#jason isringhausen

[bkenber]

'Moneyball' - One of the Best Baseball Movies Ever

WRITER’S NOTE: This movie review was written in 2012. I present it now as the latest baseball season has now begun. “Moneyball” is, for my money, the best baseball movie since “Bull Durham” as, like Ron Shelton’s 1988 classic, it takes a very unique look at this American pastime and the players who inhabit it. Whereas most baseball movies are about rising to the occasion and winning the big…

[baseballsisco]

Happy Humpday Folks. Here is my MLB Immaculate Grid number 366!!!

As usual the White Sox line stumped me. That Chisox/200+ Wins box was a challenge. I didn't want to use Mark Buerhle. I'm sure he would have broke my grid. My friend Eli showed me his grid and had Tommy John in his Chiaox/200+ wins box. I forgot that John pitched with Chicago. So I went old school with Eddie Cicotte.

Cicotte was one of the eight players of the 1919 White Sox that were involved with throwing the World Series. His best years came in his time with Chicago, putting up a 28-12 record in 1917 and 29-7 clip in 1919. His last season before being banned by Baseball Comissioner Kennesaw Moutain Landis was 1920 where he went 21-10 finishing his career with a 209-148 record.

People know Steve Carlton from his time with the Phillies. But people forget that his first seven seasons came with the Cardinals before being traded to the Phils for the 1972 season going 27-10 for the 59-97 Phillies. Lefty won 329 games in his Hall of Fame career.

I was looking at using closers for the sub 3.00 ERA season line. Staying with the White Sox, Bobby Jenks came to mind. I can remember Ozzie Guillen coming to the mound and calling for Jenks to come in by opening his hands up and out as big as he could. 🤣 Jason Isringhausen was also a no brainer for St. Louis. I could have gone with Billy Wagner for the Houston box but I remembered that starter J.R. Richard had a couple of sub 3.00 ERA seasons in the late 1970s for the Astros.

Ok peeps. Have a great day today. Stay dry if you are in the NYC area. On to grid 367!!

[retropopcult]

March 8, 1996: The Late Show with David Letterman

David hosts Dana Carvey and a performance by Riverdance

[dudeareyouserious]

History Says Mets Should Make Playoffs, Plus Pete Alonso Should Win NL ROTY & MVP | Giant Mess

In this clip from ‘Giant Mess’, Mets fan Neal Lynch talks about…

1. This Week in #Mets History:

— Al Jackson passed away, looking back at his historic outing against the Braves in August 1962

— Dave…

[redbirddaily-blog]

100 Greatest St. Louis Cardinals: #20 to #16

  20. Matt Holliday – LF (2009-2016, RCG Score: 185, Extra-Credit: 2.25, Total: 187.25)

I was in a Manassas, Virginia GameStop when the Cardinals traded for Matt Holliday. I had seen Brett Wallace hit at Double-A Springfield, and he truly looked like a ferocious hitter (nevermind that he flung balls into the stands while playing catch).

Obviously, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Holliday fit…

[junker-town]

Secret Base Hall of Fame: Ronny Cedeño

Was Ronny Cedeño a good baseball player? No. Did he have a compelling story? Well, that depends who you ask.

In January 2006, Baseball America claimed that their #3 Chicago Cubs prospect, Ronny Cedeño, “has proven that he can be more than just a glove man. His strong hands and wrists give him good bat speed that should allow him to hit for average and maybe 15 homers per year.” He was, in other words, in line with a chance to be a pretty good Major League Baseball player.

This chance did not pan out. But it also didn’t not pan out. Instead, Cedeño operated in what is perhaps baseball’s most mystifying sphere: the long-term extremely bad utility player. Between his Major League debut in 2005 and his final game nine years later, Cedeño amassed 2,792 plate appearances, hitting .245/.289/.353 — he almost never walked — and was in the field for more 5,319 innings. That is a LOT of baseball for someone who basically couldn’t play it at that level.

It’s difficult to be a good MLB player, but it’s vastly more difficult to be just good enough to stick around on a roster for nine years without ever making a significant contribution. Not only do you have to operate at an enormously consistent (albeit pretty miserable) level for years, you have to ensure you find yourself in situations where actually good players aren’t threatening to displace your cozy spot in the baseball universe. Thanks to a combination of talent and luck, Cedeño inhabited a Goldilocks zone of public mediocrity.

So what? Baseball has had plenty of bad long-term utility dudes, and we only write articles about some of them. But I have in my possession two stories about Ronny Cedeño, and I want to tell them. So here goes. (Neither of the stories are the fact that I imagine him singing his name like Jason DeRulo does. That’s a fun extra, just for you.)

The first story takes place on April 20th, 2007. The Cubs are hosting the St. Louis Cardinals, and Cedeño began the game on his natural habitat: the bench. But now it’s the ninth inning, and the Cardinals are 2-1 up, and Mark DeRosa has just hit a single. A speedy pinch-runner could put pressure on the defense and help spark a rally. Cubs manager Lou Pinella decides that Cedeño is his man.

So ... look. Plenty of pinch-runners have been thrown out stealing second. Being aggressive on the basepaths carries a degree of risk, and sometimes it doesn’t work out. But there are outs, and there are outs, and as I hope you have gathered, the Cedeño’s subsequent escapade falls into bucket number two.

If you’re not intimately familiar with the rules of baseball, let me give you a little primer. If the batter walks, they’re sent to first base, automatically pushing any runners to the next free base. If you happen to be on first base and the batter behind you draws a free pass, for you can moonwalk to second or slither like a snake for all the rules care. It should therefore be something like impossible to get caught stealing second base during a walk. As it turns out, it’s not quite impossible.

Jacques Jones is at the plate and has worked the count full against Jason Isringhausen, which is the most mid-00s baseball sentence I have typed in absolutely ages. On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Cedeño breaks for second base. As it turns out, he breaks a little too hard.

Cedeño slides into second base, met by a reflexive throw from Yadier Molina. It does not matter, of course, whether the throw beats Cedeño to the bag or not — he is protected by the iron Law of the game, and he’ll be awarded second base whether Molina nails him or no. But that protection only applies once.

If, say, in your enthusiasm to reach scoring position, you overslide the bag and are tagged on the other side of second, the aegis vanishes, and you’re left in the humiliating position of trudging back to the dugout, thrown out stealing second during a walk. This, of course, is what happened to Ronny Cedeño on April 20th, 2007.

I don’t know why I was watching this game, but I was, and I distinctly remember the Cubs announcers claiming that this had also happened to Cedeño in Spring Training earlier that year. Making that sort of impossible error once is funny; doing it twice becomes a brand. I decided that a player with the capacity for that degree of futility deserved my attention.

Naturally, Cedeño ended up playing for Seattle, the scene for my second story. This one is less about him than about a) me (borrrrrrrring) and b) my good and dear friend turned implacable enemy Yuniesky Betancourt.

The Mariners signed Betancourt in 2005, after he’d defected from Cuba. Watching him play infield that year was extraordinary. He moved with grace, speed and infinite precision, and was in fact so beautiful I used to turn up as early as possible to games just to watch him take fielding practice. During one game, he played second base while Professional Large Man Mike Morse handled shortstop; I’m pretty sure Betancourt made more plays on the right side of the infield than Morse did.

In 2006, he completely fell apart. He actions turn kludgy and slow, and he seemed ill-at-ease in his thickening body. He also couldn’t hit worth a damn (Yuniesky Betancourt is an anagram for ‘Batter Nine You Sucky’). I took baseball rather too personally at the time, and New Betancourt felt like a betrayal. Affection and admiration became disbelief, then unrelenting fury.

In an attempt to evict Betancourt from my memories, I latched onto basically any other shortstop option that presented itself. In 2009, that was Cedeño, who arrived via trade. Cedeño was very bad and I knew it, but I was fed up, and anger makes fools of the best of us.

On April 19th, the Mariners got their asses kicked by Rick Porcello and the Detroit Tigers. Betancourt started at shortstop and made two errors, while Cedeño handled second just fine and hit a home run. I left Safeco Field in a Betancourt-fueled rage and proceeded to get extremely drunk, as was my tradition at the time.

The events of that evening remain a blur, but what I know is this: a few weeks later, an authentic Ronny Cedeño #3 Mariners jersey arrived at my door. Cedeño, I should point out, was terrible in Seattle. He hit .167/.213/.290 over 59 games with the Mariners before being punted in August. There is no good reason for anyone to spend a couple of hundred dollars on a Ronny Cedeño jersey. Hell, I bet even he doesn’t have one.

It’s still hanging in my closet, a testament to the folly of youth.

Based on the nonsense above, I am proud to name Ronny Cedeño, baseball player (supposed), as the inaugural member of the Secret Base Hall of Fame.

The criteria for admission to these hallowed sporting grounds will remain forever secret. So don’t ask.

[daniflestado]

INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENT NO. 3

How would you describe Billy Bean's career before he became a baseball team manager? What do you think was his motivation in switching careers from player to manager?

Billy Bean was first a baseball player before he became a baseball team manager. He was drafted in the first round since he has five tools: he can run, field, throw, hit, and hit with power. He turned down his full scholarship in Stanford to be a professional baseball player. However, when he was recruited, he was not confident about what he can do. He did not play well.

He was signed because of his ability, but he needs to be successful to be confident, and once he becomes confident, that is when a team benefit. He was told that he is a potential superstar and can do everything. However, when he was already in the field, he was not able to show his talent. I think his motivation in switching careers from player to manager was that he lacked belief in himself. He deems that he is not a good baseball player and so he gave up and chose to become a scout instead.

Why do you think Billy changed his approach to recruiting and selecting players for the Oakland A's? What would you say was the role of Peter Brand (economist turned assistant team manager) in this innovation? How would you describe Billy's and Peter's approach in selecting the roster of new players for the Oakland A's?

Oakland Athletics loss their key players: Johnny Damon, Jason Giambi, and Jason Isringhausen to another team. Billy’s colleagues thought that the problem was simple as that and so they wanted to be in charge of replacing the players they have lost with those they know that can play. Since Oakland Athletics have a limited budget, they cannot compete with the offer given by other teams. The reason why Billy wanted his colleagues to think differently and changed his approach in recruiting and selecting players. He supposed that they will fail if they continue to follow what others are doing.

Peter Brand studied economics at Yale. He worked as a special assistant for Mark Shapiro of Cleveland Indians by doing player analysis. He advised Billy to buy wins by buying runs instead of buying players. His role in this innovation is for people to realize that teams are overvaluing and undervaluing players. People are disregarded due to biased reasons and perceived flaws such as age, appearance, and personality.

Billy and Peter used sabermetrics in selecting the roster of new players for the Oakland Athletics rather than trusting the experience and intuition of Oakland scouts. Players were chosen based on their on-base percentage. They employed statistics to find value in players that others cannot see. Peter believes that they can make an affordable championship team as people in baseball undervalues some players. Utilizing this methodology, they were able to hire Chad Bradford, David Justice, and Scott Hatteberg.

What did the other scouting agents and coaches have to say about this unique approach? What made Billy and Peter believe in their approach despite the feedback and (non)cooperation of colleagues and industry veterans?

The other scouting agents and coaches are opposed to their unique approach. Grady Fuson accused Billy of destroying the team, which led Billy to fire him as the head scout. Billy also faced disapproval from the Oakland Athletics' manager, Art Howe. Art ignored Billy and Peter’s strategy and played his preferred lineup. Billy told Art that if he does not play the way the team is designed to be, whatever move Billy makes will not matter.

As their team gets behind early in the season, critics considered Billy’s new method as a failure. Billy and Peter believe in their approach despite the feedback and noncooperation of colleagues and industry veteran. Peter claims that the sample size of their method is too small to deduce that it does not work. Billy persuaded Stephen Schott, team owner of the Oakland Athletics, to go on with their approach. He traded Carlos Peña, their traditional first baseman, to force Art to bring into play Scott Hatteberg. Since he made similar deals, Art has no choice but to play the team Billy and Peter have designed; in which, after three weeks, the Oakland Athletics were only four games behind first.

What would you say is/are the effect/s of this innovation among the players they eventually recruited for the 2002 season? Would you say that this approach benefited or harmed the players? Why?

The effect of this innovation among the players is that they were empowered. They were given a chance to be a professional baseball player once again by performing the job they are not used to doing. This approach benefited the players as they are not overlooked. For instance, Scott Hatteberg only played as a catcher so he does not know how to play first base. Oakland Athletics taught him and during the game against the Kansas City Royals, he made a walk-off home run and the team achieved 20 consecutive wins.

What do you think was the purpose behind the Boston Red Sox's attempt to recruit Billy as their general manager? Do you think Billy should have accepted their offer? Why/why not?

John Henry, the owner of the Boston Red Sox, would like Billy to be their team’s general manager. He was offered $12.5 million salary, making him the highest-paid general manager. The Boston Red Sox attempted to recruit Billy because John understood that sabermetrics will be the future of baseball. I think Billy made the right decision of not accepting their offer because Oakland Athletics believed in him as a general manager and trusted him in his decision to continue using the system, he and Peter made even though they keep on losing early in the season. Although the Red Sox and not Oakland Athletics won the 2004 World Series by employing the model they developed, Billy was still able to do what he wanted, reinvent baseball by winning the World Series with their approach.

Why do you think change is difficult to accept and carry out in one's life? Why do you think some people persevere in trying to change their lives despite the challenges they face? Are the results/outcomes worth the hardships experienced? Why/why not?

Change is difficult to accept and carry out in one's life because most of the time an individual performs actions that he/she is in the habit of doing. Executing something that is regularly followed is easier than carrying out a thing that is done for the first time. Some people persevere in trying to change their lives despite the challenges they face because they want to be a better version of themselves. The results are worth the hardships experienced because whatever the outcomes are it will be a learning experience for the person.

[wincatcherses]

La alineación más apilada del Milenio se perdió los Playoffs

Con los MVP Cody Bellinger y Mookie Betts compartiendo una alineación con jugadores como Justin Turner, Max Muncy y Corey Seager, la alineación de los Dodgers de Los Ángeles está apilada. Son cinco jugadores que han demostrado ser capaces de publicar 5-6 temporadas de WAR. Incluso podemos incluir a A.J. Pollock en ese grupo (6.8 fWAR en 2015) si somos generosos, aunque abriría algunos ojos para ver a Pollack producir a ese nivel nuevamente (incluso para un lapso de 60 juegos). El límite máximo no se ha establecido para jóvenes como Will Smith y Gavin Lux, que podrían ingresar a ese territorio de élite con el mejor desarrollo futuro. No se puede negar que los Dodgers tienen una alineación cargada, pero ¿ha habido una alineación más cargada de MVP en la historia reciente? La alineación más apilada de los últimos veinte años pertenece a un equipo de St. Louis Cardinals del tercer puesto de 85 victorias desde 2003. "La mayoría apilada", por supuesto, no es exactamente una métrica oficial, así que déjenme definirla. Fangraphs explica fWAR en su glosario clasificando un "buen jugador" con un valor de 3-4 fWAR, un "All-Star" con un valor de 4-5 fWAR y una "superestrella" con un valor de 5-6 fWAR. Pero para la alineación "más apilada", queremos la crema de la cosecha. Fangraphs clasifica a los MVP como aquellos que valen más de 6 fWAR en una temporada determinada, así que busqué la alineación con la mayor cantidad de "MVP", y encontré al campeón inequívoco con los Cardenales de San Luis 2003. Los Cardinals no solo llevaron cuatro bates calibre MVP esa temporada, sino que son el único equipo desde el 2000 que logró esa hazaña. Ha habido otros cuatro equipos desde 2000 con tres bates en la alineación por valor de 6+ fWAR (2004 Orioles, 2003 Braves, 2004 Cardinals, 2011 Red Sox), pero solo los Cardinals de Tony La Russa presentaron un cuarteto de esos jugadores. Albert Pujols (9,5 fWAR), Jim Edmonds (6,3 fWAR), Edgar Renteria (6,3 fWAR) y Scott Rolen (6,2 fWAR) organizaron temporadas "similares a MVP" en 2003. Pujols, de 23 años, habría tenido ha sido fanático de enganchar al MVP real de la Liga Nacional, pero esa fue la era de la supernova Barry Bonds, quien ganó su tercera de cuatro MVP consecutivos (10.2 fWAR) esa temporada. Los Cardenales terminaron quinto en las mayores en carreras anotadas con 876, segundo en total fWAR en ataque, cuarto en wRC +. J.D. Drew, Tino Martinez y Bo Hart fueron miembros productivos de la alineación, por lo que Taguchi les dio 59 apariciones en el plato con 109 wRC +, y Eduardo Pérez (122 wRC +) fue un exitoso bateador de poder desde el banco. Solo en el receptor realmente lucharon ofensivamente, donde Mike Matheny bateó .252 / .320 / .356 para totalizar 0.4 fWAR mientras comenzaba 121 juegos detrás del plato. En resumen, el delito hizo su parte. Desafortunadamente, la totalidad del equipo de lanzadores de los Cardenales reunió solo 7.3 fWAR. Terminaron 19º en efectividad, 22º en FIP y 26º en cuadrangulares por nueve entradas. El bullpen fue un desastre particular, terminando la temporada en último lugar en las mayores con -1.8 fWAR. La rotación contaba con armas legítimas en Woody Williams, Matt Morris y, menos aún, Brett Tomko. Dan Haren hizo un buen debut en Grandes Ligas con 14 aperturas y 5.08 ERA / 4.57 FIP. Dicho esto, podrían haberlo hecho sin las 55 aperturas de Garrett Stephenson, en lo que sería su último golpe como lanzador de la MLB, Sterling Hitchcock en su penúltima temporada, Jeff Fassero, de 40 años, y Jason Simontacchi, quien venía de una temporada de novatos sorprendentemente decente a los 28 años. Dar el 34 por ciento de sus comienzos a contribuyentes subóptimos no allanó la pista para que el bullpen despegara, pero la tripulación de socorro luchó por sí misma. En particular, los principales culpables fueron (nuevamente) Fassero (56 juegos, 6.52 ERA / 6.13 FIP), Dustin Hermanson (23 juegos, 5.46 ERA / 5.49 FIP), Russ Springer (17 juegos, 8.31 ERA / 8.97 FIP) y Esteban Yan (39 juegos, 6.02 ERA / 5.59 FIP). No ayudó que las lesiones limitaran al cerrador Jason Isringhausen a 40 juegos y 22 salvamentos. De lo contrario, anclaría los bullpens de los Cardenales de esa época. Los Cardenales de 2003 pintan una imagen de las dificultades en la formación de equipos. Cuatro temporadas de monstruos que representan la mitad de su alineación diaria, y aún así los Cardenales solo lograron obtener un tercer lugar. Su rendimiento fue inferior a su récord pitagórico, pero solo por tres victorias. Los Cachorros ganaron la división con exactamente 88 victorias, superando su récord de Pitágoras por – lo adivinaron – tres victorias. Las cosas pueden ir bien, muy bien, en cualquier temporada, y aún así podría no ser suficiente para contrarrestar lo que sale mal. Eso no quiere decir que los Dodgers de 2020 estén en problemas, pero su lugar en la postemporada no está asegurado. Los Cardenales de 2003 tuvieron la mayor cantidad de bates de nivel MVP de cualquier equipo en los últimos 20 años, y sin embargo solo fue suficiente para 85 victorias. El margen de error solo será menor en una temporada corta. Por supuesto, aquí está la otra pequeña parte divertida del béisbol. Pujols / Rolen / Edmonds / Renteria no pudieron llegar a la postemporada en 2003, pero la base en St. Louis era sólida. Llegaron a la postemporada en 2002, 2004, 2005 y 2006. Los Cardenales de La Russa culminaron la carrera con un título de la Serie Mundial. Esa temporada, terminaron con 84 victorias, una menos que la "decepción" que su alineación apilada produjo en 2003. Así que la alineación más apilada del milenio se perdió los playoffs, y el "peor" ganador de la división del milenio ganó la Serie Mundial. Si esa no es una buena introducción para el caos que se avecina en una temporada corta, no sé qué es.

from Noticias Wincatchers https://noticias.wincatchers.com/2020/06/27/la-alineacion-mas-apilada-del-milenio-se-perdio-los-playoffs/

[conlasbasesllenas]

David Eckstein y su historia con los Cardenales en 2006

David Eckstein y su historia con los Cardenales en 2006

Si hay algo que enaltece a la figura de David Eckstein, es su desempeño con los Cardenales de San Luis en la Serie Mundial de 2006.

En esa campaña, cuando todos miraban a Albert Pujols, Jim Edmonds, Jason Isringhausen, Scott Rolen  y compañía, Eckstein tomó el control, como hacen los grandes en momentos claves para marcar su destino.

Hoy hablamos David Eckstein y todavía su persona parece…

[gold-sokuhou-site]

2006 St. Louis Cardinals Sneak Peek

2005 Overview: 

   The 2005 Cardinals were led by one of the biggest offending gamer’s in baseball, Albert Pujols (.330 41 117). Throughout the playoffs, the St. Louis Cardinals lost in 6 video games to the Astros. Tony’s Larussa’s group carried out well in the postseason, initially by sweeping the Padres in 4 straight video games and then with Pujols offering some remarkable additional inning heroics in video game 5 of the LCS versus Houston. 

   The pitching in 2005 was led by Chris Carpenter (21-5 2.83), Mark Mulder (16-8 3.64) and Matt Morris (14-10 4.11). Closer Jason Isringhausen (1-2 2.14 39 conserves) likewise carried out well, closing 39 of 43 save chances in 2005. 

   Off Season Moves: 

   The Cardinals lost an excellent part of their offending production throughout the off-season as Reggie Sanders signed with Kansas City and Larry Walker retired. 2nd baseman Mark Grudzielanek likewise left to Kansas City while 3rd baseman Abraham Nunez signed with the Phillies. Beginner Matt Morris signed a rewarding 3-year handle San Francisco for $27 million and the Cardinals likewise traded lefty reducer Ray King to the Rockies and lost Julian Tavarez who signed a two-year handle the Red Sox. 

   The Cardinals did discover a good player and a replacement outfielder in Juan Encarnacion (.287 16 76) from Florida and likewise got Larry Bigbie (.239 in 90 video games splitting time in between Colorado and Baltimore) from the Rockies in the trade for King. The pitching personnel looked for upgrades for 2006 by including complimentary representative starter Sidney Ponson (7-11 6.21) and previous Mets closer Braden Looper (4-7 3.94) along with Ricardo Rincon (1-1 4.34). 

   2006 Analysis: 

   The Cardinals made a number of off season complimentary representative finalizings for the 2006 season however absolutely nothing extremely substantial. Rolen just appeared in 56 video games in 2005 and will be called upon to spot up the hole left by the departure of Sanders and Walker. 

   Ponson might not have much left in the tank however the 1 million dollars the Cardinals paid to discover out is definitely worth the danger. Looper blew a lot of video games for the Mets however the Cardinals are hoping he’ll produce in a setup function for Isringhausen.

[googlenewson]

After emotional words to his family, Scott Rolen closes his induction speech by addressing the guys on stage in red jackets: "I am humbled and honored to join with my friend Jason Isringhausen you gentlemen as a St. Louis Cardinal Hall of Famer." from FOX Sports Digital https://ift.tt/2zBkXtz

[flauntpage]

Dumb Pitchers Punching Shit and Getting Injured: A Selected History

San Francisco Giants closer Hunter Strickland, a man well-known for his even temper and kind demeanor, is out for six to eight weeks after punching a door in rage at his own poor pitching. It’s a bad situation for the Giants, who were not in particularly good shape pitching-wise anyway, and it’s bad for Hunter Strickland, who now not only has to endure the pain of a broken hand and the forthcoming pain of the surgery he will likely need to repair it, but must also endure the emotional pain of having to explain to his team and the world at large that he, a fully grown man, is unable to perform his job—a job which he is paid millions of dollars to do—because he got mad and punched a door.

At the very least, though, Strickland is not alone. He can claim a place in the annals of baseball history as one of a storied, stupidly large class of pitchers: those who got mad, punched something, and got injured. In honor of Strickland’s induction into this venerable class of baseball men, let's journey back and enjoy a few of the finest—and, it follows, some of the most idiotic—examples of these incidents in the history of America’s Pastime.

1985: Jon Tudor Threatens To Punch Reporter; Punches Inanimate Object Instead

Jon Tudor could have been the hero of the 1985 World Series. Pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Kansas City Royals, he allowed only a single run in his Game 1 start; in his Game 4 start, he pitched a complete-game shutout to put the Cards up 3-1 in the series. But after two losses over which the Cardinals scored a total of two runs, the series was tied 3-3, and Tudor took the mound for a third time in the Series — this time for all the marbles.

And it was there, in the biggest moment of his life as a pitcher, that Tudor absolutely shat the bed. He gave up a homer, a double steal, and four walks, including one with the bases loaded, and was pulled after only 2 ⅓ innings. He was charged with five earned runs. The Royals went on to win the game 11-0.

Even in good times, such as immediately after his Game 4 shutout, Tudor had done his best to antagonize the media, suggesting that they issued press passes to anyone who had a driver’s license and got so annoyed by reports that he asked one, “Do you want me to take a swing at you?” Perhaps with this rage still bubbling over, Tudor went on to have that spectacularly bad showing in Game 7. Once pulled, rather than seek out his reporter friend, he went into the dugout and took a swing at an apparently defenseless electric fan.

The electric fan, it turns out, was perhaps a worse foe than a reporter would have been. Tudor shredded his hand to the point that he needed stitches. To add insult to injury, he had to address this in front of assembled reporters.

For his part, though, Tudor seemed no worse for wear. He explained to the press that, rather than waiting for a doctor to do it, he was going to cut the stitches out of his hand himself. He wanted to go scuba diving as soon as possible.

1997: Jason Isringhausen Takes It Out on the Trash

Poor Jason Isringhausen—anybody who needed that many Tommy John surgeries over the course of his career warrants at least a little sympathy. It must have been frustrating to be sidelined, time and time again, with injuries to the same part of his arm, losing months and years of development to the interminable waiting of surgery recovery.

It was during one of these recovery periods that Isringhausen lost patience with his injury luck. In a Triple-A rehab game in early April, Isringhausen allowed three runs in the first inning. Enraged that he had come through injury and surgery only to emerge on the other side still in the minors and still struggling, Isringhausen walked off the field and punched a plastic trash can. He then went back out and pitched six more innings, despite the fact that his wrist was swelling alarmingly, and an X-ray taken after the game came back negative.

But Isringhausen found himself in so much pain the next day that he couldn’t throw, and a subsequent MRI revealed that the encounter with the trash can had, in fact, broken his wrist, meaning he would be out of commission until after the All-Star break. A month later, by that point afflicted with something resembling tuberculosis, he was caught directing a racial epithet at the Mets’ director of public relations while on a media conference call. When it rains trash, it really pours.

Isringhausen did manage to get into six games for the Mets that season, but, still haunted by his injury, he posted a 7.58 ERA, and walked only three fewer batters than he struck out. He did not play in 1998.

2010: AJ Burnett Slices Hands On Sharp Door, Tries To Cover It Up

After escaping the purgatory that was the 2000s Toronto Blue Jays and signing a plush free-agent contract with the Yankees prior to the 2009 season, A.J. Burnett seemed to be set for life. But he failed to put up a single decent season for the Yankees. 2010 was no exception: it was a season that saw him post a 5.26 ERA, and the only category he led the league in was hit-by-pitches.

Mired in his frustration by mid-July, Burnett, after a rough second inning, stormed off slammed his hands on the clubhouse door, failing to consider how sharp the edges plastic lineup-card holders on the doors could be. He sliced up the palms of his hands.

In a uniquely shameful display, though, Burnett initially lied about the source of his injuries, claiming to training staff that he had tripped on the dugout steps, cutting up his hands in his attempt to break the fall. He even convinced everyone that he was okay to pitch, though he would be pulled in the next inning after facing two batters, greeted by a chorus of boos. His web of lies did not hold up under Joe Girardi’s withering gaze, and Burnett was forced to admit that he was not only the kind of asshole who injures himself by attacking doors full of deadly plastic edges, but also the kind of asshole who lies about it.

There are plenty more where these came from, too. Walls seem to be the most common punching object, which seems counterintuitive given that they are one of the more impliable objects one could choose to punch; a wall felled, for example, the Yankees’ Kevin Brown and Doyle Alexander.

And this is not even taking into account all the players who have been injured punching other players in brawls, lacerated their hands slamming their bats into the ground, broken toes in failed attempts to kick helmets that weren’t even theirs, or subluxed their shoulders trying to throw their gloves—the creative assortment of injuries boggles the mind. Strickland’s is but the latest in a long line of entirely preventable, invariably foolish rage-induced injuries in baseball, one that will likely continue to get longer as long as the sport remains. They never seem to learn.

Dumb Pitchers Punching Shit and Getting Injured: A Selected History published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

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Dumb Pitchers Punching Shit and Getting Injured: A Selected History

San Francisco Giants closer Hunter Strickland, a man well-known for his even temper and kind demeanor, is out for six to eight weeks after punching a door in rage at his own poor pitching. It’s a bad situation for the Giants, who were not in particularly good shape pitching-wise anyway, and it’s bad for Hunter Strickland, who now not only has to endure the pain of a broken hand and the forthcoming pain of the surgery he will likely need to repair it, but must also endure the emotional pain of having to explain to his team and the world at large that he, a fully grown man, is unable to perform his job—a job which he is paid millions of dollars to do—because he got mad and punched a door.

At the very least, though, Strickland is not alone. He can claim a place in the annals of baseball history as one of a storied, stupidly large class of pitchers: those who got mad, punched something, and got injured. In honor of Strickland’s induction into this venerable class of baseball men, let’s journey back and enjoy a few of the finest—and, it follows, some of the most idiotic—examples of these incidents in the history of America’s Pastime.

1985: Jon Tudor Threatens To Punch Reporter; Punches Inanimate Object Instead

Jon Tudor could have been the hero of the 1985 World Series. Pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Kansas City Royals, he allowed only a single run in his Game 1 start; in his Game 4 start, he pitched a complete-game shutout to put the Cards up 3-1 in the series. But after two losses over which the Cardinals scored a total of two runs, the series was tied 3-3, and Tudor took the mound for a third time in the Series — this time for all the marbles.

And it was there, in the biggest moment of his life as a pitcher, that Tudor absolutely shat the bed. He gave up a homer, a double steal, and four walks, including one with the bases loaded, and was pulled after only 2 ⅓ innings. He was charged with five earned runs. The Royals went on to win the game 11-0.

Even in good times, such as immediately after his Game 4 shutout, Tudor had done his best to antagonize the media, suggesting that they issued press passes to anyone who had a driver’s license and got so annoyed by reports that he asked one, “Do you want me to take a swing at you?” Perhaps with this rage still bubbling over, Tudor went on to have that spectacularly bad showing in Game 7. Once pulled, rather than seek out his reporter friend, he went into the dugout and took a swing at an apparently defenseless electric fan.

The electric fan, it turns out, was perhaps a worse foe than a reporter would have been. Tudor shredded his hand to the point that he needed stitches. To add insult to injury, he had to address this in front of assembled reporters.

For his part, though, Tudor seemed no worse for wear. He explained to the press that, rather than waiting for a doctor to do it, he was going to cut the stitches out of his hand himself. He wanted to go scuba diving as soon as possible.

1997: Jason Isringhausen Takes It Out on the Trash

Poor Jason Isringhausen—anybody who needed that many Tommy John surgeries over the course of his career warrants at least a little sympathy. It must have been frustrating to be sidelined, time and time again, with injuries to the same part of his arm, losing months and years of development to the interminable waiting of surgery recovery.

It was during one of these recovery periods that Isringhausen lost patience with his injury luck. In a Triple-A rehab game in early April, Isringhausen allowed three runs in the first inning. Enraged that he had come through injury and surgery only to emerge on the other side still in the minors and still struggling, Isringhausen walked off the field and punched a plastic trash can. He then went back out and pitched six more innings, despite the fact that his wrist was swelling alarmingly, and an X-ray taken after the game came back negative.

But Isringhausen found himself in so much pain the next day that he couldn’t throw, and a subsequent MRI revealed that the encounter with the trash can had, in fact, broken his wrist, meaning he would be out of commission until after the All-Star break. A month later, by that point afflicted with something resembling tuberculosis, he was caught directing a racial epithet at the Mets’ director of public relations while on a media conference call. When it rains trash, it really pours.

Isringhausen did manage to get into six games for the Mets that season, but, still haunted by his injury, he posted a 7.58 ERA, and walked only three fewer batters than he struck out. He did not play in 1998.

2010: AJ Burnett Slices Hands On Sharp Door, Tries To Cover It Up

After escaping the purgatory that was the 2000s Toronto Blue Jays and signing a plush free-agent contract with the Yankees prior to the 2009 season, A.J. Burnett seemed to be set for life. But he failed to put up a single decent season for the Yankees. 2010 was no exception: it was a season that saw him post a 5.26 ERA, and the only category he led the league in was hit-by-pitches.

Mired in his frustration by mid-July, Burnett, after a rough second inning, stormed off slammed his hands on the clubhouse door, failing to consider how sharp the edges plastic lineup-card holders on the doors could be. He sliced up the palms of his hands.

In a uniquely shameful display, though, Burnett initially lied about the source of his injuries, claiming to training staff that he had tripped on the dugout steps, cutting up his hands in his attempt to break the fall. He even convinced everyone that he was okay to pitch, though he would be pulled in the next inning after facing two batters, greeted by a chorus of boos. His web of lies did not hold up under Joe Girardi’s withering gaze, and Burnett was forced to admit that he was not only the kind of asshole who injures himself by attacking doors full of deadly plastic edges, but also the kind of asshole who lies about it.

There are plenty more where these came from, too. Walls seem to be the most common punching object, which seems counterintuitive given that they are one of the more impliable objects one could choose to punch; a wall felled, for example, the Yankees’ Kevin Brown and Doyle Alexander.

And this is not even taking into account all the players who have been injured punching other players in brawls, lacerated their hands slamming their bats into the ground, broken toes in failed attempts to kick helmets that weren’t even theirs, or subluxed their shoulders trying to throw their gloves—the creative assortment of injuries boggles the mind. Strickland’s is but the latest in a long line of entirely preventable, invariably foolish rage-induced injuries in baseball, one that will likely continue to get longer as long as the sport remains. They never seem to learn.

Dumb Pitchers Punching Shit and Getting Injured: A Selected History syndicated from https://australiahoverboards.wordpress.com

[buddyrabrahams]

10 takeaways from the 2018 Hall of Fame voting

The results are in: four players were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and will represent the Class of 2018. Chipper Jones and Jim Thome got in on their first try, while Vladimir Guerrero (second) and Trevor Hoffman (third) also got in.

From players who made it to those who didn’t, as well as how the controversial figures fared in 2018, we have 10 interesting takeaways from the 2018 Hall of Fame voting.

1) Chipper Jones received a historic amount of votes in his first year on the ballot. He received 410 of 422 votes (97.2 percent). That percentage ties him with his former teammate, Greg Maddux, for 10th-highest percent all-time (Ken Griffey Jr. had the highest percentage at 99.32 percent).

2) Barry Bonds is not much closer to making it than he was last year. He received 238 votes, which is the same amount as he did last year. That actually represents a higher percent than he had last year (56.4 percent to 53.8 percent). That completes his sixth year on the ballot. He has four more years of eligibility on the ballot.

3) Roger Clemens is inching up. He received three more votes than last year (242 to 239). His percentage is up from 54.1 to 57.3. Just like Bonds, he completed his sixth year on the ballot and has four more years of eligibility.

4) One voter left an entirely blank ballot.

5) Curt Schilling is trending upwards and rebounded from a down 2017. In 2016, Schilling had 52.3 percent of votes, but he dropped to 45 percent last year. This year, Schilling received 216 votes (51.2 percent), representing a 6.1 percent increase. Why the increase? Perhaps his time out of the spotlight — he made very few headlines last year compared to his controversial 2016 where he made numerous political remarks and was fired by ESPN — contributed to voters only thinking about his baseball and less about his views. Perhaps Schilling was right about this.

6) Six players did not receive a single vote. Orlando Hudson, Aubrey Huff, Jason Isringhausen, Brad Lidge, Kevin Millwood and Carlos Zambrano will not appear on the ballot next year after getting shut out.

7) Vladimir Guerrero got in a year later than he should have. The 2004 AL MVP received 92.9 percent of votes on the ballot this year (his second year on the ballot), second only to Chipper Jones. A career .318 hitter and 9-time All-Star, Guerrero becomes the third Dominican Republic-born player to be elected to the Hall (Juan Marichal and Pedro Martinez are the others). At 42, he is also the youngest member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. He plans to become the fourth player to enter the Hall as a Montreal Expo.

8) 14 players have been removed from future Hall of Fame consideration for failing to receive five percent of the votes. Those players include: Jamie Moyer, Johan Santana, Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Chris Carpenter, Kerry Wood, Livan Hernandez, Carlos Lee, Orlando Hudson, Aubrey Huff, Jason Isringhausen, Brad Lidge, Kevin Millwood and Carlos Zambrano. The latter six did not receive a single vote. All the other players received at least one.

9) Jim Thome made it in on his first year on the ballot. He received 379 of 422 votes (89.8 percent). He is the fifth of nine members of the 600 home run club to make it (Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa have failed to be elected, while Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols are not yet eligible). Thome is the first former Cleveland Indian to be elected to the Hall since Bob Lemon in 1976.

10) Next year could be the year for Edgar Martinez and Mike Mussina. Martinez received 297 votes (70.4 percent) in his ninth year on the ballot. He is close to finally making it in what would be his last year of eligibility. Mussina climbed from 51.8 percent last year to 63.5 percent this year. He could make it next year in what would be his sixth year on the ballot. Here are four players we think will make it next year.

from Larry Brown Sports http://ift.tt/2n7LQiS

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BBWAA Corridor of Fame: Chipper Jones, Jim Thome headline the newcomers on poll

One of many hallmarks of the baseball offseason could be the annual arguing over the Corridor of Fame balloting. This season’s model can now start in earnest, as a result of the BBWAA has launched its Corridor of Fame poll. 

BBWAA members who’ve served for 10 or extra years and been chosen to vote should hand of their ballots with a postmark no later than Dec. 31. They will vote for as much as 10 gamers. Gamers receiving a minimum of 75 p.c of the vote will probably be inducted into the Corridor of Fame subsequent summer time. The outcomes will probably be revealed on MLB Community Jan. 24, 2018 on a present that begins at 6 p.m. ET. 

Final yr, Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan Rodriguez have been enshrined. Anticipate them to be joined by a minimum of three extra gamers this time round. 

Newcomer Chipper Jones is a cinch to be elected in first attempt. Jim Thome and his 600-plus dwelling runs have a shot at getting in as properly. Holdovers Trevor Hoffman and Vladimir Guerrero every acquired over 70 p.c of the vote final yr, so in addition they are prone to push over the 75 p.c threshold this yr. 

Here is a have a look at the complete poll, together with final yr’s vote share for individuals who aren’t first-timers. 

Trevor Hoffman

third

74.Zero

Vladimir Guerrero

2nd

71.7

Edgar Martinez

ninth

58.6

Roger Clemens

sixth

54.1

Barry Bonds

sixth

53.eight

Mike Mussina

fifth

51.eight

Curt Schilling

sixth

45.Zero

Manny Ramirez

2nd

23.eight

Larry Walker

eighth

21.9

Fred McGriff

ninth

21.7

Jeff Kent

fifth

16.7

Gary Sheffield

4th

13.Three

Billy Wagner

third

10.2

Sammy Sosa

sixth

eight.6

Chipper Jones

1st

Jim Thome

1st

Scott Rolen

1st

Omar Vizquel

1st

Johan Santana

1st

Andruw Jones

1st

Johnny Damon

1st

Jamie Moyer

1st

Chris Carpenter

1st

Kerry Wooden

1st

Carlos Zambrano

1st

Livan Hernandez

1st

Orlando Hudson

1st

Aubrey Huff

1st

Jason Isringhausen

1st

Carlos Lee

1st

Brad Lidge

1st

Hideki Matsui

1st

Kevin Millwood

1st

It’ll be fascinating to see how a lot, if any, achieve Edgar Martinez makes in his second-to-last effort to get in. Additionally, keep watch over Bonds and Clemens. They’re just about tied to one another for a lot of causes and made vital positive factors final yr. 

Among the many first-timers, arguments about Rolen and Vizquel appear to be they may get heated. I will be to see if Johan will get any run as properly. 

When it comes to getting on this time, although, Chipper, Hoffman and Vlad ought to make it whereas Thome in all probability has a shot. 

The two-Four man class right here would be a part of anybody from the ‘Trendy Baseball Period’ poll. We’ll know that outcome through the Winter Conferences subsequent month whereas having to attend right here till late January. 

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