Blog Archives
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – September 24, 2016

Phil Long – AP Photo
Injuries to the Cleveland pitching staff will probably derail their pennant hopes because pitching wins titles.
Or does it?
It is a question what you know episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Cole Hamels, Jake Arrieta, Michael Conforto, Nelson Cruz, Shelby Miller, Melky Cabrera, Jose Peraza and Kendall Graveman all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball yesterday.
See the updated listing of WOB on MLB Reports
[Poll] Top 10 Greatest MLB Pitchers Of All Time
We wanted to do something a little different here for this article. We want you to interact and vote to see who the #1 Greatest MLB Pitcher of All Time really is. We are going to give our ranking from 10 to 1 but we want you to vote as readers and let us know what you think!
What we are going to do is rank them, giving their career stats/highlights and our case for them and we would like you to comment below and vote in the poll over at fantasysportsadvice.sportsblog.com with your own list!
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We wanted to do something a little different here for this article. We want you to interact and vote to see who the #1 Greatest MLB Pitcher of All Time really is. We are going to give our ranking from 10 to 1 but we want you to vote as readers and let us know what you think!
What we are going to do is rank them, giving their career stats/highlights and our case for them and we would like you to comment below and vote in the poll over at fantasysportsadvice.sportsblog.com with your own list!
10. Tom Seaver (1967-1986)
George Thomas “Tom” Seaver was nicknamed “Tom Terrific” and “The Franchise.” He pitched from 1967-1986 for 4 total teams in his career.
MLB Stats:
311 Wins
3,640 strikeouts
61 shut outs
2.86 Career ERA.
Teams:
New York Mets (1967-1977)
Cincinnati Reds (1977-1982)
New York Mets (1983)
Chicago White Sox (1984-1986)
Boston Red Sox (1986)
These numbers are amazing and in 1992 Hall of Fame voters thought so as well. Seaver was inducted by the second highest percentage ever at 98.84% of the vote. Seaver and Mike Piazza are the only 2 Mets in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown so far and Seaver and Gil Hodges are the only 2 Mets players who have had their numbers retired.
Career highlights and awards:
12x All-Star (1967-1973, 1975-1978, 1981)
1969 World Series Champion
3x NL Cy Young Award (1969, 1973, 1975)
NL Rookie of the Year (1967)
3x NL Wins Leader (1969, 1975, 1981)
3x NL ERA Leader (1970, 1971, 1973)
5x NL strikeout leader (1970, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976)
No-Hitter (06/16/1978)
New York Mets Hall Of Fame
Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame
As you can see, Seaver had an established career and this is why he has made our list at Number 10.
9.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE REST OF THE LIST
Interesting Facts About The Hall of Fame Vote & Who Should Have Been 100% Guys

AP – Reuters
With Ken Griffey Jr. collecting 437 of 440 votes last night and now holding the highest record for % of votes (99.3%), it stirred up a conversation on Facebook about others either snuck in or ranked much higher than expected.
Let’s start with facts…
- Before Griffey Jr., Tom Seaver had held the top spot for % of votes received at 98.8%
- The top 5 % vote getters of all-time are Griffey Jr., Seaver, Nolan Ryan (98.8%), Cal Ripken (98.5%), and Ty Cobb (98.2%)
- Hank Aaron, ranks 8th all-time with 97.8%
- The most votes ever received came in 2014 as 555 were casted for Greg Maddux (97.2%)
The Best Teams In The MLB From 1980 – Now: SF Cements Their Place From 2010 – 2014 With WS Birth

The Giants won the World Series in 2010 and 2012, and now are in the 2014 World Series – with a great chance to win 3 titles in 5 years against Kansas City. The best teams for the last several years include the Red Sox from 2004 – 2007, the Phillies from 2008 – 2009, and then you would have to place the Giants as the best overall team from 2010 – 2014. Can they keep up the format of winning a World Series every 2 years again this year? The Red Sox (3 Titles), plus the Giants and Cards each having 2 Fall Classics, are the only 3 teams to have multiple World Series Trophies since the 2004 year.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
There is only so much one can read in an article, otherwise I would make these lists up from the turn of the 20th century.
If you gave me enough time as a reader, I promise to backdate this topic with another article featuring the best teams dating back further in years.
Eventually, all of the years may be dissected and we can have a healthy debate on some of my selections. I really started watching baseball in the early 1980’s.
As I became older and discovered ways to research the history of the game, my knowledge and curious mind grew for more information.
I have studied and read baseball stat books and breezed through the odd Bill James novel.
If I ever take a break from writing or baseball park chasing, I may find some time down the road to watch the 9 part PBS documentary that Ken Burns did on baseball’s history.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – July 28, 2014
It was Hall of Fame weekend.
Frank Thomas thanked everyone including YOU, Greg Maddux made an interesting joke, Tony LaRussa failed to mention Canseco and Joe Torre‘s legacy is worth marveling over.
Plus talk about the rule changes for voting on today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Carlos Santana, Yohan Pino, Josh Harrison, Doug Fister, Rick Porcello, Mike Zunino. Jimmy Nelson and Charlie Blackmon all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball?
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 24, 2014
Greg Maddux… people will remember you as a Brave… not a Cub.
Maybe that’s why I picked a picture of you pitching as a Dodger for the website.
Writers… a unanimous Hall of Fame vote is NOT a vote for best player of all time.
That and a few other things have my goat on today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 8, 2014
It is the Hall of Fame election episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Greg Maddux, Frank Thomas and Tom Glavine are all in (seen here in some of their more obscure uniforms.)
Biggio was left off and some people left Benitez on.
The Morris debate is over but the need for a unanimous entry remains.
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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 7, 2014
I will do a lot of things to get more listeners to The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast. I will even say some things that could be considered inflammatory.
But one thing I will NOT do is be deliberately dishonest simply to get attention.
That’s exactly what writer Ken Gurnick did in his desire to have his name everywhere after NOT voting for Greg Maddux on his Hall of Fame ballot.
His public reason is nonsensical and the only real reason is a childish “Look at Me” grab for attention.
It may have worked, but I won’t do it myself.
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“Hard Cheddar” With Steve Cheeseman – My BBHOF Ballot

The members of the BBWAA will vote on the BBHOF ballot in January of 2014, A player that is still on the ballot, needs to receive 75% of the vote in order to make in the Hall. A player needs receive 5% of the votes in order to remain on the list of players eligible for the next year.
“Hard Cheddar” – with ‘Special Guest Writer’ Steve Cheeseman Follow @cheeseman_s
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Hello baseball fans. I apologize for being away so long, as my career outside of sports writing has kept me busy these last few weeks.
With that being said, let’s get going. Since the end of the 2013 season, there are many things that crossed my mind.
However, for whatever reason, one of the things that has me extremely interested if the hall of fame ballot.
New names on this year’s ballot include Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and Frank Thomas. In my mind these guys deserve to be in the hall of fame.
Big Hurt Highlights
The Best Teams In The MLB From 1980 – 2017: The Biggest Question Is, Who Owns 2015 – 2017 Mark? Early Favorite Lends 2 Cubs With 3 Straight LCS Appearances, 1 World Series

With 3 straight LCS appearances and 1 World Series – the Cubs can lay claim to the best team from 2015 – 2017. If Houston were to win the 2018 World Series, they could be turned back to the 2015 – 2016 stretch, however Chicago can advance the years if they are able to go farther than the Stros this campaign
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
There is only so much one can read in an article, otherwise I would make these lists up from the turn of the 20th century.
As I became older and discovered ways to research the history of the game, my knowledge and curious mind grew for more information.
I have studied and read baseball stat books and breezed through the odd Bill James novel.
If I ever take a break from writing or baseball park chasing, I may find some time down the road to watch the 9 part PBS documentary that Ken Burns did on baseball’s history.
Jack Morris: It Is Time To Elect This Winner Into The Baseball Hall Of Fame!

Jack Morris was a winner, a true throwback pitcher who came after hitters with reckless abandon. He pitched based on what the score was – and had no personal regard for his own personal statistics. It is this very reason why the debate has hit epic proportions on social media hubs, amongst bloggers, former players, analysts, broadcaster and statisticians. I intend to prove the case for the guy in a manner that will have some similarities to other pieces you may have read, yet promote a big look into the numbers that I have been bouncing around in my head for months.
BY Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports on Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The debate for whether or not Jack Morris belongs in the Baseball Hall Of Fame has heated up to an ALL-Time high with the big vote going down in Jan of 2014 for the final time.
575 members of BBWAA fraternity will decide whether or not the big man from Minnesota will enter one of the hardest Hall Of Fame’s to enter in pro sports (if not the hardest).
Morris will need a 75% (432 Minimum Votes) of them to write down his name on their ballot for enshrinement into Cooperstown.
Last year, Morris received 67.7 % of the writers votes in his 14th year of eligibility. He will have his name on a 14th ballot this year.
He has been trending up in recent years, so if he can improve in 2014, with the same amount of 2011-2012 jump of (+13.2%), then he will make it in.
If he fails to reach the Hall this year, it would be his last year of eligibility for the BBWAA Vote.
He could still make it via the Veterans Committee after that. But that could take some significant time.
Phillies 2014 Preview: How To Handle Halladay

Roy Halladay is still the Active Win Pctg Leader among Pitchers with a W – L Record of 203 – 105 (.659), and he also owns the most Complete Games at 67 Currently for guys still chucking. This is despite battling a litany of injuries in 2012 – 2013, posting a 15 – 13 Record, while carrying an ERA well north of 5 in the last 2 campaigns. Can he reinvent himself at 36 (about to be 37 in May of 2014)? It may just be the Phils can’t afford to give him a new contract?
By Chris Creighton (Phillies Correspondent via http://www.oldcitybaseball.com – visit his website here) Follow @phillybeerchris
Follow MLB Reports on Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Uncertainty. It’s an extremely ominous word among Philadelphia baseball fans because throughout the Phillies organization, there seems to be plenty of it.
Sounding the word out syllabically slow brings about an uncomfortable feeling flooding through my brain and because its plague-like presence is felt when pondering the Phillies future, the reality sets in that it may be a few years before this team can rise to an elite level once again.
The starting staff, the bullpen, the first baseman, the closer, and the outfield are all enormous question marks as the 2013 season comes to a close today.
Roy Halladay’s Perfect Game 2009
Texas Rangers Staff – A Preseason Pitching Analysis: State Of The Union
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Follow @mlbreportsSaturday, March.30/2013

Joe Ortiz was brought up from the farm system, and although he is only 22, he has spent six years with the Rangers. Ortiz has had an impressive Spring Training – and has caught the eye of fans as well as pitching coach Mike Maddux. Ortiz posted a 1.97 ERA in 24 Appearances with AAA Round Rock last season – and has officially made the big league Bullpen this year.
By Brooke Robinson (Rangers Correspondent): Follow @bka_9
Though baseball season begins in Texas just hours away, there were many questions left for the team to answer throughout Spring Training. Who will become the fifth starter? Who will recover from surgery this season? And who will revive the Bullpen?
In the past month of training in Surprise, Arizona, some of the answers of these questions have come to light. The Rangers were plagued with injury in the latter part of the 2012 season, particularly with their pitching.
So it was no surprise that the front office brought in and up some new faces to test out this spring. Pitchers that will still be recovering at the beginning of the season include: RHP Colby Lewis, RHP Neftali Feliz, RHP Joakim Soria, and LHP Martin Perez.
Neftali Feliz hits 100 MPH!
An American Hobby: Baseball Memorabilia – ‘Kid Nichols’ Card From Mayo’s 1895 N300 Collection
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Follow @mlbreportsSaturday, March.30, 2013

Kid Nichols was 361 – 208 (.634) for his Career -with a 2.96 Lifetime ERA. From 1896 – 1898 he led the NL in wins each year – amassing an incredible 92 – 37 (.713) Record in that time frame with the Boston Beaneaters. He is one of 13th players to throw in over 5000+ IP (5067.IP and good for 11th ALL – Time. Incredibly he spent time growing up playing baseball in Surrey, B.C. Canada, which is where our Website Owner Chuck Booth played.
By Lee Edelstein (‘Baseball Memorabilia Enthusiast’ – visit his website here) Follow @chinmusicstory
MLB Reports: We are pleased to present you with Baseball Author Lee Edelstein as the newest writer with us at the Reports. Lee will be providing us with great stories about baseball memorabilia on a regular basis.
MLB Reports
An American Hobby
Blog 7
Kid Nichols
Charles Augustus “Kid” Nichols was born four years after the end of the Civil War. He would live long enough to see himself inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1949.
His journey to Cooperstown began in 1890 when he debuted for the Boston Beaneaters. He had quite a rookie season, winning 27 games, putting up an ERA of 2.23, and leading his league with 7 shutouts. But Kid Nichols was just warming up.
In 1891 he won 30 games, the first of seven seasons when he would reach the 30-win plateau. In 1892, Nichols won 35 regular season games plus two more in the Championship Series where they vanquished the Cleveland Spiders and their top pitcher, a guy named Cy Young.
Youtube Tribute Page to 300 Game Winners – Many of the them featured:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j99r1TcnBrU&list=FLt4R0b8rfq11zVEjnHUcJsQ%5D
2013 WBC Group D Preview
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Saturday, March 2nd, 2013
By Sam Evans (Baseball Writer): Follow @RJA206
Group D of the 2013 World Baseball Classic will be the division most closely followed by North Americans. The USA will attempt to do something they have never done; win the WBC championship. However, teams like Mexico and Canada won’t go down easily. The USA, Canada, Mexico, and Italy make up this year’s Group D of the WBC. With games starting as soon as Thursday, here is the final installation in my series of WBC previews.
An American Hobby: Baseball Memorabilia And The Great Bambino
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The baseball memorabilia industry may be slowing down from recent generations of over production – but that does not mean that the hobby is dying. There are Millions of valuable collectibles out there like this painting of Ted Williams and The Babe.
By Lee Edelstein (‘Baseball Memorabilia Enthusiast’ – visit his website here) Follow @chinmusicstory
MLB Reports: We are pleased to present you with Baseball Author Lee Edelstein as the newest writer with us at the Reports. Lee will be providing us with great stories about baseball memorabilia on a regular basis.
MLB Reports
An American Hobby
Blog 1
Collecting baseball cards is a uniquely American hobby. As a kid growing up in the 1950’s I had shoeboxes full of them. All of my friends did, too. We had so many cards that, when we got older and our interests shifted to teenage pursuits, our moms decided to clean house. Literally. Out went the cards which they considered to be nothing more than junk. Today, we wax nostalgic over those cardboard canvasses of our heroes that we treated so casually. That’s also why, in good condition, they are worth small fortunes.
I renewed my interest in card collecting a few years ago when I decided to build a collection of the elites of the game – the ballplayers who are members of three very exclusive clubs: 300 Wins, 3,000 Hits, and 500 Home Runs. It’s an exclusive membership that includes players from before the turn of the twentieth century (Kid Nichols and Pud Galvin are tied for #7 with 361 wins) through players who are active today (Derek Jeter is currently #11 on the ALL-Time Hit list with 3,304. He is only 11 hits behind Eddie Collins (10th) and 15 behind Paul Molitor (9th):
- 300 Wins – 24 players
- 3,000 Hits – 28 players
- 500 Home Runs – 25 players
Each week, I’ll feature a baseball card of one of these all-time greats. Along the way, we’ll talk about other aspects of America’s Hobby, why it continues to grow in popularity, and answer any questions you may have.
The Great Bambino Highlights and pictures:
Brandon Webb’s career was noteworthy and a warning
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Wednesday Feb.06/2013
- ESPN.com
By Paul Francis Sullivan (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @sullybaseball
Brandon Webb is retiring from major league baseball, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. This hardly seems like a monumental announcement this spring. Webb has been out of sight and out of mind since the beginning of the 2009 season. His official retirement notice is reminiscent of a band announcing their breakup long after they had their last hit.
But Brandon Webb’s career, brief as it was, was remarkable and also should be remembered the next time an ace pitcher looks for a long term extension.
As outlandish as it may sound now, Brandon Webb was putting together the beginning of a Hall of Fame career. This is not hyperbole.
The former University of Kentucky star was an 8th round draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2000.
He shot up through Arizona’s farm system and by 2003, the 24 year old Webb was a major leaguer and finished 4th in the Rookie of the Year vote. He posted a 2.84 ERA over 180 2/3 innings, winning 10 games for an Arizona squad that finished third in the National League West.
By 2006, he became an elite pitcher. He led the league in wins, shutouts and ERA+ and had the top WAR for pitchers. He won the National League Cy Young Award and looked like he was just getting warmed up. Read the rest of this entry
There Will Never Be Another 300 Game Winner
Saturday October 27th, 2012
Luke Whitecotton (Guest Writer):
Let me thrown four names out there: Cy Young, Nolan Ryan, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine. What do these guys have in common? Two are Hall of Famers and two more are on their way. All were big game money pitchers. And most importantly, they are all 300 game winners.
Will we ever see another 300 game winner in baseball? Quite frankly, I don’t think we will.
Now don’t get me wrong, as a fan I would love to see it happen again in my lifetime. It would bring me almost as much pure joy as watching Greg Maddux pitch in his prime. As part of my analysis, I looked squarely at the odds and stats to determine the difficulty level of reaching that plateau in this day and age in baseball. Jamie Moyer, who will turn 50 in November, has 269 wins. Roy Halladay, who is 35 years old, has 199 wins. Andy Pettitte, who is 40 years old, has 245 wins in his career. You can see where I am going with this, as for some of these guys to keep pitching at the required level to reach the golden 300 mark is just too big of an obstacle to overcome. Just a little note by the way, Nolan Ryan was 43 years old and was considered one of the most durable pitchers ever. When you consider what Ryan had to do to win 300, you really start to feel the force that these star pitchers are up against. Read the rest of this entry
Kyle Wilson Interview: Haley Smilow Talks Baseball with the Laredo Pitcher and Member of Team Great Britain in the WBC Qualifiers
Tuesday September 18th, 2012
MLB reports: Great news folks, Haley is back! And of course, she has brought a friend. Our Junior MLB Correspondent is featured today with her interview of pitcher Kyle Wilson. The 29-year old Wilson is a baseball story of grinding every day and playing the game he loves. A 22nd round pick of the Dodgers in 2004, Kyle Wilson pitched 4 seasons in the Dodgers system. In 2008, he reached AA Jacksonville of the Southern League. The past few years, Kyle Wilson has played indy ball. In 2012, he spent time with both the Gary SouthShore RailCats and the Laredo Lemurs of the American Association.
Timing for Haley worked out really well (as usual), given that Kyle Wilson is currently in Germany preparing to represent Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic qualifiers! With the tournament set to begin tomorrow, we get to learn about one of its representatives- up close and personal. Featured today on MLB reports, Haley Smilow speaks one-on-one with pitcher Kyle Wilson:
HALEY: I know your home games are played at U.S. Steel Yard, what are some of your other favorite ballparks?
KYLE: The best park I have played in was in Jacksonville, FL when I played for the Suns. The stadium was great and fans showed great support. The league I am currently in I would have to say that Kansas City and Winnipeg had the best facilities, fans, and accommodations. Read the rest of this entry
ATR: Ask the Reports Answers Your Baseball Questions: TJ, Curse of the Reports, WBC, Japan Boycott, Morneau and Brock, Coors Effect and the Havana A’s
Saturday July 21st, 2012
Jonathan Hacohen: Posted every Weekend: Your top baseball questions from the past week are answered. E-mail all questions to mlbreports@me.com, message us on Twitter, post on our Facebook Wall and leave comments on our website! There are many ways to reach us and we will get to your questions from all social media outlets!
Jonathan Hacohen: I know…you guys and gals want to talk trades. It seems that everyone is keeping a close eye on the July 31st MLB Non-Waiver Trade Deadline. The action has heated up in recent days. The Astros and Jays got together full a 10-player swap, on the same day that the Rockies and Royals swapped hurler Jonathan Sanchez for Jeremy Guthrie. Then today, the Astros were at it again- trading closer Brett Myers and a bucket full of cash to the White Sox for minor leaguers. What is it with these White Sox??!! They get star power onto their roster for little money or talent having to move the other way. Kenny Williams…we aren’t worthy. 2012 is becoming the Year of the Kenny. With only 10 days to go, what other moves will Kenny and the other Gms pull off? Keep a close eye on our dedicated page called “Rate That Trade“. We not only give you information on the latest baseball swaps, but also throw in our own two cents in the process…and who doesn’t love an opinion in baseball?
For our weekly Batting Stance Guy video, we feature today Gar’s 10 Step Bryce Harper Home Imitation Kit. BSG is hilarious and a genius. Never mind a novelty act. If I was a GM, I would consider hiring this man as my hitting coach. This man knows stances inside and out. If anyone can produce solid hitting and look good in the process, BSG can do it:
My final thought before jumping into questions is Dr. James Andrews. I have said your name so many times this year that people must think that we are either related or colleagues. Living in Toronto, your name is discussed with respect to the Kyle Drabek and Luis Perez operations. Now word is that Jason Frasor, a 2-time TJ survivor is off to see you on Monday with “forearm tightness.” I don’t think that Frasor will be going for a 3rd TJ, but man…this is getting scary. We have seen 30+ players (mostly pitchers) undergo this operation since March 2012 alone. Something doesn’t feel right. If I’m Major League Baseball, I am calling up a task force and getting a study on this. Pronto. Give me Dr. Andrews, Dr. Jobe, Tommy John, Nolan Ryan, Greg Maddux, Mike Maddux, Dave Duncan and every possible intelligent baseball/pitching/TJ mind there is and let’s discuss what is happening. Why is it happening. And most importantly, what can we do to prevent it. When we are coming to the point to say that nearly every MLB pitcher may undergo TJ surgery at some point in their career, I think that is a huge problem. We cuddle and baby pitchers. We bring them up slowly and limit their innings. We try to build up arm strength. Yet today’s MLB pitchers are breaking down faster than a Ford Pinto at a Nascar race. Check out our TJ Surgery Tracker. We update it weekly with new and old names found to have TJ surgery, and we have barely scratched the surface. You think the Jays have had it rough? Check out the Royals and Padres. This is one of the biggest issues going in today’s game. We intend to raise awareness and encourage the baseball community to find solutions. Some things are clearly not being done right. Why else are pitchers dropping at alarming rates? We are lucky that Tommy John surgery exists to save many of these pitchers’ careers. But let’s figure out why these pitchers are having TJ in the first place and try to keep them healthy and off the operating tables.
Now let’s get to your top questions of the week: Read the rest of this entry
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