Blog Archives
When Lefty O’Doul Spoke, DiMaggio and Williams Listened
When Lefty O’Doul rejoined the San Francisco Seals in 1935, he was already considered one of the great teachers of hitting. Although he would serve as a manager for the next two decades plus, his greatest impact would be as an instructor—a combined hitting theorist and amateur psychologist of sorts who helped develop and inspire a number of great baseball players along the way.
Charlie Graham had O’Doul’s first prize pupil ready; the young man’s name was Joe DiMaggio, and he hailed from San Francisco’s North Beach. A generation earlier he would have been one of the neighborhood kids O’Doul and his mates considered mortal enemies—the Irish versus the Italians.
Joe DiMaggio was quite a baseball player. READ MORE ON PLATE COVERAGE
MIlwaukee Is Making A Boneheaded Move If Non-Tendering Chris Carter: Should Have Learned From Houston Last Year
Chris Carter would be the perfect ‘cheap’ addition to compete on a lot of American League Rosters. This man has been criminally underrated for the power and walks he has put forth over the last 4 campaigns. With the ability to DH/play 1B or LF, with Milwaukee having 2 years left of team control in Arbitration, the club has DFA’d him, and likely will be forced to release him outright as A Free Agent. The management also signed an unproven MLB’er (Eric Thames) to a guaranteed $15 MIL over 3 years. Pretty bad on all front in my opinion!
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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Last year at this time I made the point that the Houston Astros made a big mistake in non-tendering Chris Carter. At that juncture, the man has clubbed 90 HRS over the previous 3 campaigns with the Astros.
Houston struggled at the First Base Position all year in 2016 – with a collection of Tyler White, Marwin Gonzalez, Luis Valbuena and Yulieski Gurriel. With just bringing forth 84 wins. with the cutoff for the playoffs at 89 victories, one could say the franchise could have used the slugger ( and his .821 OPS, 41 HRs and 94 RBI).
The ‘Stros’ finished with production of .232/.299/.381 – 19 HRs, 62 RBI out of the position – which had a huge factor in them not reaching the playoffs, having the 2nd worst offensive output for the American League (Yankees – the worst).
Carter is a powerful dude who is a kind of the new Adam Dunn of the Majors. If he qualified for HR/PER AB ALL – Time with 3000 PA (he has 2645 his 14.97 AB per homer would rank him 13th in Major League Baseball History. So where is the love? Read the rest of this entry
Check out These 5 Franchise-Altering MLB Trades that Almost Happened
Sometimes, the best trades are the ones you don’t make. That couldn’t ring more true for what we’re about to talk about.
The trade deadline is literally right around the corner and things are starting to get interesting. With new rumors surfacing every 20 seconds, it’s easy to get lost on social media in order to follow along. It’s also harder for teams to keep these negotiations as private as they used to, which makes their jobs a little more difficult.
This couldn’t have been more evident over the past year with potential deals that fell through with the general public looking on. Situations involving Wilmer Flores, Brandon Phillips, Michael Saunders and Jay Bruce were just some of the ones we’ve recently watched break down right in front of our eyes.
After seeing a number of trades fall apart in a short period of time, what about old proposed trades that never happened, but would’ve been ridiculous if they did? I was led to the following five near-deals that had the power to transform the looks of every franchise involved.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Dec 1, 2015 – Dec 31, 2015 (Episodes 1134 – 1164)
Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1235 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 1134 – 1164 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
We will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) so they are easily accessible for all his fans. Check out all his Archived info here.
Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.
Follow Sully Baseball On Twitter Follow @sullybaseball
To subscribe on iTunes, click HERE.
To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Dec 1, 2014 – Dec 31, 2014 (Episodes 769 – 799)
Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1235 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 769 – 799 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
We will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) so they are easily accessible for all his fans. Check out all his Archived info here.
Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.
Follow Sully Baseball On Twitter Follow @sullybaseball
To subscribe on iTunes, click HERE.
To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Dec 1, 2013 – Dec 31, 2013 (Episodes 404 – 434)
Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1235 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 404 – 434 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
We will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) so they are easily accessible for all his fans. Check out all his Archived info here.
Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.
Follow Sully Baseball On Twitter Follow @sullybaseball
To subscribe on iTunes, click HERE.
To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE. Read the rest of this entry
Top 10 Active List: Homers Per At Bat
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part-Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
I guess I was pretty surprised to that despite 181 HRs in just 2567 AB – Giancarlo Stanton doesn’t have enough AB to qualify for the career lead in this category.
For the record Stanton has gone deep for every 14.18 AB thus far, including his 2015 year where he did yard work 27 times in just 279 AB – which is just 10.33 AB per jack.
Mike Trout is operating at a Home Run so far at 1/17.61 AB. Bryce Harper is just 3 HRS shy of the 100 Homer plateau. He has a HR/per 18.86 AB in his career, but he was at an incredible 1 longball per 12.40 AB last season. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – May 1, 2015
Former All Star pitcher Don Stanhouse joins the podcast today.
In this part of our conversation, Don talks about his days with the Texas Rangers and the Montreal Expos and the many interesting colorful managers he played for.
It is episode 920 of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Mike Trout, Danny Duffy, Matt Adams, Mike Leake, Michael Brantley, James Paxton and Darin Ruf all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball?
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Picture: Topps 1977
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 23, 2014
It is time for The Sunday Request.
@sullybaseball @AceballStats where do you think he’d rank all-time if he didn’t take time off to serve in the war?
— Nicholas Leavenworth (@NikoliHabibulin) November 18, 2014
Had Ted Williams not missed 3 years of his prime and 2 more seasons of solid numbers, his final stats would still put him among the best of all time.
I guess that made him an even bigger bad ass serving our country.
It is an episode of hypotheticals on The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Why Boston Should Do What It Takes To Sign Pablo Sandoval: He Could Eventually Replace Ortiz!
Pablo Sandoval is a hitter out of his mind for his playoff career. How does a 3 Slash Line of .344/.389/.545 sound? His OPS of .935 is 124 PTS higher than his totals in the regular season. “Kung-Fu Panda” has added 6 HRs and 20 RBI in his 154 AB. Included in his numbers, were a historical Game #1 of the 2012 World Series, where he clubbed 3 HRs en route to sweeping the Tigers can roll out. This latest World Series triumph, the rotund 3B set a playoff record with 26 base knocks (hitting .366 – with a .423 OBP for the October season). There is no doubt that when the game is on the line he has been proven clutch. Boston should think of him as a possible long-term DH replacement for Ortiz, meanwhile he would be a big jolt out for the 3B position on Boston right now. Signing him would free the franchise up with several infielders if they were so inclined to pull off a trade with the likes of Mookie Betts, Will Middlebrooks and Brock Holt. Perhaps they could receive a Starting Pitcher for these guys.
Chuck Booth (Lead Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Picture the year 2017 when David Ortiz may finally retire,, Who will be the Designated Hitter for the Boston Red Sox? They will be huge shoes to fill, for what has been a great advantage over the rest of the American League for the last dozen years.
There is no coincidence that Boston finally kicked their 86 year drought, and have enjoyed 3 World Series Titles since “Big Papi” entered the scene.
If you think about it for a second, Kung-Fu Panda and Ortiz have a lot in common. Both have won 3 World Series, and have been integral parts of the offenses that brought home the titles.
Both don’t look like they are athletes considering their body frames, however these guys have provided the most clutch hits in the sport for the last 10 years.
The Boston Red Sox need to add hitters to their lineup for sure. Yes right now they have Yoenis Cespedes to hit behind Ortiz, however he will be taking his talents to Free Agency after this next campaign.
Can the Beantowners count on a comeback year for Allen Craig or Shane Victorino?
Inking the 3B would create even more tradeable pieces to add in a deal to acquire another Starting Pitcher ace. Read the rest of this entry
Ice Bucket Challenge For ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), No, But A Donation Challenge To All Websites!
Historic Films Stock Footage Archive
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Lou Gehrig is still making an imprint on today’s society. 75 years after the “Ironman” made his famous farewell speech at Yankee Stadium in 1939, the disease so ‘aptly’ known more as “Lou Gehrig’s disease – more so than ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).
After all of the money raised in the three-quarters of a century since #4 stopped playing, there is still no cure for the disease.
ALS is a neurodegenerative ailment that is as debilitating as they come to the human body.
Before he was known for that, Henry Louis Gehrig, born June.19, 1903 was one of the best baseball players of ALL – Time.
To state how awesome he was would take forever. But he was known best for his durability (setting the consecutive games mark for MLB’ers at 2131 games. A mark that was stopped by ALS.
It took over 56 years for the record to be broken by Cal Ripken.
The Bronx Bombers 1st Baseman clubbed over 100+ RBI in 14 straight seasons from 1925 – 1938, His 184 RBI in 1931 is still the ALL – Time Single year record in the American League.
Gehrig held an OPS over 1.000 for every season between 1927 – 1937
His 3 slash for his career is .340/.447/.632. Only Babe Ruth and Ted Williams had higher marks.
Gehrig cranked out 1995 RBI in just 2164 Games Played, in what amounts to be an average season of 149 RBI. The ‘Iron Horse’ actually topped the 150+ RBI clip 7 different times, His RBI/Game is the highest clip for a career.
There is no doubt in my mind, if he wasn’t cut short of playing, he would be the RBI king,
The man was part of 6 World Series Titles in 7 Appearances, accounting for a 3 Slash of .361/.477/.731 – with 10 HRs and 35 RBI during his 34 lifetime games. Incredibly in those 34 contests, Gehrig reached base 75 times.
During his illness days, baseball made a special exception to induct him directly into the Baseball Hall Of Fame in 1939.
Showing that his appreciation by the MLB has only grown with time, he received the most votes for the 1999 ALL – Century Team – that listed all the best players from the 20th century.
A man who was such a legend will grow as the years continue on. Read the rest of this entry
Some MLB Trivia: 5 Questions + Birthdays June 21st
This is the biggest debate of all time, who is the best player? Photo courtesy of http://www.boston.com
Yesterday’s answers:
Q1. Best Slugging PCTG ever by a rookie was Ted Williams, slugging .609 in 149 Games and 677 Plate Appearances in 1939. Ryan Braun had just 492 AB in his 1st year despite his .634 Slugging mark in 2007, but failed to qualify by a mere 9 PA.
Q2. Bill Bevens owns the dubious distinction of walking the most batters ever in a World Series Game with 10, against the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 4 of the 1947 Fall Classic. He threw a no – hitter until 2 outs in the 9th inning, before giving up the Game winning Double to Cookie Lavagetto.
Q3: C: Jimmie Foxx hit 7 HRs in his last year of play during 1945, Babe Ruth only managed 6 HRs in 1935, and Mel Ott hit 0 HRs in 1947.
Q4: C: Chuck Dressen led the Brooklyn Dodgers to a 105 – 49 record in 1953, which is still the watermark win total for the franchise ALL – Time.
Q5: An All Royalty Team could be led by: Duke Snider, Earl Averill, Jeff King, Prince Fielder and Mel Queen. Read the rest of this entry
Passing The Torch From Greatest MLB Player To Player During The Years 1979 – 2013: From Brett To Cabrera
Cabrera has had back to back AL MVP seasons in 2012 and 2013. He has also won 3 straight AL Batting Titles. Cabrera is the best player offensively in the universe. He has put up 10 straight 100+ RBI campaigns, but he has racked in 276 RBI, and also 88 HRs – while featuring an OPS well north of 1.000. The 11 Year Veterans totals would have even been higher in 2013, but he fought a torn groin for the last half of the year. The 8 time ALL – Star and 5 time Silver Slugger Award Winner has improved even greater on his totals over the last decade. Cabrera has a Career 3 Slash Line of .321/.399/.967 – with 365 HRs and 1260 RBI in just 1660 Games Played.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
While watching Miguel Cabrera this year, I started thinking about the best players in the MLB over the last 33 years. I am talking the best player of the game at any point of time.
I tracked back to 1979 for this article. I may expand further back in follow-up articles. I didn’t rank defense as highly as offense when I came up with the players.
I agonized over players like Mike Schmidt, Jim Rice, Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken for some of the years given in specific time frames. These gentlemen were given every consideration.
In the end, we are talking about the best player in the game though and it is always subject to debate and personal opinion.
The criteria had to involve leading the league in several different offensive and/or defensive categories, followed by routinely being in the top 7 in MVP balloting (if not taking home the honor), All-Star Appearances for every year I listed them for and most of them won silver sluggers and/or Gold Gloves as well.
Cabrera’s 3 HR Game – 2013
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – December 8, 2013
It is the Sunday Request on The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, which I recorded while doing my laundry.
@sullybaseball You mention a Red Sox Mt Rushmore. Who gets left off? Speaker, Williams, Yaz, Pedro, or Papi?
— Bob Buscaglia (@BobBuscaglia) December 6, 2013
Who belongs on the Red Sox Mount Rushmore?
I have 4 faces, each representing a different aspect of Red Sox history.
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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – July 21, 2013
Boston Globe Photo/Max Becherer
It is the SUNDAY REQUEST on The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Today’s request comes from @chrisskreager
@sullybaseball Sully’s favorite MLB ASG memories/moments
— Angry Bills Fan (@chrisskreager) July 14, 2013
I discuss my All Star Game memories and why so few were moment that occurred during the game.
Hanley Ramirez C. J. Wilson, Alex Rios and Gio Gonzalez all owned baseball on July 19, 2013.
To see the up to date tally of “Who Owns Baseball?,” click HERE.
Subscribe on iTunes HERE.
2 And A Hook Podcast Ep #8: Dodgers (Puig Especially), White Sox + Braves Talk With Awesome Guests!
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MLB reports and The Benchwarmers Show present 2 and A Hook Podcast.
‘2 And A Hook’ is an expression from Baseball: ‘Throw the guy 2 Fast balls and then a Hook’ (AKA Curve Ball, Wiggly one, Chair etc..)
By James Acevedo – Host (Podcast Veteran ) Follow @yankeeman1973
On today’s show, brought to you by MLB Reports (www.mlbreports.com) & yours truly The Bench Warmers, I talked with MLB Reports Braves correspondent Bob McVinua (www.braveschoptalk.wordpress.com) about the Atlanta Braves season so far, what’s to come for them the rest of the season plus other things…
Then I talked to MLB Reports Dodgers correspondent Enrique Rivera about their phenom Yasiel Puig, if the Dodgers somehow can get back in the playoff race amongst other issues…
Also I interviewed MLB Reports White Sox correspondent Brian Madsen about the White Sox offensive struggles, is their farm system producing any future ball players & other stuff…also I do my Stats & Facts segment as usual so check out this baseball podcast that talks baseball like it outta be!!! SPREAD THE WORD!! Thank you all for your support!!!
People in this Podcast:
Bob McVinua (MLB Reports Guest Braves Correspondent – About 9 Minutes in and a 21 Minute Segment) Follow @tomahawkchop95
Enrique Rivera (MLB Reports LA Dodgers Correspondent – 31 Minute Mark and a 15 Minute Segment) Follow @eriqwiththeq
Brian Madsen (MLB Reports White Sox Correspondent- 53 Minutes In and a 17 Minute Segment) Follow @brianm731
(Stats and Facts done by James at the 1 Hour and 10 Minute Mark for 20 Minutes and for the 1st 9 Minutes.)
2 And A Hook Podcast #7: Ranking The 30 Ball Parks In The MLB + Giants And Red Sox Correspondent Interviews
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MLB reports and The Benchwarmers Show present 2 and A Hook Podcast.
‘2 And A Hook’ is an expression from Baseball: ‘Throw the guy 2 Fast balls and then a Hook’ (AKA Curve Ball, Wiggly one, Chair etc..)
By James Acevedo – Host (Podcast Veteran News and Stats – 1st minute to 7 minute mark, 26 Minute Mark to 36 Minute Mark, and 1 Hour 4 Minute Mark to 1 Hour Minute 8.) Follow @yankeeman1973
People in this Podcast:
Jonathan Schifferle (MLB Reports Giants Correspondent – 7 Minutes in and a 18 Minute Segment) Follow @jonschifferle
Ryan Dana (MLB Reports Boston Red Sox Correspondent – 36 Minute Mark and a 27 Minute Segment) Follow @ryandana1
Chuck Booth (MLB Reports Owner and Lead Baseball Analyst – 1 Hour and 10 Minutes In and a 43 Minute Segment) Follow @chuckbooth3024
On today’s show, brought to you by MLB Reports (www.mlbreports.com) & yours truly The Bench Warmers, I get into the Alex Rodriguez/Anthony Bosch soap opera very briefly.
I then interviewed our (MLB Reports) Giants correspondent Jonathan Schifferle to talk about the giants team,”The Peapods” in the stands for Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval, Angel Pagan and Hunter Pence also known as “The Killer Peas”. Read the rest of this entry
Miguel Cabrera Is the Best Hitter In The Universe
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It is only a matter of time before we start talking about the historical significance of Miggy Cabrera. He is on pace to crush about 50 HR and drive in over 190 RBI. Modern day players rarely possess all 3 categories prowess in order to win a Triple Crown. Improving on his first decade of MLB Baseball is incredible. By the time he is done, he will be a first ballot Hall of Famer.
By Chris Lacey (Featured Baseball Columnist) Follow @aecanada12
Detroit Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera Best Hitter in the Universe
The game of baseball has had great hitters like Frank Robinson, Chuck Klein, Ty Cobb, Jimmie Foxx, Joe Medwick, and Lou Gehrig. These players were all great hitters and they also have another thing in common, this is they are all former Triple Crown winners.
However, there is one thing that all these great players never accomplished in their career, and that was they never earned the award in consecutive seasons. The history of baseball has not had any player ever accomplish this.
Miguel Cabrera’s monster 3 Homer Game versus the Texas Rangers May.19/2013
Triple Play Podcast #10: An Interview With MLB Reports Cards Correspondent Landen Crouch + Poor Show Of Brett Lawrie!
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The Triple Play Show will have 5 shows per month. Each show will be about 1 hour.
By The Big Ticket Show ( AKA Triple Play Podcast on http://www.mlbreports.com) Follow @bigticketshow
Guests in this Podcast – Landen Crouch (Cardinals Correspondent) of mlbreports.com ( Follow @landencrouch
Landen Crouch of mlbreports.com is our guest on this episode as we discuss the continuous success of the cardinals. We also cover their rich history as Landen gives us his Mt Rushmore of Cards greats. Finally we bat around Brett Lawrie‘s recent run-ins and lack of maturity.
The Red Sox Are Getting Thrown Into The Dirty Laundry Bag!
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Bobby Valentine may have been happy to start the year as skipper of the Red Sox, but the 2012 season was nothing to smile about at.
MLB Reports: Welcome to our newest Kids writer Jason Alpert-Wisnia – for being selected to join our MLB Reports Kids Writing team. We are pleased to present the readers with a youthful look to the game of baseball. Moms and Dad’s – if you have a young kid who loves baseball and wants to write about the game, please email us at mlbreports@gmail.com. We will be selecting three more kid writers for our website this year.
By Jason Alpert-Wisnia (AKA “JAWS”): (MLB Reports Kids Writer – visit his website here )
The Red Sox in the 2011 season were managed by the Luckless Losing manager Bobby Valentine and made them lose with a HORRID and CRAPPY Season Record of 69-93 putting them in last (5th) place in the AL East. They, are guessed to be going on another losing streak and get 5th place in the AL East again.
Youkilis reaction to a question about Bobby Valentine – Returns to Boston:
An American Hobby: Baseball Memorabilia – Mickey Mantle: “The Mick” Card
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Mickey Mantle is the ALL – Time HR leader amongst switch hitters. He was a 3 Time AL MVP with 6 other top 5 finishes. He won the Triple Crown in 1956 for the Yankees. In an era that was not known for Stealing, he held himself back – or he could have been Baseballs first 40/40 Man. Mantle slugged over 1.000 OPS in 8 years and held a Career 3 Slash line of .298/.421/.977. Mantle won 7 World Series and appeared in a total of 12 Fall Classics – hitting 18 HRs (a record that stood for 3 decades by a Post Season Career and still is a WS Record.) Mantle made just over $1 MIL in earnings for his 18 years.
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 5
Just as Joe DiMaggio was winding down his career in 1951, a nineteen-year-old wunderkind burst upon the MLB scene. His name was Mickey Mantle, he hailed from Commerce, Oklahoma, and he was the walking, talking personification of the All-American boy. The Mick was boyishly handsome, strong, sleek, and fast as the wind.
And he could hit Home Runs further than anyone in the game. When he won the Triple Crown in 1956 he captured the hearts and souls of an entire generation of youngsters who would go on to be known as the Baby Boomers. But just like Roy Hobbs, The Natural, in Bernard Malamud’s 1952 story, his personality flaws along with injuries, would keep Mantle from realizing his full potential.
The Yankees seemed to be blessed with sterling talent that showed up at just the right time. As Babe Ruth’s career with the Bronx Bombers wound down, Lou Gehrig was there to carry the team forward. When Gehrig’s career came to an abrupt and tragic end, Joe DiMaggio was just establishing himself as the preeminent Center Fielder of his day.
Mickey Mantle’s 500th HR(3rd one in) is amongst these 7 Mantle videos :
An American Hobby: Baseball Memorabilia – Honus Wagner: The Most Expensive Card Ever
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Honus Wagner was an 8 time Batting Average Champion – who was a Doubles (643, 9th ALL – Time) and Triples (252, 3rd ALL-Time) Machine. He Stole 723 Bases (10th ALL – Time).. He is ranked as the #4 Hitter in the history of baseball by baseballreference.com (Ruth, Mays and Williams Top 3).
By Lee Edelstein (‘Baseball MemorabiliaEnthusiast’ – 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 4
Flipping Over Cards – The T206 Wagner The Most Expensive Card of All
As a kid I wasn’t much of a ballplayer, but when it came to collecting baseball cards I was an All-Star. As a matter of fact, over half a century later, I still collect them. Of course, the hobby has changed a bit over the years.
For a five-year period, from 1954-58, baseball cards were the most important thing in my life. As winter turned to spring training, I, along with most of my friends, would bug our parents to take us to the candy store, to see if the Topps cards for the upcoming season had arrived. Each year, those first cards, sealed in that season’s unique wax pack wrapper, were objects of unbearable anticipation.
I would arrange my new stack of cards in numerical order, tossing the duplicates into a separate pile. A few minutes admiring the pictures of the players, a rubber band wound tightly around them to secure my precious items, and off I went to catch up with my friends to compare, trade from my pile of duplicates, and flip. We’d attach triplicates to the spokes of our bicycle wheels so that they sounded like full-throated motorcycles as we sped down the street. As the baseball season progressed, our piles got large enough that we employed shoe boxes to store our cache.
Wagner T206 Card mystery video
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:
Adam Dunn: The New Dave Kingman?
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Adam Dunn has hit 40+ HRs 6 times in his career and 38+ HRs in 8 of the last 9 years. He is the Classic ‘3TO’ Guy. AKA 3 True Outs Guy: HR/BB or SO. At The MLB Reports, we call it a ‘Dunn Trick’ when he does all 3 in a game.
By Brian Madsen (White Sox Correspondent): Follow @brianm731
.159 Batting Average, 11 HRs, 42 RBI, 177 SO, $12 Million. Those are the #’s posted by Adam Dunn in 2011 during his first season with the Chicago White Sox in just 415 AB or two-thirds of a season. Quite possibly one of the worst statistical seasons in MLB history. Far from Dunn’s previous season averages leading up to that point in his career: .248 Batting Average – with 33 HRs and 82 RBI. These were not the #’s the White Sox thought they were getting when they signed Dunn to a 4 YR/$56 Million Contract prior to the 2011 season. Dunn never was a high average kind of guy, has always struck out a lot (as a lot of power hitters do), but also walks a lot. Much to Dunn’s credit, he turned everything around in 2012 hitting (only) .204, but with 41 HRs and 96 RBI. His turnaround season was a big reason for Chicago’s success in 2012.
Dunn has been one of the game’s premiere power hitters since 2004. Yet, to this date, has never been on a playoff team. He and the Sox came close in 2012, but fell short behind the Tigers. Dunn surpassed 400 HRss last year for the Sox, ( the same year that his teammate Paul Konerko hit his 400th. Konerko actually hit his 300th HR in the same game, back-to-back with, then teammate, Jermaine Dye) and has a great chance to surpass 500 HR’s. While Dunn will probably fall short of 500 HRs in his next 2 seasons with the Sox, you have to figure he’ll catch on with a team in 2015 and get there. A common complaint about Dunn is, and has been, his average. Last year Dunn hit a “robust” .204, yet still managed to have an OBP of .333. Not quite as good as his career OBP of .370, but not awful either. For a guy that strikes out as much as he does, Dunn sure walks a lot. Though Dunn walked 105 times last year, his K’s more than doubled that amount with 222.
Adam Dunn Highlights: Mature Lyrics – Parental Guidance is Advised:
The Most Underrated Statistic: Extra Base Hits (XBH)
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Follow @mlbreportsSaturday, February.02/2013
Alex Rodriguez is the Active Leader for XBH with 1190, however who knows when he will have a chance to resume his career again with injuries + allegations of PED use perhaps sparking an investigation/suspension for the MLB and is still owed 114 Million Dollars over the next 5 years.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
I have nothing against sabermetrics in baseball. Yes I know they are not going away and I will probably learn them one day as someone who can comprehend Math pretty good. However, I understand the frustration of the casual fan who will not set a foot near them – although they know what Home Runs and Runs Batted In are. I have thrown the topic out for discussion on Twitter – and am extremely curious to see what percentage of fans actually follow the new numbers formats. This site totally allows our writers to convey any form of statistical analysis they want. The only thing that I request, is that if they use sabermetrics, to also add some regular stats with them.
One of the stats that can gauge any era since the beginning of baseball is Extra Base Hits. Before the fences were brought in (or even put up), Doubles and Triples could be hit at any time. Singles are great in the game too. There have been several great baseball players that are singles hitters, that also compiled a bunch of Doubles and Triples. That is why this statistic is fairest to all of the hitters in the history of the game and the most comparable. Like the old saying, (hit’em where they ain’t), players that can hit the baseball into the open areas of the outfield are special. Babe Ruth re-coined the phrase later when he said “Well they ain’t over the fence, so that’s where I hit them!” The Bambino was right. In the course of this article, we will list the top active list for this category – and some underrated hitters that may stack up nicely against historical hitters.
(Pete Rose Highlights):
Pedro Martinez Rejoins The Red Sox Organization: Meets Up With Francona At Boston Book Signing
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Sunday, January.27, 2013
Tito autographs a copy of Red Sox Rule: Terry Francona and Boston’s Rise to Dominance – for his former ace pitcher.
By Saul Wisnia, Red Sox Correspondent (Read his blog ‘Fenway Reflections’ here): Follow @SaulWizz
What a roller-coaster week for Red Sox fans — enough to make you reach for the Rolaids. First came the early excerpts from former manager Terry Francona‘s book, revealing that during the 2010 offseason, Sox ownership took the advice of a media consultant to boost its sagging TV ratings by loading the team with “sexy” stars like Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. For those who looked forward to hearing Francona’s memories of the 2004 and 2007 World Series runs, this mudslinging was just another reminder of how dreadful life has been on Yawkey Way the last 15 months.
Then there were the reports that contract negotiations with free agent first baseman Mike Napoli had finally been settled — and that the early rumors of his injuries were even worse than expected. Napoli was found to have a more serious hip problem than originally thought, a development that whittled down Boston’s original three-year, $39 Million offer to one year at $5 Million – plus a ballbag full of incentives.
Terry Francona Interviews on Jan.22/2013:
Roger Clemens: A Cardboard God Comes Into Focus
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Saturday, January.12, 2013
The Topps 1987 Card.
By Saul Wisnia, Red Sox Correspondent (Read his blog ‘Fenway Reflections’ here): Follow @SaulWizz
I took the photo in Cooperstown, after driving from Boston to baseball’s Mayberry with three buddies for my first look at the game’s red-bricked shrine. When we entered the Hall of Fame Plaque Gallery, just off the museum’s lobby, I instinctively knew which of the immortals I wanted to visit first. Walking through the years to the 1966 induction class, I found him on the wall right alongside Casey Stengel:
The picture stands today as the symbol of an era — and innocence — lost. In it, Roger Clemens and Ted Williams share confident, youthful smiles. Williams is, quite literally, a bronzed God, staring out at the photographer in his tanned, All-American glory. Clemens, wearing a fresh, clean Red Sox uniform, also has the look of a man who knows exactly what he wants out of life.
Williams yearned to be the world’s greatest hitter; Clemens the top pitcher. At the time of the picture, in 1988, both had reached their goal.
Ted Williams Tribute Piece from 2002:
Projected Boston Red Sox Lineup For 2013: State Of The Union Part 1 – The Hitters
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Sunday, January.06, 2013
Will Victorino help point the way out of the cellar?By Saul Wisnia, Red Sox Correspondent (Read his blog ‘Fenway Reflections’ here): Follow @SaulWizz
It has become trendy in recent weeks for experts to declare the Red Sox not only big players during the recent flurry of off-season transactions, but also big winners.
This may be wishful thinking, however, since it’s hard to imagine another season as dreadful as the 69-93 last-place debacle of 2012. It’s true Boston picked up strong character guys in Shane Victorino and Jonny Gomes, along with a few streaky power-hitter types in Stephen Drew and Mike Napoli. But the revamped Boston lineup still has plenty of uncertainties with spring training a little over a month away.
Let’s take a look around the diamond as things currently stand (projected starters in bold):
At First Base – the newcomer Napoli, who can also catch, will likely get the nod provided Boston and his agent come to terms over his contract. Health may be an issue; while Napoli hit HRs last year and 30 in 2011, he’s played more than 114 games just once in seven MLB seasons (140 in 2010). Current backup Mauro Gomez was the International League MVP at Pawtucket last summer, but in 102 at-bats with Boston posted only 2 HRs. Mark Hamilton has shown bursts of power in the minors but has hit .197 in two call-ups with St. Louis.
Mike Napoli Highlights from 2012:
Who Have Been The Toughest Former Red Sox To See In A Yankees Uniform?
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Follow @mlbreportsSaturday, December.15/2012
By Saul Wisnia, Red Sox Correspondent (Read his blog ‘Fenway Reflections’ here): Follow @SaulWizz
Pending a failed physical or other unforeseen mishap, Kevin Youkilis will be manning third base and wearing pinstripes when the Red Sox open the 2013 season at Yankee Stadium on April 1. Amazingly, it won’t be until July 19 that the teams will square off in Boston, giving Fenway Park fans their first chance to see their former favorite son in a New York uniform.
Red Sox Nation had an opportunity to adjust to life with Youk in the visitor’s dugout when the White Sox visited Fenway shortly after his trade to Chicago last summer, but this is a much different situation. Boston fans may develop a kinder, gentler hatred for the Yankees since 2004, but there is something about seeing a former Red Sox in enemy colors that still tugs at the heartstrings.
Here’s a look back at some of the biggest Boston heroes to wind up in the Bronx — and how they fared on their Fenway returns.
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Part 1 of a Series: All-Time All-Star Teams By Regionality
Friday November 23th, 2012
Note from Alex Mednick: I am going to be putting together a small project that accumulates all the best players of all time, and puts them together on teams according to their birthplace. For example, in this first edition I will be breaking down players from the United States of America into teams from the 1) Northeast, 2) Southeast, 3) Midwest, and 4) Southwest…(sorry, there really is not enough quality coming out of the northwest to compete with these teams…maybe I will put a Northwestern United States team in a later edition with less competitive teams). Later on I will bring you teams assembled from the all-time greats out Central and South American (Mexico, Venezuela, Panama, Panama Canal Zone, etc.) and the All-Caribbean Team (Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Curacao, etc). Also look forward to teams from Japan, Canada and the EU. Should be fun to sort of assemble an “Olympics” of Baseball. I love watching the World Baseball Classic and seeing players fight for their nations pride…but by grouping the teams by region, it might make the teams more competitive. Of course, this is all for the sake of speculation; Babe Ruth was a great player, but I don’t think he will be taking any at-bat’s soon. (Also, please note that I do not lend consideration to relief pitchers in this analysis). Read the rest of this entry
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