philadelphia Phillies, Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves. In doing so, the Mets tied a franchise record set by the 1969, 1972, 1986, and 1990 who all put up 11-game winning streaks. It stopped at 11-games when the Mets lost the first game of the Subway Series against the Yankees.

What I find impressive is that the Mets have done so without a number of players including captain David Wright and starting catch Travis D'Arnaud who both are missing time on the DL. In their place is Eric Campbell and rookie catcher Kevin Plawecki and both are producing. And what can I say about The Dark Knight: Matt Harvey. Its hard to believe that Harvey missed a season to Tommy John surgery. This kid is a total stud.

So far he's gone 4-0 with a 3.04 ERA with 22 hits allowed, 31 strikeouts and only 3 walks for a WHIP of 0.94. His swagger and confidence seems to be slowly seeping into the entire team. As Travis D'Arnaud said during the Mets vs. Yankees telecast on ESPN, the team believes that they can will. Who knows, if they can continue to win as division rivals Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins struggle, the N.L. East might just be their's to lose.

- A brief history of the Mets' eleven-game winning streaks by Chris McShane from Amazin Avenue.com

- Didi Gregorious and Tino Martinez
People fail to realize that it is very difficult to step in the shoes of a Baseball legend. Some might say that it is even harder when the legend plays for the New York Yankees. I notice that Yankee fans are being critical of Didi Gregorious' performance so far with the Yankees at shortstop. Not only is he learning a new league, he's doing it in the long shadow of future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter.

Look at the back page of the New York Daily News the day after the Yankees traded for Gregorious. Just the headline alone shows the expectations that have been placed on Gregorious. And this was before the season started and Gregorious was struggling. The situation reminds me of how Tino Martinez struggled at first base for the New York Yankees at the beginning of the 1996 season.

Martinez was traded from the Seattle Mariners to the Yankees in a December 7, 1995 trade with Jim Mecir and Jeff Nelson for Russ Davis and Sterling Hitchock. Martinez was already a solid first-basemen for the Mariners and similarly to Gregorious, his performance at first was shadowed by recently retired career Yankees legend Don Mattingly. Again, as with Gregorious, Martinez struggled amid great and lofty expectations but as the season progressed, he settled in and was a main player in the 1996 Yankees World Series Championship season.

People need to give Gregorious a chance. I mean a REAL chance. Not a month. Not two months. At the very least give the kid a full season to show his mettle. He's not going to be Derek Jeter. We've already seen him play. We just need to see Didi Gregorious play his game. Maybe he excels. Maybe he becomes the Yankees version of Royce Clayton.
who had the dubious honor of having to replace Ozzie Smith at shortstop for the Cardinals in 1997).

Nearly 20 Years Later, Another Yankees Replacement Is Struggling by Billy Witz from the New York Times dated April 18, 2015

- Waino done for the season?
The news coming out of St. Louis is not good. Reports state that Adam Wainright was placed on the DL with an left ankle/achilles tendon injury. If he tore the achilles tendon, his season is done. The Cardinals always seem to be able to fill spots due to injuries and according to the article Martinez, Wacha and Lynn Allow Cardinals to Absorb Adam Wainwright Injury by Anthony Witrado from Bleacher Report dated April 25, 2015, Witrado believes that:

There might not be a team in Major League Baseball more equipped to absorb the blow of losing their ace right now than the Cardinals. They have a rotation packed with front-line pitchers in their 20s, and all three of them have sub-2.00 ERAs through each of their first three starts this season.

Michael Wacha, Carlos Martinez—both 23 years old—and Lance Lynn, 27, have helped Wainwright pitch the Cardinals to a 12-4 record. Those four are the reasons the rotation led the majors with a 2.06 ERA entering Saturday, a number lowered to 1.97 by Wainwright's four shutout innings before the injury.

It would seem that Cole Hamels would be a suitable replacement for Wainwright in the rotation. The question is, are the Cardinals willing to trade from their surplus of prospects in order to get Hamels. Since in this situation, the Phillies hold the seller's advantage, the Cardinals might have to overpay if they want Hamels services. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Let's see what happens after Wainwright's MRI.

AS OF 7:30PM ON 4/27: Adam Wainwright was diagnosed with a torn left achilles tendon which will cause him to miss 9-12 months. 

- Kansas City Royals are a-fighting
So the Royals have started the 2015 season with three bench clearing incidents. Week one had Yordano Ventura jawing with Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels. Then in week two you had a back and forth plunking matches and three straight days of bench clearing between the Royals and the Oakland A's including Yordano Ventura getting ejected when he hit Brett Lawrie with a pitch after Josh Reddick homered. Week three was capped with a full blown brawl started by words being exchanged between Yordano Ventura and Adam Eaton of the Chicago White Sox which led to the suspension of six players including Ventura who was given a seven day suspension.

You see a pattern here? Like I told my friend Melvin the other day: Ventura is young, full of piss and vinegar. I mean, he's become the ace of the staff after James Shields signed with the San Diego Padres. So he must be on cloud nine and is showing his swagger every start. But he needs to dial it down before someone gets hurt.

This is where old time baseball people bemoan the DH since retribution can't be exacted on the guilty party. I think if this was in the NL, Ventura would be a bit more cautious in his plunking of opposing players and his excitable mannerism. Back in the day, he would have taken one to the ribs. I know the Royals want to show the entire league that their World Series appearance was not a fluke. But someone needs to take Ventura aside and let him know that not only is an opposing player at risk of getting hurt due to his behavior, a fellow teammate can get hurt through Baseball's form of retribution. Whether he learns or not is something we'll have to keep an eye on after he serves his suspension.

Well that's all for this week. I'll be back next week with my POV on the fourth week of the MLB season.

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

What A Magical Night In The Bronx September 25, 2014

Normally the words Magical and the Bronx aren't normally heard together in the same sentence. But sitting in my seats at Yankee Stadium last watching the events of the evening unfold in such a storybook manner were truly magical. You couldn't write the ending to that game any better. It was amazing to see the normally reserved Derek Jeter show some emotion. The ballpark was rocking, even after the Orioles tied the game in the 9th inning. People knew that they would get one last chance to see Jeter at the plate. He didn't disappoint.

Now I know what Yankees fans felt when Mickey Mantle walked off into the sunset. I know some of you will say that I am exaggerating when I say this but for Yankees fans like me who lived through the dark years of the late 80's and early 90's and the subsequent dynasty years of 1996-2001, Derek Jeter is our generation's Mantle. We saw him debut as a fresh faced prospect and walk away and elder of the game. The franchise now has to rebuild. The team has no face to it. No Captain. In essence the team has a clean slate. But I digress. I had the privilege as a season ticket holder of watching both Mariano Rivera's and Derek Jeter's last game in Yankee Pinstripes. Those were two experiences that I wouldn't trade for the world.

Thank you Derek Jeter for all the effort and moments you gave us Yankee fans during your twenty year career. Going to the ballpark in the Bronx next year will not be the same without you.

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

Jeter and Ichiro Move Up the All-Time Hits List

Yesterday marked a double achievement for two members of the New York Yankees. Derek Jeter tied the legendary Honus Wagner for sixth on the All-Time hit list with 3,430 hits. Barring any monumental injury from today on, Jeter will have sole possession of sixth place on the list. Here are the top five players on the All-Time Hits list:

1. Pete Rose 4,256
2. Ty Cobb 4,191
3. Hank Aaron 3,771
4. Stan Musial 3,630
5. Tris Speaker 3,514

Can Jeter belt out 70 more hits to get to 3,500? I'm not sure if he can, but it will be fun to watch to see if he comes close.

Ichiro Suzuki also tied a legendary player who he is already linked to on the All-Time hit list. Ichiro tied George Sisler for forty-eighth on the All-Time hits list with 2,810 hits. When Ichiro set the single season hits record in 2004, he did so by breaking George Sisler's record of 257 hits which was set in 1920. Here is the list for the top ten players on the Single Season hits list:

1. Ichiro Suzuki (30)   262 in 2004

2. George Sisler (27)   257 in 1920

3. Lefty O'Doul (32)   254 in 1929

  Bill Terry (31)             254 in 1930

5. Al Simmons (23)   253 in 1925

6. Rogers Hornsby (26)   250 in 1922

  Chuck Klein (25)   250 in 1930

8. Ty Cobb (24)           248 in 1911

9. George Sisler (29)      246 in 1922

10. Ichiro Suzuki (27)  242 in 2001

I would think that Ichiro would like to continue playing so that he can reach the 3,000 hit plateau of which he is 190 hits away from. I don't think that if he doesn't reach 3,000 he will be kept out of Cooperstown. I think his place in the Hall of Fame is already secure. But 3,000 hits is always a nice thing to have, especially since only 28 players have ever hit the 3,000 mark. We'll have to watch and see if he can do it.

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

Derek Jeter As Our Generation's Mickey Mantle

As many know by now, New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter has announced that this season will be his last season. This is two years in a row where Yankees legends have announced that the upcoming season will be their last. Something I told my friend Christopher has been on my mind. I told him that Derek Jeter is the Mickey Mantle of our generation. While I make the comparison between Jeter and Mantle, would also like to do so while making the comparison between Joe DiMaggio and Don Mattingly. How so? Allow me to elaborate on this.

Both DiMaggio and Mattingly were beloved by the Yankees faithful. While they were certainly missed by the fans after their retirement, the success by the team post-retirement helped to ease their departure. DiMaggio retired after the 1951 season. After he leaves the Yankees win the World Series in 1952-1953, 1956, 1958, 1961-1962 with losses in the World Series in 1955, 1957, 1960, 1963, and 1964. The stoic DiMaggio was replaced in the fans' hearts with charismatic and handsome Mickey Mantle.

Mattingly retired after the post-season loss to the Seattle Mariners in 1995 and the team would go on to win four World Series in five years 1996, 1998-2000 with losses in 2001 and 2003. As with DiMaggio, Mattingly (though not stoic as DiMaggio was) was replaced by his eventual successor as Yankees Captain: the charismatic and handsome Derek Jeter. In this I believe Mantle and Jeter are very similar.

Derek Jeter and Mickey Mantle

Both players were the leaders and face of the franchise during years of prosperity. Both were also the face of the teams when their careers started to decline amid injuries and a team that seemed to be a shadow of their winning selves. The departures of both players would (potentially in the case of Jeter) mark the end of prosperous eras. The end of the "Golden Era of New York Baseball" Yankees-era and the "Core Four" Yankees-era are (and will be) marked by the retirements of Mantle and Jeter respectively. Their teams would seem to be in flux, leaning towards leaner years to come. It would take eight years before the Yankees would return to the World Series post-Mantle. Time will only tell where the Yankees will stand post-Jeter.

All we know that we need to enjoy watching Derek Jeter as we did watching Mariano Rivera. Luckily for me (as I did last season) I have tickets for the last Yankees home game on September 25, 2014. We indeed are indeed on the in verge of a whole new Yankees era. Yankees Baseball won't be the same without Derek Jeter.

Sisco Kid

Derek Jeter Joins the 3000 Hit Club

Yesterday I had the pleasure to watch (on TV, not in person) Yankees' Captain Derek Jeter notch his 3000th hit with a homer against Tampa Bay Rays ace David Price. In doing so, Jeter became the 28th member of the exclusive 3000 hit club. He finished his day with a career 5 for 5 day with a homerun and a double with a stolen base. He drove in the winning run with his final hit of the day. To celebrate Jeter's achievement, I wanted to post some interesting points:

- 28th member of the 3000 hit club
- First Yankee to hit all 3000 with the team. EVER!!!
- Second player to hit a homer for his 3000th hit (Wade Boggs in 1999)
- Second player to get five hits the day he hit his 3000th hit (Craig Biggio in 2007)
- 15th Player to hit first 3000 with the same franchise (Rose, Cobb, Aaron, Musial, Anson, Yastrzemski, Mays, Ripken, Brett, Yount, Gwynn, Biggio, Kaline, Clemente)
- 10th Player to play for only one team for their career in the 3000 hit club (Brett (Royals), Roberto Clemente (Pirates), Tony Gwynn (Padres), Al Kaline (Tigers), Stan Musial (Cardinals), Cal Ripken (Orioles), Carl Yastrzemski (Red Sox) and Yount (Brewers))
- 18th player to do so with a .300+ career batting average (.313)
- 5th player to play with the Yankees to be in the 3000 hit club (Waner, Winfield, Boggs, Henderson)
- 14th Right handed hitter (12 left-handers, 2 switch hitters)
- 4th youngest to get 3000th hit at 37 years and 13 days of age (Cobb at 34 years 244 days, Aaron at 36 years 101 days, Yount 36 years 359 days)

Here are some of Derek Jeter's hits milestones:
1st hit 05/30/1995 against Seattle
1000th hit 09/25/2000 against Detroit
2000th hit 05/26/2006 against Kansas City
2722nd hit 09/11/2009 against Baltimore (Top of Yankees Hit list passing Lou Gehrig)
3000th hit 07/09/2011 against Tampa Bay

I can wax poetically on Jeter's achievement but I'll just let the statistics above speak for themselves. Oh, I just have one last thing to say about Derek Jeter: Hall of Famer.

FH

*** Keep in mind that of the 28 players who are in the 3000 hit club, 25 of them have been enshrined in Cooperstown. Biggio becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2012, Jeter obviously is still active and the proverbial black sheep of the 3000 hit club is Rafael Palmiero whose Hall of Fame status is jeopardized by his failure of a steriod test in 2005.

Jeter, Reyes and the future of Shortstop in NYC

I awoke to see the following comments on my Facebook News Feed written by my friend Eric. The article that Eric is referring to is As Yankees face inevitable change from Derek Jeter at shortstop, time to make way for Jose Reyes by Tim Smith of the New York Daily News. Here is what Eric said:

If this kind of thought of trading for big name players at every position were around in the 90's there would have been no Jeter,Andy, Jorge , Bernie or Mariano. The writer is stuck in the Steinbrenner 80's

Now in defense of Jose Reyes, with the exception of the trade for Rickey Henderson in 1984, the Steinbrenner regime of the 1980's never, ever traded for a player of Jose Reyes' caliber. Guys like Jesse Barfield, Roy Smalley and Ken Phelps (I still shudder when I think of that trade) were more like the kind of players that Steinbrenner traded young talent such as Doug Drabek, Al Leiter and Jay Buhner to acquire. You can roll up all the position players that I mentioned and you still don't equal Jose Reyes.

Reyes is a franchise Shortstop as how Derek Jeter was seen earlier in his career. Now both are different types of players but the meaning to each others' organizations cannot be simply quantified. I found it amazing that Jeter's trip to the disabled list for a calf strain was his first stint on the DL since 2003. Sure, many writers and fans alike like to point out Jeter's diminishing skills, he is a consistent presence in the field and at bat for the Yankees. But is Reyes the person to take pick up the mantle from Jeter?

Do I think the Yankees need to look at the future of the Shortstop position. Absolutely. Granted Jeter is signed for the next three seasons, can he be productive in the field in the next two? I think the Yankees have a player currently on the bench that can step right in and that is Eduardo Nuñez. Based on his minor league statistics, Nuñez is a contact hitter with speed and a very good glove and will turn 24 today. Yankees manager Joe Girardi has stated that while Jeter is on the DL, Nuñez is his starter. So we'll get to see what Nuñez brings to the table. So given that, where does that leave Jose Reyes.

Reyes is in an enviable position. As I stated earlier, he's currently a franchise player in a position that is devoid of franchise players throughout the league. With the exception of Jimmy Rollins of the Philadephia Phillies, Troy Tulowitski of the Colorado Rockies, Elvis Andrus of the Texas Rangers and Starlin Castro of the Chicago Cubs are there any other Shortstops that you can think of as being franchise players? Add to the mix that Jose Reyes is ONLY 28, tearing up the league and playing on a team that is currently in financial straits. I believe the only course of action for the New York Mets is to trade Jose Reyes (as well as Carlos Beltran and possibly Francisco Rodriguez) for top prospects to replenish the system.

Consider that the top three prospects for the Mets as per Baseball America are 21-year old pitcher Jennry Mejia, 19-year old shortstop Wilmer Flores and outfielder 20 year old Cesar Puello. Mejia is slated to have Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right elbow and will be lost for a year or more. Flores is currently batting .259 and Puello is batting .230 at Class A+ Florida State League. These players are young and have a long way to go before they reach the majors. Keep in mind that the last Mets' prospect to live up to his potential was Jose Reyes.

The move to trade Reyes would come difficult for the Mets. Reyes is beloved by the Mets faithful and is a dynamic player when healthy. I personally believe that he is a better player than Carl Crawford who Mets owner Fred Wilpon stated that Reyes would not garner the same kind of contract that Crawford signed with the Boston Red Sox (7-year $142 million dollars). Consider that from 2005-2008, Reyes averaged 153 games played with a .287 batting average, 195 hits, 14 homeruns, 32 doubles, 17 triples, 66 RBI, 113 runs scored and 64 stolen bases. Aside from two injury filled seasons (2009-2010), Reyes is back to form with a league leading .346 batting average, a league leading 97 hits, 3 homers, 19 doubles and a league leading 11 triples, 27 RBI, 49 Runs scored and 22 stolen bases. So if Reyes is traded, are the Yankees the best fit.

The Yankees have a plethora of minor league talent in the form of catchers Jesus Montero and Austin Romine and pitchers Manny Banelos, Dellin Betances, Andrew Brackman and current major leaguers Hector Noesi and Ivan Nova. Ideally, the Yankees should continue the approach that GM Brian Cashman has taken and continue to develop the talent, keeping the system stocked and working from within. As alluring as a trade for Reyes would be, I think the Yankees are better off passing on Reyes and continue to groom Nuñez as Jeter's heir apparent. Where I think Reyes should be traded is San Francisco. AT&T park's wide open spaces (Left field: 335 feet, Left-center: 364 feet, Center field: 404 feet, Right-center: 420 feet, Right field: 307 feet) plays into Jose Reyes' strengths and I believe that his energy would help to ease the pain of the loss of Buster Posey. I know that Giants Shortstop prospect Brandon Crawford has played well since his call-up a few weeks ago but a player like Jose Reyes might be able to swing the balance of power in the NL West back in the favor of the World Champions. Another West Coast destination for Reyes might be Anaheim.

Whether or not new Mets minority owner David Einhorn can make a splash by resigning Jose Reyes past this season remains to be seen. I think the Mets are in a win-win situation when it comes to Reyes. Keep him and retain one of the best players in the game today. Trade him and make tremendous strides in rebuilding the team. Only time will tell what will happen.

FH

For Further Reading:
- Click Here for Jose Reyes' career statistics from BaseballReference.com
- Click Here for Derek Jeter's career statistics from BaseballReference.com
- Click Here for Eduardo Nunez's career minor league statistics from TheBaseballCube.com
- Click Here to access the ranking of the Top Ten Prospects in the New York Mets organization by Baseball America
- Click Here to access Tim Smith's article As Yankees face inevitable change from Derek Jeter at shortstop, time to make way for Jose Reyes dated June 15, 2011 from NYDailyNews.com

The 3000-Hit Club Post Derek Jeter

I read an interesting article in today's New York Times written by Neil Payne entitled After Jeter Reaches 3,000 Hits, Who's Likely Next?. In the article, Payne describes who might be the next players to reach the lofty 3,000 hit plateau after Derek Jeter (who is currently at 2,990 hits). The method in which Payne reaches his conclusion is based on Bill James' theory called the Favorite Toy. As per Payne:

the Favorite Toy, a simple means of projecting performance based on a player’s age and most recent career trends.

The formula essentially asks and answers three questions:

1. How far is a player from the milestone in question?
2. How quickly is he approaching the milestone?
3. How much time does he have left to attain the milestone?

So based on the model, the next three players who have the highest probability of reaching 3,000 hits are Alex Rodriguez (2,731), Johnny Damon (2,637) and Albert Pujols (1,969). Time is on the side of these players, especially Pujols. Both Rodriguez and Damon are in their mid to late 30's and I believe will continue to be productive players. Pujols is truly amazing to me since at the age of 31 he is only 31 hits away from 2,000 hits and 78 homeruns from 500. If based on his average of 197 hits per season (his highest of of 212 in 2003 and lowest of 177 in 2006) he's on pace to hit 3,000 hits during the 2017 season. God knows how many homeruns he'll have at that point. Like I said before: truly amazing.

A name that I find surprising that is missing from the top of the list is that of Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki. Payne says the following about Ichiro:

Even for a great hitter like Ichiro Suzuki, the trends are pointing down. He ranks 11th among active players, but he is 37, needs 690 hits to reach 3,000 and has fallen off this season

So the man in 37 and is currently having himself an "Un-Ichiro" type season. Keep in mind that even though he currently has 2,310 hits in 11 Major League Baseball season, this is a man that also has 1,285 hits while playing in Japan for the Orix Blue Wave of the Nippon Professional Baseball League. So his total hit figure is 3,595. His track record has proven that he is a consistent hit machine. He has averaged 224 hits a season since his debut in the Majors in 2001 (his highest was 262 in 2004 and his lowest was 206 in 2005) and until he shows me in more than half a year that his skills are in decline, I am going to expect him to live up to his prior production. I'm not saying that age doesn't play a role in the diminishing of skills it does, but I just don't think that metrics of any kind can quantify a man's desire and motivation to achieve personal goals. I think that Ichiro will be the first Japanese ballplayer to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown regardless if he reaches the 3,000 hit plateau but how better to nail down his legacy by getting to 3,000. Whether he gets there playing with the Mariners or not is another story for another day.

I do agree with Payne when he says it might be difficult for Ivan Rodriguez (2,835) and Omar Vizquel (2,823) to reach 3,000. Both players have become utility players and getting over 175 hits to reach 3,000 in that role makes it difficult. The necessary at-bats are just not there. An intriguing player is Vladimir Guerrero.

At 2,494 hits, he will reach the 2,500 hit mark within the next week or two. Based on last year's resurgent season with the Texas Rangers, Guerrero can still be a productive player though he can pretty much only do so in the DH position. I'm not sure if the lack of interest in Guerrero during last season's off-season is a reflection of Guerrero's skills but will the at-bats be there for Guerrero to get the necessary 500 hits to reach 3,000.

As it stand today, the 3,000 hit club only has 27 members. After Jeter makes it 28 within a few weeks and possibly 32 with the potential addition of Damon, Pujols, Suzuki and Rodriguez I think that there will be a period of time where no one will reach 3,000 hits making membership in that club as exclusive as the 300 win club.

Any opinions? Additions and/or subtractions? Let me know.

FH

For Further Reading:
- Click Here for an interactive exhibit on the 3,000 Hit club presented by the National Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown website

My Impressions of the Derek Jeter Contract Press Conference

I just finished watching the Derek Jeter press conference and came to a realization: We've just seen the transformation of Derek Jeter. Sure he had the cool demeanor we have grown accustomed to seeing in Jeter. But we saw something new out of him: Anger.

I thought that there were a few statements that he made that seemed to stand out more than others. When asked about what if any frustration he felt at the negotiations, Jeter said:

Honestly the thing that bothered me the most was how public this became..This was a negotiation that was supposed to be private...It was an uncomfortable position that I was in...it was not an enjoyable experience...throughout the years I have prided myself on keeping things out of the papers and out of the media and this became a private thing...This was something I was not happy about...I'll let my feelings be known this situation this free agency thing, I never wanted to be a free agent, it was the situation that I was in...I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't angry at how some of this went

When asked by Sweeney Murti of WFAN on who he was angry at Jeter responded (after an attempted moment of levity directed towards Murti):

I'm not sitting here pointing fingers at anyone...You see we're one big happy family here up at the podium...I was more angry at the process and how I was portrayed...You know there was alot of things said out there...I try not to read the papers and try not to listen to the stories...No matter how you look at it your friends and family are filling you in...I was angry at how I was portrayed through all of this...I've heard greed...I've heard all of a sudden I have ego and arrogance...I don't think that was portrayed correctly because this was a negotiation and from my understanding of a negotiation, one side makes and offer the other side makes an offer and you try to come to an agreement...All the statements of salary demands I'm in no position to demand anything since I basically said this is where I wanted to be, what can I demand...It was just a matter of coming to an agreement between sides...I just thought it was portrayed incorrectly.

Those of you who know me are familiar with how I stand in respect to the whole Derek Jeter contract negotiation. I felt the haughty public stance taken by the Yankees was wrong for a player of Jeter's caliber. Sure he is getting older. He's not the same fresh faced player that we saw come up with the team in 1996. But from what I understood from his words, his stance and his mannerisms, the fire to succeed has not been diminished in any way from then to now. I think the negativity that surrounded his contract renewal will serve to ignite him even more, though he has way too much class to be public about it.

I've never seen Jeter with that look on his face and to be honest I'm glad to see it. I hope he goes out and puts up an MVP type season and shuts the critics up. For all of you out there with your metrics and statistics that are used to measure up players, knock Jeter all you want. At the end of the day, I'll take the Yankee Captain to play the #6 position on the field of Yankee Stadium. If I wasn't a Jeter fan before today, I am now.

FH

- Click Here to access the video footage of the Jeter press conference from the YES Network website

- Click Here to access the video footage of the post-press conference interview with Derek Jeter done by Bob Lorenz and Jack Curry from the YES Network website

Derek Jeter Re-signs With the Yankees!!!!!

Jack Curry of the YES Network reported on his Twitter feed that The Yankees and Derek Jeter have concluded their negotiations and have come up with the following contract:

Jeter's 3-yr deal with Yanks is done. He'll make between $15-$17 million a year. 4th yr option isn't guaranteed. Deal contingent on physical.

Curry also notes in his blog post Jeter, Yanks agree on deal:

The fourth year of the deal was important to Jeter, who said in spring training that he wanted to play four or five more seasons. But the Yankees didn’t want to guarantee a fourth year to Jeter, who had the worst season of his career when he batted .270 in 2010 and who will turn 37 years old in June. The sides vowed to be creative in trying to secure a deal, which is why they were finalizing a hybrid option that will include various elements and won’t be fully guaranteed. The sides met deep into the night on Friday and were talking again on Saturday

There it is folks. The contract drama is over. Let's hope there's no bad blood left over from the negotiations. Glad to see #2 will be back in Pinstripes for at least the next 3 years. The amount that I said would be enough to sign him was more than was agreed upon, but as I told a few people after Mariano signed the other day once Rivera signed for 2-years at $15 million per then Jeter would sign for something in the same range. Both players are valuable to the team but some would argue that Rivera is worth more. That is a debate for another day. For now, things are returning to normal in Yankeeland. Next on the docket: Cliff Lee.

FH

For Further Reading
- Click Here to access Jack Curry's blogpage on MyYESNetwork.com

Derek Jeter and His Contract Demands

I've been astonished now for the last few weeks on how the sports media has turned on New York Yankees Captain Derek Jeter. I could see the point of view that the media put forth in his winning his 5th Gold glove for a Shortstop. Where my astonishment lies is how he is being portrayed as a greedy and egotistical person in his contract demands.

It was reported yesterday that Jeter was looking for a contract in the range of 5-years and 25 million-per-year. Whether that is true or not I cannot say. If it is true then Jeter's demands are unrealistic. On the other hand, I believe the Yankees' offer of 3-years and 15 million-per-year is disrespectful. Now I know many of you who are reading this will say: How is making 15 million-per-year a slight. Allow me to elaborate.

In this past contract, Jeter averaged 18.9 million-per-year. Looking at that number, the offer made to Jeter is almost 4 million less. When most of us leave a job for a newer one it is often based on salary and the prospects of making a higher salary. This is especially so when we feel that we cab do our jobs at the level that is expected of us. Then why should it be different than Derek Jeter.

Sure he had an off year by Derek Jeter standards. But isn't anyone allowed an off year? Would you rather have Jeter who you know is a model of consistency or a player who only performs at the highest level during his contract or walk year. His accomplishments, actions, class and grace have spoken for themselves year in and year out. Let's judge Jeter's decline on next year and the year after not just on last year.

I believe a suitable offer for the player that means so much to not only the New York Yankees but the city of New York and the fanbase of the team should be in the range of 3 to 4 years at 20 million-per-year. The team will make their money back as Jeter chases and eclipses the 3000-hit mark and further cements himself as a first ballot Hall of Famer. All this "nickel and dime" business is doing is turning a simple negotiation into a bitter conflict that can have long lasting effects between Jeter and the team. 

For the good of all parties, get this done already. If the Boss was still alive, this post would be non-existent as Jeter would be signed, sealed and delivered.

FH

A Few Baseball Milestones

In the last few weeks a number of Baseball milestones have been reached by various players throughout the league and I just wanted to highlight a few of them for you. Here goes:

- Dan Uggla
The Florida Marlins' second baseman for the became the first second baseman in the history of Major League Baseball to have four consecutive seasons of 30 homeruns. Uggla is also the first second baseman to have three consecutive 30 homerun seasons. I find that truly impressive since power hitting second basemen such as Jeff Kent, Chase Utley and Alfonso Soriano have put plenty of balls into the seats while playing second, through Kent and Soriano also played other positions. Michael Jong in his article named Dan Uggla Reaches Another Milestone HR on the MarlinManiac.com webpage compares Uggla to other players that have been homerun hitters at the second base position. Congrats to Dan Uggla on his continued success in Florida.

- Evan Longoria
Since I was in the sunshine state I decided to move north to Tampa-St. Petersburg to highlight the milestone of the Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria. On Sunday September 5th in a game against the Baltimore Orioles, Longoria hit his 20th homerun of the season. This achievement couples with his 30 doubles has made Longoria the fifth player to achieve this accomplishment within their first three seasons in the league. Who are the other four players: Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Orlando Cepeda and Albert Pujols. Longoria is definitely keep up with some impressive Major Leaguers and I doubt he'll let up in the least.

- Alex Rodriguez
In a truly off year for the New York Yankees third baseman, Rodriguez has become the first player in the history of Major League Baseball to have fourteen seasons of 100 or more runs batted in. Of these fourteen seasons of 100 or more RBI's, thirteen of them have come consecutively. In doing so, Rodriguez passed Hall of Famers Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx and Babe Ruth, who each drove in at least 100 in 13 seasons. Rodriguez also tied Gehrig and Foxx with his thirteenth consecutive 100-RBI season. Even though A-Rod is at only 23 homers for this season, his RBI totals show that he has been able to adapt his hitting style from pure power to contact hitting. Tine will tell if this is truly an off year for Rodriguez or if his career is in a decline.

- Derek Jeter
Staying in New York City and profiling another Yankees player who is an off year, shortstop Derek Jeter continues his climb up the baseball hit list. During this past weekend's series against the Texas Rangers, Derek Jeter hit his 2,900th his. This places Jeter in thirty-sixth place behind Al Simmons (2,927 hits). Currently at 2,903 hits, Jeter's detractors (and some supporters) are starting to call this season as the beginning of the end. My thing is this, isn't someone allowed to have a bad year? Sure, Jeter is 36-years old and batting 50 points under his career batting average but damn, give them man credit for what he has done. Let's not send him out to pasture just yet. I still stand by my claim that Derek Jeter has the best chance to catch Pete Rose among current Major leaguers. Whether he does or not, only time will tell. But don't sleep on the Yankees captain. October is right around the corner.

- Albert Pujols
Pujols is currently in the thick of the NL Triple Crown and MVP races. While doing so, he's finding time to hit milestones. Pujols became the seventh player in Major League history with at least nine seasons of 30 home runs, 100 runs and 100 RBIs. This is truly amazing since he has only been in the league for TEN years. Barring any major slump during the last two weeks of the season, Pujols will become the fifth player in history with nine seasons hitting .300 with 30 home runs, 100 runs and 100 RBIs. Truly amazing.

So you folks don't think that I am biased toward batting, here are some pitching milestones.

-Trevor Hoffman

Last week, Milwaukee Brewers reliever Trevor Hoffman reached the 600 save plateau. He is currently the only pitcher with 600 saves though Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera is right behind him with 556 saves. Though Mariano will go down as the best closer in the history of the game, I've always said that Trevor Hoffman was severly underrated. Had he played his career in such venues as Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston or New York instead of San Diego and Milwaukee he'd be seen in a better light. As it is he is almost an after thought when talking about the best closers in the game.

- Derek Lowe
With his victory over the Washington Nationals this past week, Derek Lowe struck out his 1,500th batter. This ties him Paul Derringer in 175th place on the career strikeout list. Congrats to Derek Lowe on this achievement.

Ok folks, I'm wiped out. Have fun watching the pennant races. I know I am.
FH

Derek Jeter the All-Time Yankees Hit Leader

With his second inning single against Josh Beckett of the Boston Red Sox this past Sunday night, New York Yankees Captain Derek Jeter passed Hall of Famer Babe Ruth on the all-time Yankees hit list for the number one spot. With his accomplishment, Jeter is in prime position to reach the 3,000-hit plateau next season which would put the proverbial rubber stamp on his induction to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Congratulations to Derek Jeter on his achievement. But I get the feeling that others are not so eager to give the man his due.

I just finished reading Filip Bondy's article in today's (August 9th) New York Daily News titled Celebrate the captain but his feat is far from Ruthian and it left me with a nasty taste in my mouth. Here's a glimpse of one such paragraph:

You don't measure Ruth in singles or doubles. It just diminishes the legend. And you don't measure Jeter, the steady captain, against Ruth, the eclectic, magnificent Sultan of Swat. You measure him against Phil Rizzuto, Maury Wills, Luis Aparicio and maybe Cal Ripken Jr.

I'm sure Derek Jeter would humbly say that even he would not be up to par with those players Bondy measured but we aren't talking about some scrub. This is a player that day in and day out plays with the determination that we, as fans, wish all baseball players played in. Even the most die-hard Boston Red Sox fan respects him for his leadership, his poise and his accomplishments. Even I haven't been the biggest Jeter fan in the world, but I know that even though he isn't the best player at his position offensively and defensively, he has something that most players wished they had: fortitude, consistency, respect, clutch timing...should I go on? But to disrespect Jeter by basically undermining his passing of Ruth on the list by saying that comparing Jeter to Ruth is like comparing "Apples to Apple IPods " is just wrong.

No one can compare them since both players are different kind of players who played in different eras. For Bondy to say that even though Jeter has one more championship than Ruth he trails the Babe by 481 homers and 94 pitching victories shows how much of a jackass he really is. Ruth doesn't need anyone to defend his place in the game of Baseball. He was a giant among men during his days on the field. Ruth's effect on the game is still felt today and will always be felt but Bondy should not sweep aside Jeter because of it.

Barring any major injury, Jeter will reach and surpass the 3,000-hit mark and be in position to challenge Pete Rose's all-time hit mark of 4,256. Will that mean that Jeter is better than Rose? No, it means that Jeter played the game to the point that he felt he was still productive enough to reach Rose. Is he a failure or less of a player if he doesn't surpass Rose? Not at all. Which is why I believe that Bondy's attempt to prop up Babe Ruth is asinine since Babe Ruth only needs that massive piece of lumber that he used to knock 714 homers out of the park to prop him up. His place is never in doubt no matter how many players pass him on the homers list and the Yankees all-time hit list. Bondy can have his opinion like anyone else. Baseball and the comparison between players and eras can bring these opinions out in a rabid fashion time and time again. I think that in this case, since there is no point to compare there is also no point for insult since Jeter is a quality and unselfish player and has been so for his entire career.

Celebrate Jeter for his loyalty in an era of loyalty-less free agency. Celebrate him for his consistency in an era tainted by the shroud of steroid abuse. Celebrate him for his poise and character in an era of selfishness, boorishness and egotism. Celebrate Captain Derek Jeter as the all-time New York Yankees hit leader without strings and conditions. Don't undermine him by comparing him to the closest thing Baseball has to a deity. It is just not fair. Jeter gives it his all for his team and their fans. We owe him the same in return.

FH

Over Reliance on Metrics and Ryan Howard

I just finished reading this article in yesterday's New York Times titled Length of Deal Highlights Howard’s Flaws by Dan Rosenheck. In the article, Rosenheck details how Howard's recent contract extension of 5-year $125 million places him in the game's elite in terms of salary but by comparison via the multitude of metrics afforded to the followers of baseball he is firmly in the second tier. As I've said before, sometimes the over reliance on metrics strips away the true value of a player to his team, the team's fans and the city it represents. Sure, compare Howard to Pujols and he'll come up short in the majority of metrics, but that's not a knock on him almost every player (if not all players in the league) will fall short.

Take the example of Derek Jeter. On many metric scales Jeter falls mid range if not lower offensively and defensively. But there is no denying what effect he has on his team, its fans and the city of New York. The man has the intangibles that seem to rise to the surface almost on cue based on the moment. So should the Yankees not sign him to a decent deal based on what he means to the team or based on a logarithm or a detailed statistical forecast. In no way am I discounting these methods of statistical analysis, but I believe that good old blood and guts should also factor into the decision of any team resigning their best player. Both Jeter and Howard bring that to their respective teams.

Getting back to Howard, will he become a player who remains consistent like Hank Aaron (I'm not comparing their stats, just Aaron to Howard as a potential model of consistency) or will he become this generation's Mo Vaughn, Travis Hafner, David Ortiz, Richie Sexson, Cecil Fielder and John Jaha (players who he closely resembles as per baseball reference.com). That truly remains to be seen. But I believe that by the year of 2016 (which is when the extension ends) Ryan Howard will be among the Phillies greats loved and adored by the Phillies faithful as is Schmidt and Carlton.

Predictions for MVP

I'm still formulating my opinion of both American and National League Cy Young award winners so for now I'll post my predictions for American and National League MVP. Let me start with the senior circuit first.


As with National League Manager of the year, I think this one is a no-brainer. Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals will win his 3rd MVP award (2005, 2008). Pujols once again showed how dominating he can be by batting .327 with 47hrs and 135rbi. He also scored 124 runs, hit 45 doubles, 1 triple and working 159 walks (44 intentional) while only striking out 64 times, which to me is astonishing that a power hitter of Pujols caliber only strikes out approximately 60 times a year. Pujols also stole 16 bases while only being caught 4 times. Pujols also lead the league with an OPS of 1.101 (.658 SLG% and .443 OBP%). Pujols won his 5th National League Silver Slugger and second consecutive award for a 1st baseman. Defensively he was rock solid at 1st base, though his error total of 13 was an increase from last years total of 6 errors.

A distant second place will be Hanley Ramirez of the Florida Marlins. Ramirez led the league with a .342 batting average while hitting 24hrs and 104rbi. He scored 101 runs, hit 42 doubles, 1 triple, stole 27 bases and walked 75 times (14 intentional). Ramirez struck out 101 times. Ramirez won the NL Silver Slugger for a Shortstop for the 2nd consecutive year. Defensively, Ramirez was solid at short making only 10 errors.

Though the Marlins had a surprising year finishing 87-75 (.537) for 2nd place in the NL East, 6 games behind the National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies, the St. Louis Cardinals do not make the playoffs without Pujols. Pujols carried the team offensively until the Cardinals acquired Matt Holliday in a mid-season trade with the Oakland A's. On to the American League.

The race for American League MVP is tighter since there are more candidates for the award. Out of the top four candidates of Joe Mauer, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Kendry Morales, I believe the winner will be Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins.

Mauer led the league with a .365 batting average while hitting career highs of 28hrs and 96rbi. Mauer scored 94 runs, hit 30 doubles, 1 triple, walking 90 times (14 intentional) while striking out 63 times earning the American League Silver Slugger for a Catcher for the 2nd consecutive year. Mauer led the American League with an OPS of 1.031 (.587 SLG% and .444 OBP%) and was only second to Albert Pujols in the entire league. Defensively, Mauer threw out 26% of potential base stealers (19 of 54) while committing only 3 errors and 9 passed balls winning the American League Gold Glove for catchers for the 2nd consecutive year.

Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees batted .334 with 18hrs and 66rbi. Jeter scored 107 runs, hit 27 doubles, 1 triple, stealing 30 bases and walking 76 times (4 intentional) while striking out 90 times. Jeter earned his 4th consecutive American League Silver Slugger award for a shortstop. Defensively, Jeter had a career year at short committing only 8 errors (down from 12 in 2008 and 18 in 2007) in 150 games earning his 4th American League Gold Glove award (2004, 2005, 2006).

Mark Teixeira also of the New York Yankees batted .292 with a league leading 39hrs (tied with Carlos Peña of the Tampa Bay Rays) and 122rbi. Teixeira scored 103 runs, hit 43 doubles, 3 triples and walking 90 times (9 intentional) while striking out 114 times earning his 3rd American League Silver Slugger (2004, 2005). Defensively, committed 4 errors in 150 games at 1st base for the Yankees earning his 3rd American League Gold Glove award (2004, 2005). Teixeira's defensive prowess added stability to a position that was lacking in the last number of years for the Yankees.

The dark horse in the American League race for MVP is Kendry Morales of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Morales was initially seen as a unknown replacement for Mark Teixeira (who signed with the Yankees in the offseason). What the Angels recieved was a future superstar who more than filled Texiera's shoes. In his first full time season in the league, Morales batted career highs of .306, 34hrs and 108rbi. Morales scored 86 runs, hit 43 doubles, 2 triples and walking 56 times (10 intentional) while striking out 117 times. Defensively, Morales committed 8 errors 152 games at 1st base. Morales more than adequately replaced Teixeira in both the lineup and field for the Angels.

Mauer was able to amass career highs while missing the first 5 weeks of the season playing the most demanding position in baseball while playing for a team that year in and year out is mostly devoid of superstar talent (compared to the Yankees, Red Sox, and Angels) and adeptly manages a young pitching staff which with a different catcher may not succeed. Mauer also filled the void in the lineup left by the injury to Justin Morneau with three weeks remaining in the season leading the Twins to a 17-4 record to end the season. Even more amazing was that the Twins were coming back from three games down with four to play to force a division tie a dramatic 1 game playoff against the Detroit Tigers to win the AL Central title. Though Jeter and Teixeira were pivotal parts of the World Champion Yankees, Jeter is hindered by having tremendous talent on both the offensive and defensive side of the field. Teixeira on the other hand, had a very slow start adapting to a new enviornment playing in New York and not having the offensive back-up in the lineup until Alex Rodriguez returned from hip surgery in May. With Rodriguez's return, Teixeira saw better pitches and started to produce. Morales shows that he is a superstar in the making and will only get better in a lineup where he will become more prominent with the impeding free agency departure of Vladimir Guerrero. In the end, though Jeter is the sentimental favorite to win his 1st MVP, Mauer will win the award. We'll see who wins after Tuesday the 24th of November.

For more information on these awards and others, please check out the following link: 2009 MLB Awards on MLB.com Any suggestions and comments are always welcome. So feel free to add to this and any other blog posts.