Saturday, May 3, 2025
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How to Trade Carson Wentz in Three Easy Steps

By
Kevin Reavy
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0

One day after quarterback Jalen Hurts led the Eagles to an upset victory over the Saints in his first NFL start, Max Kellerman, via ESPN’s First Take, made a bold statement:

“You can’t trade Carson Wentz! You won’t find a single taker in the NFL, because he stinks!”

“Listen up: Carson Wentz still has a lot of value in 2021 and beyond.” (Photo Credit: AlexanderJonesi, wikicommons)

Fact check: False.

Kellerman aptly, albeit smugly fills the ‘other guy’ role opposite Stephen A. Smith on the popular ESPN program. The main difference between the two is that Smith’s bombastic proclamations typically carry the weight of a verifiably informed opinion. Kellerman far too often spouts off aimlessly, like an unranked challenger attempting to trade punches with the champ. He’s a Giants fan, and that infects his analysis; especially in this instance.

Now, I’m not an NFL General Manager. I’m just an Eagles fan, equally inclined to defend Wentz as Kellerman is to throw him under the bus. But, if I were running the Eagles, trading Wentz would be an easy three-step process. Not only would there be a taker; there would be a bidding war.

Step 1:

The Eagles need to accept the fact that the guaranteed money on Wentz’s contract ain’t coming back. Remember back when drinking at bars was legal? I recall a time or twenty when it was time to settle the check at the end of the night and the number was astronomical. It feels great in the moment to throw em’ back and buy rounds for the bar, until the bill comes and you realize your friendship with Steve probably isn’t worth those two rounds of Johnny Walker Blue. But, there’s good news.

Cutting Wentz loose and incurring massive cap penalties in 2021 and 2022 is made much more palatable by the fact that the guy playing in place of him — and playing better than him — is making a lot less money.

[2021 Carson Wentz salary: $35 million. 2021-2023 Jalen Hurts total salary: $5 million.]

Every single football team in the NFL has the expectation, and hope, of spending a lot of money on the quarterback position. It usually means they have a good quarterback… usually. While eating tens of millions in dead cap money is typically unpalatable, it’s kind of a moot point if the backup is outperforming the starter.

The Eagles would be best advised to take a Billy Bean-like dollars-per-win approach. The money is going to Wentz’s bank account either way, but the dollars are more equitably spent starting the QB that gives the team the best chance to win. Right now, that’s Hurts.

Of course, it’s a game of projection. The Eagles have to decide which has more value: The likelihood and degree of a Wentz rebound versus the long term viability of Jalen Hurts plus whatever comes via trade in a Wentz deal.

That’s what a lot of people like Max Kellerman are discounting right now: the value of Carson Wentz.

Step 2:

The Eagles can talk up Wentz to potential trade partners all they want, but it’s hard to hide the fact that they benched him for a rookie. Luckily for Philadelphia, supply can be elevated by demand.

Dak Prescott is essentially the only starting-caliber quarterback that’s likely to be available this offseason. Cam Newton has five touchdown passes in 12 games and Jameis Winston, third on the depth chart in New Orleans, has thrown more picks than anyone in football since he was drafted in 2015. That’s really it. Wentz’s value is clearly elevated by this barren market.

I know it’s hard to remember anything before last week (it’s been a boozie quarantine for me, I get it), but Wentz was truly one of the best quarterbacks in football just 12 months ago.

Do you remember?… last year, Wentz led the worst wide receiver corps in football to a 4-1 stretch to close out the season and win the NFC East. He threw 10 touchdowns, just one interception, and averaged 301 passing yards per game.

He’s one of 13 quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for over 30 touchdowns and less than 10 interceptions in the same season (Fun Fact: Donovan McNabb was the very first in 2004).

He’s also only the fifth QB in history with multiple seasons of over 25 touchdowns and less than 10 interceptions.

And he’s going to be 28 years old. The contract is really the only issue.

Step 3:

NFL contracts are very complicated.

Here is the Cliffs Notes version of Philadelphia’s dilemma, via 94 WIP’s Eliot Shorr-Parks:

“Wentz is currently set to have a cap hit of $34.67 million in 2021. Cutting him is a non-starter — it would move his cap hit up to $59.2 million, and put the Eagles at around $89 million over the cap. They will not be releasing Wentz.

Trading him, believe it or not, actually has a positive impact on the available cap space.

If the Eagles were to trade Carson Wentz prior to June 1st during the 2021 offseason, Wentz’s cap hit would go from $34,673,536 to $33,820,608. That is a savings of $816,928 in cap space.

Repeat: The Eagles save cap space in 2021 if they trade Carson Wentz.”

Sure, every team in the league knows the Eagles CAN’T release Wentz, and really HAVE to trade him before the start of the 2021 season. There is leverage there. But, everyone seems to be discounting the Eagles’ leverage:

Wentz’s cap hit for the Eagles would be almost $35 million if he stays with the team. That’s the market price for a franchise QB. Any team that trades for him gets a $10 million discount, and that should be the leverage that pushes back in Philly’s favor. On top of that, the trading team can opt out after two seasons.

Might the Colts, who just gave $25 million to Philip Old Man Rivers, be interested in taking on a 28-year old former MVP candidate, at nearly the same exact price? Seems logical.

Listen, the Eagles might not be able to make a deal happen. If the draft pick compensation isn’t right, they’ll walk away and Wentz will remain with the team for another season. The money is spent either way. But Wentz’s reasonable salary should be A huge selling point. The Eagles shouldn’t have trouble reminding teams of that.

If you’re Indy, Chicago, New England… this opportunity doesn’t come along often. If I were them, I’d jump at it.

Consider:

Since 2011, 22 quarterbacks were taken in the top 10 of the NFL draft.

Baker Mayfield, Jameis Winston, and Sam Bradford were drafted #1 overall.

The (arguable) misses-

Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Daniel Jones, Mitch Trubisky, Marcus Mariota, Blake Bortles, RGIII, Jake Locker, and Blaine Gabbert.

The (arguable) hits-

Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, Ryan Tannehil, Jared Goff, Josh Allen, Pat Mahomes, and Justin Herbert.

Jury’s out-

Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa.

Excluding Murray/Burrow/Tua, that’s 7 hits, 12 misses.

That’s a 38.9% success rate on the top-rated quarterbacks in the draft! Teams are seriously rolling the dice with the most valuable draft picks on the board.

The Colts are projected to pick 22nd in the 2021 draft. They should jump at the chance to swap that out for Wentz on a likely two-year deal.

They’re getting off easy.

There’s a taker for ya, Kellerman.

Easy peasy.

Scott Rolen, the Hall of Fame, and My Introduction to Advanced Defensive Metrics

By
Ryan M. Spaeder
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1

One of my earliest memories of Scott Rolen came after the 1998 season, I had just turned nine years old and Rolen had just captured his first Gold Glove Award. I, a rather inquisitive nine year old who was probably a bit of a contrarian and not nearly as perceptive as I might have thought, recall questioning whether or not Rolen should have actually taken home the hardware.

I remember asking my father how Scott Rolen possibly won the Gold Glove Award when he didn’t even finish in the top-five in fielding percentage among third basemen – specifically citing Chipper Jones, who had finished a whole point higher. And my father explained to me that “Scott Rolen made errors on balls that no one else could even get to,” and that he “made plays look routine that would take Chipper Jones’s best effort.”

I now look back on this conversation as my introduction to advanced defensive metrics, and consider my father a visionary in his ability to analytically dissect a player, though he used exclusively the “eye test” and never quantified it.

Today, we attempt to quantify everything, and utilize statistics like defensive runs saved to attempt to place a value on defensive prowess, and these statistics, like the eye test from over two decades ago, view Rolen in a favorable light.

Of 19,902 ballplayers in MLB History, Scott’s 175.4 defensive runs saved – using baseball-reference’s runs from fielding formula, which is all encompassing throughout the history of the game – rank 13th, and he trails only Adrian Beltre (217.7) and Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson (293.1) among third basemen.

I was fortunate enough to speak with Rolen about some of these numbers, his career as a whole, and the Hall of Fame, but I grew up a diehard Phillies fan and even wore Scott’s number, so before we got down to business, we had to address the elephant in the room – was there any bad blood between Scott Rolen and the City of Philadelphia.

“Tremendous play by Scott Rolen!” – Harry Kalas… Rolen on July 12, 2001, against the Blue Jays. (Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media)

Scott laughed, “No, man, not at all. I love Philly, my time there helped shape me as a player. Philly fans taught me to play every single out as hard as I could, because they are smart, they notice everything. If you aren’t busting your ass out of the box, if you aren’t playing hard, they will let you know, and I carried that with me my entire career.”

He continued, “I don’t know where all that started, maybe because I was pretty quiet with the media – I always tried to answer questions, but that was it, I never filled silence. I’ve got a high school diploma, I didn’t think anyone wanted to hear my opinions on much beyond what they were asking me.”

“Actually, let me backtrack a little, I guess I have an idea where it may have started, and I have to admit, there were some bumps in the road toward the end where maybe I would have handled some things differently, but it was nothing but business and philosophy issues – issues beyond dollars amount… it was never really a me versus the Phillies type thing, and it was certainly not me versus the fans. Philadelphia had become my home, man.”

I believe that BBWAA pays a heavy premium to those who play shortstop and discount third basemen – in fact, BBWAA has inducted only seven third basemen ever in Chipper Jones, Wade Boggs, George Brett, Mike Schmidt, Brooks Robinson, Eddie Mathews, and Pie Traynor – and I contend that had Scott Rolen played shortstop, he would already be in the Hall of Fame.

“Man, I was confident in my ability to play, but I think that saying in hindsight that I could have had the same career at short would be a disservice to those who played there. I was at the right position for me. There was a time that the Phillies may have been kicking the tires with the idea of moving me over, but it never happened,” Rolen said.

He continued, “You know, it is actually funny, the only time I actually thought I might get a shot was my last All-Star Game [in 2011] – we were allotted one guy to re-enter in case of an emergency and Bochy asked me to be his guy. When he picked me, I was like ‘Are you sure I’m your guy? I am the oldest dude on this team.’ But he insisted, so I started, went out there, got my 0-2 with two strikeouts, and then sat on the bench ready to go anywhere… short, left… wherever.”

Whether or not Rolen could have played shortstop for his career can remain a matter for debate; however, the premium paid to shortstops by BBWAA, really, is not.

Barry Larkin:
Games: 2,180
.295/.371/.444/.815
R: 1,329
H: 2,340
TOB: 3,334
XBH: 715
HR: 198
TB: 3,527
SB: 379
RBI: 960
WAA: 42.5
rWAR: 70.5
OPS+: 116
fWAR: 67.0
wOBA: .360
wRC+: 118
DRS: 17.7
First Ballot: 51.6%
Second Ballot: 62.1%
Third Ballot: 86.4% (HOF)

Scott Rolen:
Games: 2,038
.281/.364/.490/.855
R: 1,211
H: 2,077
TOB: 3,103
XBH: 876
HR: 316
TB: 3,628
SB: 118
RBI: 1,287
WAA: 44.0
rWAR: 70.1
OPS+: 122
fWAR: 69.9
wOBA: .368
wRC+: 122
DRS: 175.4
First Ballot: 10.2%
Second Ballot: 17.2%
Third Ballot: 35.3%

Perhaps an even more glaring example lies in a comparison to one of Rolen’s ballot contemporaries.

Omar Vizquel:
.272/.336/.352/.688
Adjusted OPS: 82
Batting runs: -244.3
Fielding runs: 128.6
Baserunning runs: -0.7
Wins above average: 5.3
Wins above replacement: 45.6
First Ballot: 37.0%
Second Ballot: 42.8%
Third Ballot: 52.6%

Scott Rolen:
.281/.364/.490/.855
Adjusted OPS: 122
Batting runs: 233.7
Fielding runs: 175.4
Baserunning runs: 12.5
Wins above average: 44.0
Wins above replacement: 70.2
First Ballot: 10.2%
Second Ballot: 17.2%
Third Ballot: 35.3%

Now, yes, there is something to be said of Omar’s longevity, as he played 930 more games than Scottie, but we must also then note just how much more valuable Rolen was in those first 2,038 games – he averaged 5.58 WAR per 162 games played to Omar’s 2.49. In fact, Vizquel had just one season where he had even as many WAR as Rolen averaged per 120 games. And despite the fact that Omar will likely be inducted into the Hall of Fame based solely on the shoulders of his defensive prowess, Rolen averaged nearly twice as defensive runs saved per 162 games, 13.94 to 7.01.

I wondered if Scott thought that BBWAA was failing him, and if he feels that he is unjustly left off of some ballots because he played closer to the line.

Rolen paused, “I never really gave it much thought at all, honestly. I mean, you tell me these numbers, and I believe what you are saying, and I know you know this stuff, but I don’t think we give [the voters] enough credit. I never really thought much about how difficult it is to pick one guy over another or decide the fate of someone who might be borderline [on the Hall of Fame ballot] actually is until you asked me to vote.”

He continued, “I get fired up when you or one of my buddies who I played with text me and let me know that someone added me on their ballot, but after trying to fill this damn thing out myself, I don’t think I can hold anyone’s choices against them – hell, my vote doesn’t even count!”

I was curious as to who Scott felt might have gotten short changed over the years, where BBWAA may haven come up short, especially given his new found respect for the induction process.

“Fred McGriff,” he responded instantly. “He hit, what? 493 home runs, and he lost about a season with the strike [in 1994-95]. He was right there with a major number required to get in and falls short because of what, seven home runs? To me, 493 is basically 500, and playing against him… he was a wrecking crew.”

Rolen continued, “And on that, now I don’t know if this is even anyone’s fault, it might just be the process, the rules, whatever… but Jorge Posada, Jimmy Edmonds, Kenny Lofton, Carlos Delgado, are they Hall of Famers? I don’t know, but I don’t think they should have been off after their first ballot.”

The golden number is well known – it takes 75 percent for induction. But, throughout history the key number is actually quite a bit lower. There are only five players ever who have received at least 50 percent of the BBWAA on any given ballot who are not in the National Baseball Hall of Fame: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, Omar Vizquel, all of whom are still eligible for induction, and Gil Hodges.

“Shoot, man, you have got to add Hodges for me,” Rolen responded. “He was great with the Dodgers, managed that ’69 Mets team… funny enough, he lived three doors down from my Mother when she was growing up in Petersburg, Indiana, and he used to play catch with my Uncles. I don’t know, maybe I am letting the stories that Mom told me influence my decision… he should be in, right?”

Gil Hodges debuted on Oct. 3, 1943, the Dodgers final game of the season. Less than two weeks later, he joined the Marine Corps, serving in World War II. From 1943 to 1946, he played in just that one big league game, making his “second” debut on May 8, 1947. He went on to hit 390 home runs – including 310 in the 1950s, second only to teammate Duke Snider (326), every other player ranking in the top-seven is in the Hall of Fame – and won three World Series Championships, two with the Dodgers in 1955 and 1959, and then again as the Manager of the 1969 Miracle Mets. All of that, and he was awarded the Bronze Star between his first and second big league games.

Modern sabermetrics aren’t the kindest to Hodges, but it is easy to forget that they are only applied in retrospect and that the game was played to a different standard over half a century ago.

So yeah, brother, I’d say he should indeed be in the Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame, though, was largely an afterthought for Scott, not something he was particularly striving for during his career.

“I never realized how cool it would be until that first year on the ballot. I was coaching my son Finn’s basketball team and we were on our way to practice when the induction announcement was being made,” Rolen said. “Finn says to me as we are riding up, ‘Dad, I think you are going to make it.’ I asked him, ‘Hey bud, when we left the house, did you notice any TV crews or people looking like they were setting up to do an interview?’ He says, ‘No,’ I told him, ‘Neither did I, and it seems like they are pretty quick to interview the guys who get in every year. I don’t think I am going to make it, bud.'”

Rolen continued, “I explained to him, all we need is five, we get five percent and we live to fight another day. And after they interviewed everyone who did make it, at the very end of the show, we hear ‘And Scott Rolen stays alive with 10.2 percent.’ He just erupted with the biggest fist pump you could imagine.”

“That has been the cool thing about this each year now. Getting to enjoy it through Finn and my daughter, Raine. The second year, when I got 17 percent, Finn’s telling me he thinks that it is a ‘good sign’ because that was my number in Philly, then the third year, we more than doubled that. To see my kids get as excited as they do for me, man, that’s what fires me up most – it’s kind of like I make it every year. And if I do eventually make the Hall of Fame, I would just be thrilled to share that with my kids, my wife, and my parents.”

Larry Walker, who was finally and rightfully voted into Cooperstown last year, his final year on the ballot, hopes that his friend doesn’t have to suffer through a decade before his induction.

“Scott was one of those players who could join a team midway through the season and instantly fill in all the missing pieces. Heck, he’d fill in pieces that a team may not have even realized that they were missing, too! He was great in the clubhouse and did everything on the field exceptionally well… he didn’t have much speed, though,” Walker laughed.

Walker has told me that he always got anxiety around Hall of Fame season, not because of the voting, but “because of the damn speech.”

Rolen, though, might already have part of his mapped out. He told me, “I am a believer in self-learning and pushing oneself, I always wanted to outwork the guy who I was facing – and I always thought I did, until later in my career when I was in Toronto… man, I’ll tell you right now, there is no one who worked harder than Roy Halladay – having said all of that, [John Vukovich] gave me the keys, and he taught me the fundamentals of being a third baseman – it was always ‘get big, play to the plate, and make linear moves.’ He taught me to play defense like offense – I believe in the RBI and the run scored, I believe the name of the game is simply to score more runs than the other team, but if I can defend against a run scored, then I am taking an offensive mentality with me on defense, and Vuke showed me that long before I knew that there were even numbers that backed this stuff up.”

“There are a lot of people who had a major impact on my career – Mom and Dad, of course – but another one that stands out for me is Walt [Jocketty]. He put together our World Series Championship [St. Louis Cardinals] team in 2006, and signed me to a deal that allows me to be a stay-at-home Dad now and spend my days with my wife and kids. Every single time that my kids were at the ballpark and Walt was around, I made sure that they said hello and thanked him.”

“I’ll tell you what, though, I definitely won’t be saying anything nice about Walk if I ever give that speech! As I recall it, they said that I ‘ran pretty good for a big guy,'” Rolen joked.

The last thing we talked about was the numbers – new school, old school, whatever – the numbers that say Scott Rolen belongs in the Hall of Fame.

“Like I told you before, man. I believe in the RBI and the run scored… and I believe in the base hit. I went up every time looking for a hit, had I gone up looking to just get on base, maybe by way of a walk, I think I would have been screwed. I know you have all these fancy numbers, and believe me, I appreciate them now, but I went to the plate with the ‘Hal McRae mentality,’ just looking to ‘put something in the basket,’ as he would say. I had just one ‘number’ goal during my career, and that was to drive in at least 12 runs-per-month, I knew if I got a dozen ribbies every month, everything else would fall into place. All of these numbers that you are telling me, that you say make me a Hall of Famer, boy, do I appreciate them now. But my understanding of advanced statistics doesn’t go beyond on-base percentage, and to me that wasn’t about accumulating walks – on-base percentage, for me, is the result of my ambition to score a run, a result of my desire to ‘put something in the basket.’ I’ll leave the off the scoreboard numbers to you.”

Rolen indeed did put quite a bit in the basket, it doesn’t matter if you look at analytics, sabermetrics, or baseball card stats – he is, unquestionably, one of the greatest third basemen in MLB History.

Don’t believe me yet? You will learn, by the numbers, I will teach you…

Scott Rolen is one of nine third basemen in MLB history with at least 70.0 rWAR, seven are Hall of Famers and Adrian Beltre is not yet eligible.

Rolen ranks fifth all-time in slugging percentage among third basemen with at least 7,000 plate appearances. His .855 OPS is sixth best in history, all five players ahead of him are in the Hall of Fame.

He is one of just four third basemen with at least 500 doubles and 300 home runs, the others are George Brett, Chipper Jones, and Adrian Beltre.

He also had 175.4 defensive runs saved, couple that with the 500 doubles and 300 home runs, and he is one of just six players ever with at least 150, 500, and 300, a list that is filled out by Cal Ripken Jr., Carl Yastrzemski, Willie Mays, Barry Bonds, and Adrian Beltre.

Rolen and Beltre are the only third basemen in MLB history with at least 300 home runs and 150 defensive runs saved.

Should we not limit that list to only third basemen, the only adds are Andruw Jones, Barry Bonds, and Hall of Famers Cal Ripken Jr., Carl Yastrzemski, Al Kaline, and Willie Mays.

Scott Rolen faced Braves Hall of Fame trio Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz a total of 200 times – he batted .317/.410/.527 against them.

Using Scott’s “rule of a dozen,” he is just one of nine third basemen in MLB history with at least 1,200 runs and 1,200 RBI, and among that crew, he has the fewest games played.

He played 17,479⅓ career innings in the field, and he played all of them at third base.

Rolen averaged 5.572 WAR per 162 games in his career, ranking 53rd all-time, a bit ahead of Chipper Jones (56th, 5.530 WAR/162). His 5.572 WAR/162 ranks fifth among third basemen in MLB history, trailing only Hall of Famers Wade Boggs, John Franklin “Home Run” Baker, Eddie Mathews, and Mike Schmidt. Chipper Jones and George Brett, who rank sixth and seventh, respectively, are both in the Hall of Fame as well.

Scott Rolen career:

BA – .281
OBP – .364
SLG – .490
R – 1,211
TOB – 3,103
H – 2,077
2B – 517
HR – 316
XBH – 876
RBI – 1,287
SB – 118
TB – 3,628
DRS – 175.4
OPS+ – 122
rWAR – 70.1
WAA – 44.0
wOBA – .368
wRC+ – 122
fWAR – 69.9

Hall of Famers:

Rickey Henderson – .279 BA
Roberto Clemente – .359 OBP
Reggie Jackson – .490 SLG
Willie Stargell – 1,194 R
Joe DiMaggio – 3,050 TOB
Chuck Klein – 2,076 H
Babe Ruth – 506 2B
George Brett – 317 HR
Derek Jeter – 870 XBH
Edgar Martinez – 1,261 RBI
Lou Gehrig – 102 SB
Barry Larkin – 3,527 TB
Cal Ripken Jr. – 180.7
Ernie Banks – 122 OPS+
Tony Gwynn – 69.2 rWAR
Brooks Robinson – 39.6 WAA
Rod Carew – .369 wOBA
Kirby Puckett – 122 wRC+
Willie McCovey – 67.4 fWAR

Placido Polanco Was Probably Better Than Omar Vizquel

By
Ryan M. Spaeder
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0
Photo Credit: John T. Greilick, Detroit News

Placido Polanco is never a name that comes to mind when talking about the games greatest bat-handlers – his first eight seasons went by rather quietly, as he did not collect any Gold Glove Awards, Silver Slugger Awards, All-Star appearances, or even a single MVP vote. Yet, he batted a respectable .300/.344/.409 during those eight big league campaigns with his career-best season still to come.

He displayed mastery with the mitt, finishing his career with 137.9 defensive runs saved and as the game’s all-time leader in fielding percentage – take that for what it is worth – as both a second baseman and as a third baseman. Yet, he did not win his first, of three, Gold Glove Awards until his ninth season.

A career emphasized by a keen ability to put the bat on the ball, Polanco struck out just 538 times in 7,887 plate appearances.

Overall, Polanco finished with a solid career, good numbers propped up by the fact that he was such a difficult out at the plate – not unlike Tony Gwynn, who instead had great numbers bolstered by his ability to put the bat on the ball.

This is by no means to say that Polanco was better than or even anywhere as close to as good as Tony Gwynn… but I can comfortably compare his career with the likes of, say, Omar Vizquel, the all-time leader in fielding percentage as a shortstop, who has garnered a great deal of Hall of Fame support.

Now, I do not believe either player is worthy of Hall of Fame induction, but I believe that Polanco may have been the better player.

Vizquel’s Hall of Fame support rests largely on the shoulders of his defensive prowess, and while there is no doubt that his career should be paid a premium for excelling as a shortstop, Polanco was not far off… defensively.

Along with his career .985 fielding percentage, Vizquel tallied 128.6 defensive runs saved – actually 9.1 fewer than Polanco had in his career. Omar won 11 Gold Glove Awards to Polanco’s three, and he probably should have a few more… Derek Jeter has a few of Omar’s awards in his trophy case.

Nonetheless, it is close. Polanco may not have had the magical, seemingly instantaneous glove-to-hand transition ability of Vizquel, but he was not far behind, and by some indications, perhaps he was even better.

Omar Vizquel
2,968 games played
24,519.2 innings played
.985 fielding percentage
128.6 defensive runs saved

Placido Polanco
1,927 games played
15,341 innings played
.990 fielding percentage
137.9 defensive runs saved

As a shortstop, Vizquel never led the league in assists, he led the league in putouts once, fielding percentage six times, range factor-per-nine innings once, and total zone runs three times.

Polanco, on the other hand, led the league in assists once as a third baseman, putouts once as a second baseman, fielding percentage six times total – three times at each position – range factor-per-nine once as a third baseman, and total zone runs once as a second baseman.

Vizquel and Polanco rank 31st and 32nd all-time in total zone runs with 129 and 128, respectively, and Vizquel played over 1,000 more games.

There is definitely something to be said about Vizquel’s longevity, but Polanco should also be lauded for playing two of the most difficult positions on the diamond, interchangeably, at the highest level and at a Gold Glove, if not an all-time great, level.

Again, it is close… Polanco was not far off, defensively…

Offensively, I contend that Polanco was a far superior threat.

Vizquel was a career .272/.336/.352 hitter with an OPS+ that was 18 percent below league average, granted that is not position adjusted, while Polanco batted .297/.343/.397 with a 95 OPS+. Both wOBA an wRC+ provide an edge for Polanco as well – .327 to .310 and 97 to 83, respectively.

Again, Vizquel’s career was markedly longer, but if we look at each players’ top-five seasons in the adjusted categories of OPS+, wOBA, and wRC+, the scales tip decisively in Polanco’s corner.

Omar Vizquel
111 OPS+ | .372 wOBA | 115 wRC+
104 OPS+ | .346 wOBA | 102 wRC+
99 OPS+ | .343 wOBA | 99 wRC+
98 OPS+ | .331 wOBA | 98 wRC+
95 OPS+ | .331 wOBA | 96 wRC+

Placido Polanco
121 OPS+ | .372 wOBA | 125 wRC+
120 OPS+ | .365 wOBA | 124 wRC+
113 OPS+ | .348 wOBA | 111 wRC+
102 OPS+ | .342 wOBA | 103 wRC+
98 OPS+ | .338 wOBA | 102 wRC+

Overall, Omar Vizquel edges Placido Polanco in career wins above replacement (WAR) – 45.6 to 41.9 – but remember that Omar played 1,041 more games, and, like hits – of which Vizquel did have 735 more – WAR is a cumulative statistic, though it can dip with negative values. It is also worth noting that wins above average (WAA) favors Polanco rather decidedly – 17.2 to 5.3.

Hall of Fame metrics, however, are not particularly generous to either player.

Omar Vizquel
Seven-year peak WAR: 26.8
Average Hall of Fame SS: 43.1
JAWS: 36.2
Average Hall of Fame SS: 55.3

Placido Polanco
Seven-year peak WAR: 32.4
Average Hall of Fame 2B/3B: 44.4/43.1
JAWS: 37.1
Average Hall of Fame 2B/3B: 57.0/55.3

Again, I do not believe either player is worthy of Hall of Fame immortality, but, in the end, I do think Vizquel’s longevity and his reputation with the glove will get him there… even though Polanco may have been nearly at good at his positions.

BBWAA, in general, pays (or charges) a premium to a number of intangibles – the character clause may be the most discussed example – two others are: the position of shortstop over other skill positions and things that they don’t particularly understand in full – look no further than the countless awards given to relief pitchers in the 1980s, before anyone really understood the value of the save – in this case, the unknown is the value of all-time great defense over just great defense.

When it comes to defense, my contention is that of an economist – there are decreasing marginal returns on improvement. Sure, when going from poor to average or average to excellent, there is significant value added, but when going from great to all-time great, the value added is probably negligible, at least statistically it is.

And so, I believe that Placido Polanco was probably better than Omar Vizquel… and I know for damn sure that Jimmy Rollins was a far better shortstop overall, but I will wait until next year to talk about that when J-Roll makes his first appearance on the ballot…

Dick Allen, the Hall of Fame, and the Character Clause

By
Ryan M. Spaeder
-
0
Photo Credit: George Gojkovich/Getty Images

Dick Allen will hopefully soon be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, like Ron Santo, he will not be able to enjoy his ceremony.

Allen should have been inducted long ago, but in 1997, his final year on the ballot, he received just 16.7 percent of the vote – he would have to be inducted just as Santo was, by the way of the Veteran’s Committee (or whatever it is called this year). 

Over the course of his 15 year career, he totaled just 1,749 games, but during his relatively short career, his performance was among, if not exceeding, the best in the game. He led all of baseball in wins above replacement (WAR) during two over-lapping ten-year periods, from 1963-72 and 1964-73, sandwiched between Henry Aaron and Willie McCovey. In fact, every single player before him to EVER lead any ten-year period in WAR is enshrined in the Hall of Fame, likewise, every player after him until you get to Barry Bonds from 1985-94.

From 1871 to 1995, just 23 players had put together five or more qualified seasons batting at least .300/.375/.550, of the 23, 22 are in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the odd man out – Dick Allen.

Of the 1,020 players in MLB history to amass at least 5,000 plate appearances, Dick Allen ranks 59th in WAR per 162 games played at 5.437, with fellow third basemen Chipper Jones just to his north at 56th (5.530 WAR/162) and George Brett to his south at 69th (5.302 WAR/162).

There are just four players to maintain at least a 150 OPS+ over the course of a career spanning 7,000 or more plate appearances who are NOT in the Hall of Fame:

  1. Barry Bonds – 182
  2. Mark McGwire – 163
  3. Dick Allen – 156
  4. Manny Ramirez – 154

And for what it is worth, the next three on that list are Joey Votto (149), Miguel Cabrera (147), and Albert Pujols (146).

Now, most of you know my feelings on PEDs and the “steroid era.” Nonetheless, we are left with four names above – four names steeped in controversy. 

Manny Ramirez, of course, had two failed tests when baseball had standards and testing for PEDs. Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire, I contend, were victims of the time in which they played, enabled by Bud Selig and Major League Baseball. Dick Allen, too, was a victim of his time, but in a far more egregious manner.

Often, now, BBWAA members invoke the character clause to justify why they did or did not vote for an individual, something that, today, is generally viewed through a subjective lens. But this is nothing new, the character clause is, in my opinion, what kept Dick Allen out of the Hall of Fame, and did so in a manner that is objectively wrong.

Dick Allen is not in the Hall of Fame because he was an outspoken black man during a time when black players were expected to keep quiet and play ball — that was his controversy, and it is complete bullshit.

He had a reputation for being difficult to work with, often called a “troublemaker” or a “bad teammate” by those covering him. The truth is, to borrow from Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, who I have been fortunate enough to get to know and to discuss the Hall of Fame cases of the likes of both Dick Allen and Jim Kaat, “[he] was a sensitive black man who refused to be treated as a second-class citizen.” Schmidt credits Allen both as an excellent mentor off the field and role model in terms of his on field play.

I credit Allen as a baseball pioneer, and I credit him as someone who refused to take any shit. And I hope the Major League Baseball, an organization that now so proudly holds itself in the highest regard for equality, soon rights a long time injustice, granting him enshrinement.

Rest in peace, Dick Allen, you’re a Hall of Famer in my book.

As a final aside, I view Dick Allen as MLB’s version of NFL’s Cookie Gilchrist. Cookie played at a Hall of Fame level both in the Canadian Football League and the National Football League. He has been robbed of recognition in Canton to this day, and when he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, he refused induction because of the way that he had been treated as a black man. He, too, didn’t take any shit. If you wish to read more about Cookie Gilchrist, please read my piece, “Stats Wizard: ‘Lookie, Lookie, Here Comes Cookie’ by the numbers,” on him for the Buffalo News, published on Sept. 22, 2017. 

The Ballots: 2021

By
Ryan M. Spaeder
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23

Any MLB Alumnus who is interested in participating, please reach out to me at rmspaeder@gmail.com or simply direct message me on twitter @theaceofspaeder. I have setup a backdoor page on my website where you can seamlessly cast your ballot, and it allows you the option to do so publicly or anonymously. The goal here is to fix a broken system and ensure that MLB Alumni have a say as to who goes into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

“On the field – we all knew who the Hall of Famers were.”
                                       – Joe Morgan

 

Ballot No. 78 – Todd Helton

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Jeff Kent
  4. Scott Rolen
  5. Curt Schilling
  6. Gary Sheffield
  7. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 77 – Matt Miller

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Torii Hunter
  4. Andruw Jones
  5. Andy Pettitte
  6. Manny Ramirez
  7. Gary Sheffield
  8. Sammy Sosa
  9. Omar Vizquel

 

Ballot No. 76 – Geoff Blum

  1. Bobby Abreu
  2. Barry Bonds
  3. Roger Clemens
  4. Todd Helton
  5. Andruw Jones
  6. Jeff Kent
  7. Gary Sheffield
  8. Billy Wagner

I loved and hated playing against Bobby Abreu, dude was a true five-tool player. I didn’t realize that he had nine 20+ SB, 20+ HR seasons, two of those were 30/30.

Jeff Kent is one of the greatest offensive second baseman ever even though he wasn’t the best defender. Oh yeah, he’s a Cal guy.

The only time I hated playing third base was when Gary Sheffield was up. Yes, he scared me with the violence of his swing. Aside from the violence, the guy could hit. Power hitter with a career .292 hitter with anger.

Barry and Roger, dominant no matter what argument you throw at me.

Todd Helton was one of the best hitters that gets no love because of the “Coors Effect.” He hit .287 career on the road which in awesome and I’m not one to discount a guy who took advantage of the environment.

Andruw Jones was incredible to watch play in person. It felt like he played 20 feet behind second base and nobody could hit it over his head. If it was in play, in the air, you were out. Made it look easy too. Rare combo of gold gloves and power.

Billy Wagner – dominant closer. First elite velocity closer for me. He needs to be in, his story is incredible.

I think what’s great about the player ballots are that we all know what the stats say; it’s the on field interaction and eye witnessing of what these did on the field that other players recognize. It’s the conversations that are being had. Competing against them exposed their greatness. Anyone with a sense for baseball can see the physical attributes that make players Hall of Fame caliber. It is the player intuition that recognizes the combination of athleticism and mentality that made players Hall of Fame worthy.

 

Ballot No. 75 – Anonymous Former St. Louis Cardinals All-Star

  1. Todd Helton
  2. Andy Pettitte
  3. Curt Schilling
  4. Gary Sheffied
  5. Omar Vizquel
  6. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 74 – MICHAEL CAMERON

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Andruw Jones
  5. Jeff Kent
  6. Scott Rolen
  7. Curt Schilling
  8. Gary Sheffield
  9. Omar Vizquel
  10. Billy Wagner

With an unlimited number of votes, Cammy would also include:

  1. Torii Hunter
  2. Tim Hudson
  3. Manny Ramirez

 

Ballot No. 73 – Anonymous Former Tampa Bay Devil Rays Ballplayer

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Andruw Jones
  4. Gary Sheffield

 

Ballot No. 72 – Nelson Figueroa

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Andruw Jones
  4. Scott Rolen
  5. Omar Vizquel
  6. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 71 – Matt Walbeck

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Torii Hunter
  5. Manny Ramirez
  6. Scott Rolen
  7. Curt Schilling
  8. Gary Sheffield
  9. Sammy Sosa
  10. Omar Vizquel

 

Ballot No. 70 – Anonymous Former Chicago White Sox Ballplayer

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Mark Buehrle
  3. Roger Clemens
  4. Todd Helton
  5. Andy Pettitte
  6. Manny Ramirez
  7. Curt Schilling
  8. Sammy Sosa
  9. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 69 – Anonymous Former Colorado Rockies Ballplayer

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Tim Hudson
  5. Scott Rolen
  6. Curt Schilling
  7. Gary Sheffield
  8. Omar Vizquel

 

Ballot No. 68 – Preston Wilson

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Todd Helton
  3. Jeff Kent
  4. Scott Rolen
  5. Gary Sheffield

 

Ballot No. 67 – Anonymous Hall of Famer

  1. Todd Helton
  2. Jeff Kent
  3. Scott Rolen
  4. Omar Vizquel

 

Ballot No. 66 – Willie Bloomquist

  1. Todd Helton
  2. Tim Hudson
  3. Curt Schilling

 

Ballot No. 65 – Anonymous Former St. Louis Cardinals All-Star

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Jeff Kent
  5. Andy Pettitte
  6. Manny Ramirez
  7. Curt Schilling
  8. Gary Sheffield
  9. Sammy Sosa
  10. Billy Wagner

“Fred McGriff should be in the Hall of Fame.”

 

Ballot No. 64 – Anonymous Former Kansas City Royals All-Star

  1. Scott Rolen
  2. Omar Vizquel
  3. Billy Wagner

“Dale Murphy and Pete Rose [should be in the Hall of Fame]. Those are guys who played the game clean, I would never endorse a player who I knew had done steroids because I saw it turning good players into superhuman players.”

 

Ballot No. 63 – Anonymous Former Chicago Cubs Ballplayer

  1. Bobby Abreu
  2. Barry Bonds
  3. Roger Clemens
  4. Todd Helton
  5. Andruw Jones
  6. Scott Rolen
  7. Curt Schilling
  8. Gary Sheffield
  9. Sammy Sosa
  10. Billy Wagner

With an unlimited number of votes, ballplayer would also include:

  1. Omar Vizquel
  2. Jeff Kent
  3. Andy Pettitte

 

Ballot No. 62 – Frank Catalanotto

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Jeff Kent
  4. Manny Ramirez
  5. Gary Sheffield
  6. Sammy Sosa

 

Ballot No. 61 – Anonymous Former Tampa Bay Devil Rays Ballplayer

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Tim Hudson
  4. Torii Hunter
  5. Manny Ramirez
  6. Curt Schilling
  7. Gary Sheffield
  8. Sammy Sosa
  9. Omar Vizquel

 

Ballot No. 60 – Ben Grieve

  1. Todd Helton
  2. Tim Hudson
  3. Torii Hunter
  4. Jeff Kent
  5. Andy Pettitte
  6. Aramis Ramirez
  7. Scott Rolen
  8. Curt Schilling
  9. Omar Vizquel
  10. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 59 – Anonymous Former Chicago White Sox All-Star

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Andruw Jones
  5. Jeff Kent
  6. Manny Ramirez
  7. Curt Schilling
  8. Gary Sheffield
  9. Omar Vizquel
  10. Billy Wagner

With an unlimited number of votes, ballplayer would also include:

  1. Torii Hunter
  2. Scott Rolen

 

Ballot No. 58 – Mark Knudson

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Andruw Jones
  5. Curt Schilling
  6. Gary Sheffield

Read Mark’s column about why he chose his six selection where he also advocates for Pete Rose as a Hall of Famer at Knudson’s Korner: There’s plenty of room in Cooperstown for more deserving players 

 

Ballot No. 57 – Eric O’Flaherty

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Tim Hudson
  5. Andruw Jones
  6. Jeff Kent
  7. Scott Rolen
  8. Curt Schilling
  9. Gary Sheffield
  10. Billy Wagner

Bonds/Clemens – I go back and forth, but I usually wind up feeling like the steroid guys should get in because I took a greenie once and felt like I could build a spaceship three minutes later… I pitched that day, and I had an easy inning and would have gone 12 more innings if they let me. Baseball is a mental game and confidence/clarity on the field is extremely important. I personally would have chosen greenies over steroids because no matter what workouts I did or how strong I got, I threw 90-92 mph and got ground balls… but when my confidence was down, I got my tits lit. These two guys were going to be Hall of Famers regardless, and I can’t tell who is already in that wouldn’t be without the benefit of amphetamines which I think most people underestimate. They should have to come clean about it all if they want a ceremony.

Andruw Jones – if Willie Mays says you are the best center fielder that he has ever seen and you hit 434 home runs…. you go to the Hall of Fame.

Billy Wagner – no hitter wanted to face him, ever. What is the hold up?

Todd Helton – Every time we went to Colorado, I felt like my back was going to blow out. Denver is hard on the body. Helton played there, traveling in and out of that thin air and never being in the same time zone for 17 years. He raked every year and Coors field isn’t the only hitters park in baseball.

Gary Sheffield – he’s got the numbers but there are some steroid suspicions… he came clean about making a mistake, he deserves credit for that. There’s not a drug on earth that can give you that bat speed. Would have been a Hall or Famer either way, in my opinion.

Jeff Kent – a lot of people are saying he should be a Hall of Famer so I voted for him on my imaginary ballot.

Tim Hudson – I don’t know if Huddy gets in, but he is closer then most people would think.

Scott Rolen – if he was as good as they say defensively, I feel like he’s got enough offense and longevity to get in.

Curt Schilling – he was really good at baseball.

 

Ballot No. 56 – Jacque Jones

  1. Bobby Abreu
  2. Barry Bonds
  3. Roger Clemens
  4. Michael Cuddyer
  5. LaTroy Hawkins
  6. Torii Hunter
  7. Manny Ramirez
  8. Curt Schilling
  9. Gary Sheffield
  10. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 55 – Aaron Sele

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Jeff Kent
  5. Manny Ramirez
  6. Gary Sheffield
  7. Sammy Sosa
  8. Omar Vizquel
  9. Billy Wagner

Barry Bonds – really!? Still not in… wow!

Roger Clemens – see above! All he ever wanted to do was win, and he did that a lot. One of the hardest workers, physically and at his pitching craft, that I had as a teammate.

Jeff Kent – redefined the offensive profile for second basemen and played the game like it should be played. Solid teammate in my book.

Billy Wagner – one of the top teammates I had. He cared more about the team winning and everyone else’s success in the bullpen than his own success. Dominate.

Todd Helton – all he ever did was hit, no matter what ballpark it was.

Manny Ramirez- I played against Manny in the minors from High-A through a lot of years in the majors. It was no secret what I was trying to do or what he was trying to do, it all came down to execution. During a game in Texas, we had a several hour rain delay and then they shot off the fireworks as the field was getting prepped due to a city curfew. After all that, we picked up in the middle of an AB with my advantage of a 1-2 count. On the first pitch, Manny hit a curveball for a home run. As he was running the bases, he looked over at me and I mouthed “really?!” and he just shrugged his shoulders with his palms up and laughed. Not the first and not the last… Homerun or laugh!!

Omar Vizquel – very few ever picked the ball up better at a premier position for longer.

Gary Sheffield – one of the most feared bats in the major leagues throughout his career.

Sammy Sosa – over 600 home runs.

 

Ballot No. 54 – Wayne Franklin

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Tim Hudson
  5. Andruw Jones
  6. Jeff Kent
  7. Andy Pettitte
  8. Manny Ramirez
  9. Gary Sheffield
  10. Billy Wagner

“Don Mattingly and Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame.

 

Ballot No. 53 – Anonymous Former New York Yankees All-Star

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Andruw Jones
  4. Manny Ramirez
  5. Scott Rolen
  6. Curt Schilling
  7. Gary Sheffield
  8. Sammy Sosa
  9. Omar Vizquel
  10. Billy Wagner

With an unlimited number of votes, ballplayer would also include:

  1. Bobby Abreu
  2. Jeff Kent
  3. Andy Pettitte
  4. Todd Helton

“Much tougher than I thought.”

 

Ballot No. 52 – Kyle McClellan

  1. Todd Helton
  2. Torii Hunter
  3. Andruw Jones
  4. Jeff Kent
  5. Scott Rolen
  6. Curt Schilling
  7. Omar Vizquel
  8. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 51 – Keith Lockhart

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Andruw Jones
  5. Manny Ramirez
  6. Curt Schilling
  7. Gary Sheffield
  8. Sammy Sosa
  9. Omar Vizquel
  10. Billy Wagner

With an unlimited number of votes, Keith would also include:

  1. Andy Pettite
  2. Jeff Kent

 

Ballot No. 50 – Steve Holm

  1. Todd Helton
  2. Scott Rolen
  3. Omar Vizquel
  4. Billy Wagner

Rule V of the baseball HOF qualifications states: “Voting shall be based upon the players record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.”

Integrity of the game has been of the utmost importance dating all the way back to Kenesaw Landis decision regarding the Chicago White Sox scandal. It is safe to assume that players who used PEDs were not only able to enhance their skills but also lengthen their careers. Admittance to the Hall of Fame is not just earned by gaudy numbers, but also by lengthy careers. That brings us back to Rule V and the word “Integrity,” did the player play with integrity? Artificially enhancing your skills or the length of your career does not constitute playing with integrity. Unfortunately, the voter is left on their own to decipher whether said player used PEDs. Nevertheless, it is my opinion that any player who was linked to PEDs should not be allowed into perhaps the most exclusive fraternity in the world, what we know as the Baseball Hall of Fame.

As a final thought, I always felt that guys like Don Mattingly, who were on Hall of Fame trajectories until an injury, would be cheated if you vote for a PED user who was able to extend his career. The older players get, the harder it is to recover and do the things at same speed the following day. If you vote in PED guys, you are telling the Don Mattinglys of the world that they should have done it.

 

Ballot No. 49 – Kevin Frandsen

  1. Bobby Abreu
  2. Barry Bonds
  3. Roger Clemens
  4. Todd Helton
  5. Andruw Jones
  6. Jeff Kent
  7. Scott Rolen
  8. Curt Schilling
  9. Omar Vizquel
  10. Billy Wagner

With an unlimited number of votes, Franny would also include:

  1. Torii Hunter

Barry Bonds: going with a prominent friend on MLB Network who has said this on TV, it should be Barry until he is in. No player during “TV era” has ever had more eyes locked in on him and his at-bats wondering what they were going to see. People who dislike him never turned an eye to one of his ABs, they were always wowed. Back of the baseball card is impressive, but in today’s age of analytics looking at those numbers, they are jaw dropping. Take your personal vendettas away from a man who simply wowed every single fan, opponent, coaching staff, he played against. In a time where it seems doing the right thing needs an ovation. This is a time where the ovation just needs to be a simple Vote.

For those who think he was a piece of s*** because someone they know who knows somebody that knows somebody who said he treated them like crap… so he must have been a bad guy.

Let me tell you a long story in short form. In 2007, I was in the big leagues with the Giants, playing all over the place, with Ray Durham having a great year, Pedro Feliz at third playing fantastic, the great Omar at short, and no room for me. I was struggling with the lack of consistent ABs, I HAD NOT EARNED, but the Giants stuck with me and the struggle was real.

Mid-August after Barry hit 756 (I had four different batting stances in four at-bats), we fly to Pittsburgh for a doubleheader on Monday before continuing on to Atlanta. Again, the struggle was real, in Game 1, I was playing shortstop and trying to keep my head above water at the plate, down to .210 batting average, Barry yelled at me to get into the cage in Pitt before the second game. Mind you, we only had just 30 minutes between games. He kicked everyone out of the cage and took the bucket of balls standing 20 feet away from me firing the ball AT me. Every ball hitting me because, in my stance, I couldn’t get my foot down. “Get YOUR foot down!!” Over and over I heard until about welt number nine, I got my foot down and started getting out of the way! “Cool you’re ready,” he said. He goes back to the L-Screen and starts throwing me BP. Then suddenly, I start squaring everything up consistently, he dropped the bucket and said “pick them up, you’re ready.”

Hitting second, I had about two minutes to grab a snack and get to the on deck circle. He was not playing, so really we wouldn’t see him until we needed him to pinch-hit. As I walk to the plate, with the thought of getting my foot down, I catch out of the corner of my eye Barry on the top step. Living with each pitch I see until I ground out and he goes back in the clubhouse. Second AB, he’s on the top step watching, lineout. he goes in. Third time up, same thing, he is on the top step I get a single he claps, gives me a fist pump and walks back in. My confidence is growing just with his reaction.

We go to Atlanta, and I don’t play in the first two games. Chuck James is pitching Game 3, Barry wasn’t playing, so all I hear is “FRANNY, to the cage let’s effing go!” He makes everyone stop and he starts throwing me BP for 30 mins and dialing me in. I lineout to right-center field with the best bolt I hit all year – Frenchy ran it down. I come in pissed, wanting that to fall but all I hear from him is “ohhhhh, you got this kid!” Next AB, bomb off the foul pole and the grin ear-to-ear with B.

Fast-forward to Monday in Miami facing D-Train, Barry wasn’t playing and again he kicked everybody out of the cage to throw me BP. Confidence is extremely high now because BARRY BONDS is throwing me BP, working with me. First AB, I smoked a homer to left, just over the big wall at Joe Robbie, singled my second time up, and I was rolling. We get back home and Barry came to me over at my locker and said “no more from me, you got this.”

I went on to hit .370 over the last month and a half, and I got all the way to .271 on the last day of the season… before striking out in my last AB to drop to .269. Barry NEVER had to do it, but he did. I may be a lone story you hear of it, but he looked out for the young guys. Especially for those who grew up in the Bay Area with whom he had that connection.

If you twisted my arm and made me get to the 9-10 guys after here they are. I would also extend it further and say HALL OF FAME and HALL OF FAME TEAMMATE. Torii Hunter is a first ballot teammate and to me an Hall of Fame player. Never been around a superstar with so much talent, charisma, leadership, and desire than Torii. I was teammates with him and Bobby towards the backend of their careers, and the way they busted their asses down the line – my God, I wish we saw the game played with that respect, busting it down the line like we used to. I love the emotion of the bat-flip, but isn’t seeing a guy hit a one hopper to the pitcher getting down the line turning what would otherwise be a sure out into a close play, missed? To me, it is.

 

Ballot No. 48 – Chris Gimenez

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Tim Hudson
  5. Torii Hunter
  6. Andruw Jones
  7. Manny Ramirez
  8. Curt Schilling
  9. Gary Sheffield
  10. Billy Wagner

With an unlimited number of votes, Chris would also include:

  1. Jeff Kent
  2. Scott Rolen
  3. Andy Pettitte

“I was having a hard time with Scott Rolen here! One of the best to do it, no doubt, as well as Jeff Kent! I would put Kent and Rolen at 11 and 12, then Andy Pettitte at 13. I think all 13 should be in but we only have 10 spots!”

 

Ballot No. 47 – Anonymous Former Philadelphia Phillies Ballplayer

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Manny Ramirez
  5. Curt Schilling
  6. Gary Sheffield
  7. Omar Vizquel
  8. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 46 – John Baker

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Andruw Jones
  5. Jeff Kent
  6. Manny Ramirez
  7. Scott Rolen
  8. Gary Sheffield
  9. Sammy Sosa
  10. Billy Wagner

With an unlimited number of votes, Bake would also include:

  1. Curt Schilling

The toughest part of the ten only ballot was choosing between Billy Wagner and Curt Schilling. Because of firsthand experience: Wagner is No. 10 and Curt Schilling No. 11.

For some color: I was once asked to pinch hit against Billy Wagner. It was 2008, I was a rookie, and I found the request strange. Left-handed hitters usually do not pinch hit for right-handed hitters against dominant, left-handed relievers. Perhaps it was the look in my eye, or a feeling that Freddi Gonzalez had (he clearly did not have a data-driven reason for introducing me to Mr. Wagner) but I am glad he did. On my way up to the plate Mike Jacobs gave me sage advice – “If you think you are going to get hit by the pitch, you have to swing!” I had never heard a statement like that, and never would again, so I laughed. Wagner painted two 98 MPH golf balls down and away, I would have swung if I could, but the arm angle, delivery, and velocity were unlike anything I had ever seen. The third pitch was headed behind me, so I bailed out in fear of getting hit, the pitch took a sharp turn as the slider broke back (and broke my back) on the way through the strike zone. Three pitches, no swings, and yer’ out. I should have listened to Mike, Freddi should have consulted the data, Matt Treanor stood a better chance at making contact. Wagner and Schilling are Hall of Fame caliber pitchers in my book.

NOTE – If you would like to exclude Schilling for his opinions, remember that we live in America and we are all allowed to have dumb opinions, for more evidence of mine, continue reading…

On Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa: did these guys take steroids? Probably. Yes. Definitely? Do I care? No, I do not, I have thought about it a lot. I DON’T GIVE A SHIT! Along with Big Mac, Sammy Sosa brought fans back to the ballpark. I’ll never forget Sammy taking the field with the American Flag, his sprint to right field at Wrigley and the energy he infused into the game when we needed it most. A reading of Joan Ryan’s fabulous book Intangibles offers more insight into what it was really like to be a teammate of Barry and what life was really like for the best hitter in the history of baseball. These guys were the best of the steroid era, men that hit home runs off of juiced pitchers and (in Clemens case) dominated juiced hitters. Before MLB began testing for steroids, the playing field was more level than it is now. To assume that only the players on this list were using is insane. From what I have heard (allegedly), pre-2003 joint drug agreement was like the wild west of PEDs. How do you think people played for like 20 years, chocolate milk? Further, to assume that players in the 70s weren’t using is also insanity. You really think Jose Canseco invented steroid-use in baseball?

Manny is the tougher sell because of his era. He tested positive and served a suspension for steroids post 2003 JDA. I rationalize that his use was due to his undying ambition to be the best. After his MLB career he played in AAA Iowa for the Cubs and was so impactful on that team that the Cubs brought him on as a coach in 2016. One problem, he never showed up! He flew to Japan, joined an independent Japanese team, and kept playing, not for money, not for fame, but for love of the game. He is probably somewhere hitting in a cage, hoping for more at-bats so he can launch a hanging slider into left-field, release the bat with his left-hand, and stand there in his signature pose, right hand on helmet, perfectly balanced as the baseball clears the fence. I never used steroids, but I refuse to stand in judgment of someone that did. In the pandemic era it is time for baseball to do something big, offer forgiveness to the men that put butts in the seats, revenue in the bank, and cash in complicit owner’s pockets. Remember when the Red Sox broke their curse? Does the fact that some players on that team probably/allegedly used steroids matter to Red Sox fans in the long run? I loved watching Manny hit, dive to cut off balls in the outfield, and wear his headphones during games. He made the game more appealing to everyone. Whether you were booing or cheering, Manny elevated your emotional involvement, he impacted every game he played. I accept that my support of Manny is paradoxical to my rationale for the other PED-implicated people on this list.

So do what is right: Induct Bonds and Clemens, bring Sammy back to Wrigley (and into Cooperstown), and have a willingness to sit with the idea that context and nuance are important for growth and understanding. This is not black and white, 1980 was not 2000, and 2000 is not 2020. For one final sentence sure to ruffle feathers: Barry Bonds, not Ted Williams, is the greatest hitter that ever lived. Remember that when Ted Williams began his career, Barry Bonds would not have even been allowed on the field. Context matters.

Stay Safe, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy (Insert your Winter Holiday here) to everyone.

With love of the game,

John Baker

 

Ballot No. 45 – Adam Kennedy

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Tim Hudson
  5. Andruw Jones
  6. Jeff Kent
  7. Manny Ramirez
  8. Gary Sheffield
  9. Omar Vizquel
  10. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 44 – Larry Walker

  1. Bobby Abreu
  2. Barry Bonds
  3. Roger Clemens
  4. Todd Helton
  5. Andruw Jones
  6. Jeff Kent
  7. Scott Rolen
  8. Curt Schilling
  9. Gary Sheffield
  10. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 43 – Anonymous Former Cincinnati Reds All-Star, aka “Fish”

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Andruw Jones
  4. Jeff Kent
  5. Manny Ramirez
  6. Scott Rolen
  7. Gary Sheffield
  8. Sammy Sosa
  9. Omar Vizquel

 

Ballot No. 42 – Anonymous Former Texas Rangers Ballplayer

  1. Bobby Abreu
  2. Mark Buehrle
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Torii Hunter
  5. Andruw Jones
  6. Andy Pettitte
  7. Scott Rolen
  8. Gary Sheffield
  9. Omar Vizquel
  10. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 41 – Gregg Zaun

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Manny Ramirez
  4. Gary Sheffield
  5. Sammy Sosa
  6. Omar Vizquel

 

Ballot No. 40 – Anonymous Former Baltimore Orioles All-Star

  1. Todd Helton
  2. Andruw Jones
  3. Omar Vizquel
  4. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 39 – Anonymous Former Los Angeles Dodgers Ballplayer

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Andruw Jones
  5. Jeff Kent
  6. Omar Vizquel
  7. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 38 – Jeff Frye

  1. Todd Helton
  2. Andruw Jones
  3. Scott Rolen
  4. Curt Schilling
  5. Omar Vizquel
  6. Billy Wagner

“She gone!”

 

Ballot No. 37 – Rajai Davis

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Torii Hunter
  5. Andy Pettitte
  6. Manny Ramirez
  7. Gary Sheffield
  8. Sammy Sosa
  9. Omar Vizquel
  10. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 36 – Ben Davis

  1. Bobby Abreu
  2. Barry Bonds
  3. Roger Clemens
  4. Todd Helton
  5. Manny Ramirez
  6. Curt Schilling
  7. Gary Sheffield
  8. Sammy Sosa
  9. Omar Vizquel

“The players I voted for were the best of their profession and above everyone else for over a decade, many of them for longer. Having played in the middle of the steroid era, I know a lot of these players have tested positive for PEDs, but that doesn’t change my opinion. Take Sammy Sosa for example… what he and Mark McGwire did for the game itself is Hall of Fame worthy in my mind. Who knows if we’d even have baseball if it weren’t for their home run chasing battles over the years. Take Barry Bonds for another example… in my opinion, he is the best baseball to have ever played. His numbers speak volumes and back that fact up. Roger Clemens has seven Cy Young awards to go along with 354 wins. Omar Vizquel was a magician at shortstop and maybe the best ever. Manny Ramirez just may be the best righthanded hitter of all-time. I don’t care what you put in your body, you still have to get bat to ball or ball to catcher’s mitt. I used to be against this theory of PEDs, but I have since flip-flopped.”

 

Ballot No. 35 – Anonymous Former Philadelphia Phillies Ballplayer

  1. Bobby Abreu
  2. Barry Bonds
  3. Roger Clemens
  4. Todd Helton
  5. Jeff Kent
  6. Manny Ramirez
  7. Curt Schilling
  8. Sammy Sosa
  9. Omar Vizquel

 

Ballot No. 34 – Anonymous Former Miami Marlins Ballplayer

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Mark Buehrle
  3. Roger Clemens
  4. Jeff Kent
  5. Scott Rolen
  6. Gary Sheffield
  7. Sammy Sosa
  8. Billy Wagner

“First off, this is much harder then it looks. When I asked why I selected the likes of Bonds and Clemens and not Manny, the answer is simple – Ramirez was suspended for PED use, while the other are “suspected.” I do not believe that anyone who was suspended for PED use should be in. Also, on Clemens and Bonds, a sports writer I respect very much voted for both of them on his last ballot before he passed. So if he felt they were worthy, so do I.”

 

Ballot No. 33 – Anonymous Former Baltimore Orioles Ballplayer

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Andruw Jones
  3. Scott Rolen
  4. Gary Sheffield
  5. Sammy Sosa
  6. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 32 – J.J. Putz

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Andruw Jones
  5. Scott Rolen
  6. Curt Schilling
  7. Gary Sheffield
  8. Sammy Sosa
  9. Omar Vizquel
  10. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 31 – Anonymous Former Philadelphia Phillies All-Star

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Andruw Jones
  4. Manny Ramirez
  5. Scott Rolen
  6. Curt Schilling
  7. Gary Sheffield
  8. Sammy Sosa
  9. Omar Vizquel
  10. Billy Wagner

“Wish I could vote for more than ten, because I believe a couple more deserve it. It’s also unfortunate more Hall of Fame voters do not value defense as much as offense since both immensely impact the game – see Betts 2020 Playoff highlights.”

With an unlimited number of votes, ballplayer would also include:

  1. Todd Helton

 

Ballot No. 30 – Elliot Johnson

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Andruw Jones
  4. Andy Pettitte
  5. Manny Ramirez
  6. Curt Schilling
  7. Gary Sheffield
  8. Sammy Sosa
  9. Omar Vizquel
  10. Billy Wagner

With an unlimited number of votes, EJ would also include:

  1. Todd Helton
  2. Tim Hudson
  3. Torii Hunter
  4. Jeff Kent
  5. Scott Rolen

“Leaving Torii off [my Top-10] hurt the most – nine-time Gold Glove Award winner is deserving to me. But because I didn’t have room for Rolen, who was an eight-time Gold Glove Award winner and won a World Series, Torii had to come off for Rocket, whose career numbers speak for themselves.”

“Barry Bonds was the best player who ever played to me. I don’t think anyone put together better seasons than he did against really good pitching velos.”

“Sammy Sosa helped bring the game back from the strike and had a huge impact on making the game fun again. In.”

“Vizquel is one of the best defensive shortstops of all-time and is deserving. He was magic out there on some really good teams that wouldn’t have been as successful without him and 11 Gold Gloves is incredible. In.”

“Billy Wags was such a dominant closer for such a long time and a seven time all-star, I feel he’s deserving. His numbers are compatible to Lee Smith so the precedent is set. In”

“Sheffield was a threat every pitch. In.”

“Schilling an arrogant prick to a lot people, but this isn’t a popularity contest – it’s a merit contest otherwise let’s get Munenori Kawasaki on the ballot. Schilling’s numbers speak for themselves and is more than deserving especially the way he pitched in Arizona and Boston.”

“Pettite, five World series rings and the ability to pitch at a consistently high level is worthy to me.”

“Manny is one of the greatest hitters of all time. In.”

“Andruw Jones was one of the best centerfielders we’ve ever seen and his 10 Gold Gloves get him in for me.”

“There’s a case to be made for Helton, Kent, and Hudson as well, but the guys I chose left the largest impression on me that when they were on the field, they were going to make the largest difference on the outcome of the game more often. The game is better for their contributions between the lines. Was an honor to play with/against these amazing players.”

 

Ballot No. 29 – Matt Holliday

  1. Todd Helton
  2. Torii Hunter
  3. Andruw Jones
  4. Jeff Kent
  5. Scott Rolen
  6. Curt Schilling
  7. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 28 – Carlton Fisk

  1. Mark Buehrle
  2. Torii Hunter
  3. Andy Pettitte
  4. Aramis Ramirez
  5. Curt Schilling
  6. Omar Vizquel
  7. Billy Wagner

“Easy yes on both Omar Vizquel and Billy Wagner.”

 

Ballot No. 27 – Will Ohman

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Manny Ramirez
  5. Gary Sheffield
  6. Sammy Sosa
  7. Omar Vizquel
  8. Billy Wagner
  9. Scott Rolen

“Five of the players have a shared, looming shadow, but their numbers alone are Hall-worthy. Some were punished by MLB, some weren’t. The standards for the Hall of Fame include a character clause, but revisionist history allows for certain types of rule-bending/breaking. The only rule that is posted in BOLD TYPE on every Minor League and Major League Clubhouse wall is Rule 21, re: gambling (sorry, Pete).”

1. Barry Bonds
2. Roger Clemens
3. Manny Ramirez
4. Gary Sheffield
5. Sammy Sosa

“All five of these players would’ve been great with or without PEDs. I see the argument both ways, but I always come back to the fact that the writers themselves put the Steroid Era moniker out there in print. These guys helped DEFINE the era.”

6. Billy Wagner – Dominant. 400 saves, 1,200 Ks over 900 IP, 6 H/9IP.

7. Omar Vizquel – All-time fielding percentage at shortstop across 24 seasons, 11 Gold Gloves.

8. Todd Helton – The face of the Rockies franchise. 5x Silver Slugger. Lifetime .316 batting average.

9. I messed up, and I forgot to include Scott Rolen on my original ballot. I have him No. 9. The guy raked and was a Hoover at third. Never given the credit he deserved – completely underappreciated.

10. Write-In: “Shoeless” Joe Jackson – Still no absolute confirmation that he cheated or even attended a meeting for the fix. Put it to bed.

11. Write-In: Jesse Orozco – All-time record for games pitched (1,252): pure longevity and the blueprint for the modern reliever. Lefty.

“These are my opinions – just like baseball writers’ votes – and as such, they are above contestation. If you disagree, I’m happy to have the conversation politely, but know that I am still right – it’s in the Geneva Convention. If you feel slighted, please grow up – this is supposed to be fun.”

 

Ballot No. 26 – Anonymous Former San Diego Padres Ballplayer

  1. Omar Vizquel

“Omar Vizquel is my lone guy this year.”

 

Ballot No. 25 – Anonymous Former Chicago Cubs All-Star

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Jeff Kent
  5. Omar Vizquel

“I voted for Clemens and Bonds because I felt they were players that were Hall of Fame worthy prior to using steroids. May not be fair but that’s how I feel.”

 

Ballot No. 24 – Josh Fogg

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Mark Buehrle
  3. Roger Clemens
  4. Todd Helton
  5. Andruw Jones
  6. Andy Pettitte
  7. Curt Schilling
  8. Gary Sheffield
  9. Sammy Sosa
  10. Billy Wagner

With an unlimited number of votes, Josh would also include:

  1. Tim Hudson
  2. LaTroy Hawkins

“Tim Hudson and LaTroy Hawkins are two others I would vote for. Their longevity and impact on the game is something that is overlooked by people that only want to see numbers.”

 

Ballot No. 23 – Anonymous Former Chicago White Sox Ballplayer

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Torii Hunter
  5. Andruw Jones
  6. Jeff Kent
  7. Andy Pettitte
  8. Manny Ramirez
  9. Gary Sheffield
  10. Omar Vizquel

 

Ballot No. 22 – Bob File

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Manny Ramirez
  5. Curt Schilling
  6. Sammy Sosa
  7. Omar Vizquel

 

Ballot No. 21 – Anonymous Former Minnesota Twins Ballplayer

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Torii Hunter
  5. Manny Ramirez
  6. Omar Vizquel

“Hall of Fame voting has turned into an annual PED argument. Is it really a Hall of Fame without the all-time home run leader (Bonds) and the pitcher with the most Cy Young Awards (Clemens)? Also, the guy with the most hits (Rose) for that matter. My problem is that certain guys have been under the microscope more than others. If they want to question players about PEDs (or anything) then look at everybody using the same process.”

 

Ballot No. 20 – Anonymous Former Arizona Diamondbacks Ballplayer

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Tim Hudson
  4. Andruw Jones
  5. Andy Pettitte
  6. Manny Ramirez
  7. Scott Rolen
  8. Curt Schilling
  9. Sammy Sosa

 

Ballot No. 19 – Curt Schilling

  1. Bobby Abreu
  2. Todd Helton
  3. Andruw Jones
  4. Jeff Kent
  5. Scott Rolen
  6. Omar Vizquel
  7. Billy Wagner

Bobby Abreu – unsure just how underappreciated his career was? Well, there are 267 players in the Hall of Fame. There were 18,917 players who had worn an MLB uniform as of 2017, and 1.4% of them have a plaque (again, as of 2017).

Amongst the 267 members here are Bobby’s career ranks:
.291 Avg (115th)
.395 OBP (t-41st)
.475 Slg (t-67th) With Roberto Clemente and Dave Winfield
.870 OPS (52nd) Ahead of Yaz, Boggs, Brett, Gwynn
1,453 Runs (61st) Ahead of Carew, Clemente, Dimaggio, Gwynn, Sandberg, Banks, Vlad and more
2,470 Hits (80th) Ahead of Mantle, Sandberg, Cepeda, Larkin, Puckett, Schmidt
574 2B (16th) Ahead of Eddie Murray, Chipper, Jeter, Gwynn, Ted Williams, Rickey Henderson, Al Kaline
288 HR (54th) Ahead of Sandberg, Brooks Robinson, Joe Morgan, Jeter, Yount, Larkin, Gwynn
1,363 RBI (58th) Ahead of Brooks, Piazza, Molitor, Clemente, Biggio, Gwynn
400 SB (29th) Ahead of Larkin, Mays Carew, Jeter, Gwynn

He is a Hall of Famer.

Jeff Kent
Statistics and rank among second basemen (all-time/Hall of Famers)
.290 Avg (46th/9th)
.356 OBP (t-76th/15th)
.500 Slg (5th/2nd)
.855 OPS (7th/4th)
2461 Hits (13th/11th)
560 2B (5th/4th)
377 HR (1st/1st)
1,518 RBI (3rd/3rd)
Four top 10 MVPs with a win

How are those not Hall of Fame numbers?

Scott Rolen/Omar Vizquel

I was going to do numbers again and their numbers are good to very good compared to other Hall of Famers at their positions, but these two were in the top-five all-time defensively at their positions. I think, and heard from Hall of Famers that both were, in their opinions “the best ever.” If defense matters, which it does way beyond what Hall of Fame voters consider, then they are both locks.

Todd Helton
Rank among first basemen (all-time/Hall of Famers)
Hits 13th/7th
2B 3rd/1st
HR 26th/11th
RBI 23rd/13th
Slg 14th/8th
OBP 7th/5th
OPS 8th/7th

This dude could hit. And on a personal note I am pretty sure I never got him out and pretty sure he never hit a single off me. I hated facing him. (Quick trivia, last batter I faced in my career. I walked him…). Just like you can’t control who you play on the schedule, you can’t control WHERE you play when you get drafted. He performed to a Hall of Fame level across an incredible career. He also gets far less recognition as a defender than he should.

Andruw Jones
Ranks for center fielders all-time
Runs 35th
Hits 50th
2B 30th
HR 6th (5th all-time amongst HOF)
RBI 14th

He scored more runs than Kirby Puckett and hit more home runs than Joe Dimaggio. Now we add the fact that he was one of the two or three best center fielders of all-time (certainly the best of my era, with Griffey right there) and, again, if defense does matter, he is a Hall of Fame player.

Billy Wagner
6th all-time in saves
4th all-time in ERA
3rd all-time in ERA+
1st all-time in WHIP amongst post 1900 pitchers (97 IP short of 1,000)
1st all-time in K/9 (97 IP short of 1,000)

So he struck out a crap ton of people, saved a ton of games, and didn’t allow baserunners better than anyone alive post-1900. That’s Hall of Famer.

 

Ballot No. 18 – Kevin Youkilis

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Andruw Jones
  5. Jeff Kent
  6. Andy Pettitte
  7. Manny Ramirez
  8. Curt Schilling
  9. Gary Sheffield
  10. Sammy Sosa

With an unlimited number of votes, Youk would also include:

  1. Scott Rolen

“Scott Rolen will always be the fringe player that I believe should be in the Hall of Fame. Idolized his play at third base!”

 

Ballot No. 17 – Jason Hirsh

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Andruw Jones
  5. Jeff Kent
  6. Andy Pettitte
  7. Manny Ramirez
  8. Scott Rolen
  9. Curt Schilling
  10. Billy Wagner

“This year’s ballot is a lot less controversial than previous years, and it should be fairly easy to make ten selections. That being said, I can see this year’s ballot being one where very few sports writers actually use all ten votes. The ten selections I made reflect the most dominant players of their era, and guys I feel should be included with the most dominant players ever. I think the absolutes like Bonds, Clemens, Schilling will get a majority of votes, while guys like Rolen and Wagner absolutely deserve to be there, but some voters may think there is too much ‘mediocrity’ or ‘controversy’ surrounding the other selections.”

“I said it last year and I’ll say it again, the Hall should represent the best players not the best people.”

 

Ballot No. 16 – Anonymous Former Colorado Rockies Ballplayer

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Andy Pettitte
  5. Manny Ramirez
  6. Curt Schilling
  7. Gary Sheffield
  8. Sammy Sosa
  9. Omar Vizquel
  10. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 15 – Shane Loux

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Torii Hunter
  5. Andy Pettitte
  6. Manny Ramirez
  7. Sammy Sosa

 

Ballot No. 14 – Anonymous Former Houston Astros Ballplayer

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Andruw Jones
  5. Andy Pettitte
  6. Scott Rolen
  7. Gary Sheffield
  8. Sammy Sosa
  9. Omar Vizquel
  10. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 13 – Anonymous Hall of Famer

“I wouldn’t vote for anybody on the current list of eligibility.”

 

Ballot No. 12 – Seth McClung

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Manny Ramirez
  4. Gary Sheffield
  5. Sammy Sosa

“I feel that players who ‘cheated’ with PEDs should still be allowed into the Hall of Fame. Though I feel that the controversy should be included in their induction. I feel the same about Pete Rose.”

McClung also feels that the following players who are not currently Hall of Fame eligible should be in the Hall of Fame:

  1. Fred McGriff
  2. Tommy John
  3. Mark McGwire
  4. Rafael Palmeiro
  5. Pete Rose

 

Ballot No. 11 – Anonymous Former Cincinnati Reds All-Star

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Jeff Kent
  5. Manny Ramirez
  6. Scott Rolen
  7. Curt Schilling
  8. Gary Sheffield
  9. Omar Vizquel
  10. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 10 – Gary Bennett

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Andruw Jones
  5. Jeff Kent
  6. Scott Rolen
  7. Curt Schilling
  8. Gary Sheffield
  9. Billy Wagner
  10. Sammy Sosa

With an unlimited number of votes, Gary would also include:

  1. Manny Ramirez

 

Ballot No. 9 – Bucky Jacobsen

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Andruw Jones
  5. Manny Ramirez
  6. Scott Rolen
  7. Curt Schilling
  8. Gary Sheffield
  9. Sammy Sosa
  10. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 8 – Anonymous Former Chicago White Sox All-Star

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Andruw Jones
  4. Jeff Kent
  5. Manny Ramirez
  6. Scott Rolen
  7. Gary Sheffield
  8. Sammy Sosa
  9. Omar Vizquel

 

Ballot No. 7 – Mark Little

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Andruw Jones
  5. Jeff Kent
  6. Manny Ramirez
  7. Scott Rolen
  8. Curt Schilling
  9. Gary Sheffield
  10. Sammy Sosa

 

Ballot No. 6 – Cody Asche

  1. Bobby Abreu
  2. Barry Bonds
  3. Roger Clemens
  4. Todd Helton
  5. Andruw Jones
  6. Manny Ramirez
  7. Scott Rolen
  8. Curt Schilling
  9. Gary Sheffield
  10. Sammy Sosa

“A.J. Burnett was a Hall of Fame teammate.”

“If you get to 500 homers, you should be in, no question.”

 

Ballot No. 5 – Anonymous Former Chicago White Sox All-Star

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Andruw Jones
  4. Manny Ramirez
  5. Scott Rolen
  6. Gary Sheffield

 

Ballot No. 4 – Anonymous Former Philadelphia Phillies Ballplayer

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Andruw Jones
  5. Jeff Kent
  6. Manny Ramirez
  7. Curt Schilling
  8. Gary Sheffield
  9. Sammy Sosa
  10. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 3 – Anonymous Former Anaheim Angels Ballplayer

  1. Bobby Abreu
  2. Barry Bonds
  3. Roger Clemens
  4. Todd Helton
  5. Andruw Jones
  6. Manny Ramirez
  7. Curt Schilling
  8. Gary Sheffield
  9. Sammy Sosa
  10. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 2 – Anonymous Former Montreal Expos Ballplayer

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Omar Vizquel
  4. Billy Wagner

 

Ballot No. 1 – Anonymous Former Pittsburgh Pirates Ballplayer

  1. Barry Bonds
  2. Roger Clemens
  3. Todd Helton
  4. Curt Schilling
  5. Sammy Sosa
  6. Billy Wagner

The Year of the Loss: Memories of Magnificent Men

By
Meg Waldron
-
0
Joe Morgan, "The Big Red Machine," played a stupendous second base in 21 years in Major League Baseball, and followed it up playing a stellar storyteller in the broadcast booth. Photo Credit: John Sommers II/Reuters

“Boy, I hope I never see my name up there.” 

Yogi Berra looked up at the jumbotron at Yankees Stadium during the team’s home opener in 2003. The screen showed a list commemorating former Yankees who had passed over the previous year.

Yogi died on Sept. 22, 2015. This year, the mortal 2020, has given him a parade of company, including the teammate to whom he was speaking to that day: Whitey Ford.  

This year has, somberly, become the year of the loss. We lost 102 regular season games, we lost fans in the stadiums, and we lost some players to injuries or opting out of a what felt like a shaky and scary season… Many fans simply lost hope, even within the season, as Major League Baseball tried to overcome obstacles with the pandemic. It has been, to say the least, a tough year.

Ultimately, for baseball fans, the losses we felt the most and suffered the worst are the losses of lives. We woke up to many mornings of many mournings. 

It started on day one, with Don Larsen passing on New Years Day. Most recently, it was Joe Morgan, who passed this past Sunday.

What has been so important – this year, most especially – is the opportunity to celebrate some magnificent ballplayers and personalities, the people some of us got to experience in person, some through baseball history, and all through the greatness and glory of this wonderful, whimsical, often wild world of baseball fandom. 

We have lost an All-Star team this year – here are some of the highlights of a few of their lives.  

Don Larsen (Aug. 7, 1929 – Jan. 1, 2020)

Larsen is best remembered for an accomplishment not-yet-matched: a perfect game in the postseason. On October 8, 1956, he pitched perfection for the Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers. 

Yet, his 15-year MLB career was much more exciting than a single game. In his rookie year, in 1953, he was first on the St. Louis Browns with 192⅔ innings pitched and seven complete games. He was a workhorse for a team that hardly worked. The Baltimore Orioles shy away from admitting that they were once the St. Louis Browns. 

His win-loss record was hardly pretty in his two years with the organization. He was 7-12 in 1953, 3-21 in 1954, when the Orioles only won 54 games. But he always pitched. He always worked. He had no attitude about starting or closing or time off or how many runs he did not get in support. 

Once he joined the Yankees, he was making postseason history… with Yogi Berra, appropriately, jumping into his arms at the end of that perfect game.

Al Kaline (Dec. 19, 1934 – April 6, 2020)

“Mr. Tiger.” 

If ever a franchise could mark the maker of its mastery, it’s the Detroit Tigers with Al Kaline. He played all 22 years of his career with the Tigers, and he would continue to join them in broadcasting after his playing days. In 1955, he became the youngest player ever to win the American League batting title, and he finished second in AL MVP voting to (who else?), Yogi Berra. 

His lone World Series came in 1968, when he spent most of the season recovering from a broken arm. When the Tigers won the pennant, Kaline approached his manager, Mayo Smith, and told him he didn’t deserve to play. Al Kaline batted .379 with two home runs and eight RBI that series. 

The humble approach by Kaline is telling of the heavy helping of heart he had for the game. There was so much talent, and so much respect. That is something we see so rarely. It’s usually one or the other. Kaline was a gentleman and a giant, at once.  

Kaline completed his career with 3,007 hits, 399 home runs, and a .297 career batting average – facing 20 different pitchers who would be inducted into the Hall of Fame en route to doing so, the most among them – Whitey Ford, 129 times, against whom he batted .339/.419/.500 with just five strikeouts.

Ford’s Manager Billy Martin nailed it: “I have always referred to Al Kaline as ‘Mr. Perfection.’  He does it all – hitting, fielding, running, throwing – and he does it with that extra touch of brilliancy that marks him as a super ballplayer. Al fits in anywhere, at any position in the lineup and any spot in the batting order.”    

Tom Seaver (Nov 17, 1944 – Aug. 31, 2020)

Over a month later, the sadness still lingers. What a pitcher, what a player, what a person.  

Just like Don Larsen, Seaver was a workhorse. He took some tough losses, but that didn’t hinder him from pitching another ballgame; and he pitched with the mastery of a magician. He never lost his luster. That made him “Tom Terrific.”

He struck out 200-plus batters in ten of 11 seasons from 1968 to 1978, interrupted with only 196 strikeouts in 1977. His 3,640 career strikeouts ranks sixth on the all-time list, and his 61 shutouts ranked seventh. He is, and always will be to me, the real Mr. Met.

Tom Seaver in April of 1983, returning to the Mets. Seaver went 311-205 with an ERA of 2.86 and 3,640 strikeouts in his career. Photo Credit: Barton Silverman (The New York Times)

Lou Brock (June 18, 1939 – Sept. 6, 2020)

Lou Brock stole the show. 

Brock was the eight-time stolen base leader in the National League (1966-1969, 1971-1974). He broke Maury Wills’s previous modern single-season record with 118 in 1974. One-hundred and eighteen. How many teams have that many steals among their entire roster over the course of 162 games? Well, in 2019, the answer was all but one – the Texas Rangers – and Brock did so at 35 years old.

Brock hit over .300 eight times in his 19-year career, and he added separate seasons of .297, .298, .299. He was the talk of the town, of the town that lives and breathes baseball, for the St. Louis Cardinals. 

He passed within a week after we lost Tom Seaver. He had faced Tom Seaver 157 times, which is the most of any pitcher he saw.

Said Seaver of Lou Brock, this despite his success against Brock, holding him to just a .250 batting average: “Lou Brock, along with Maury Wills, are probably the two players most responsible for the biggest change in the game over the last 15 years:  the stolen base.”

…It’s hard not to get chills.

Bob Gibson (Nov. 9, 1935 – Oct. 2, 2020)

Speaking of the Cardinals and their boasts of the bestial bests… Bob Gibson. 

I met Bob Gibson. I get to say that. I have the privilege to be able to say that. It is one of my most prized memories. 

…But, at the time, I had no idea who he was. 

He released his autobiography in 1994, the year Steve Carlton was inducted into the Hall of Fame. So he was signing autographs while I was in Cooperstown, a seven-year-old who had no idea the history and mystery of this magnificent man. 

251 wins. 3,117 strikeouts. 2.91 ERA. 

In 1968 – a year oft-mentioned here – he had an ERA of 1.12 with 13 shutouts. In game one of the 1968 World Series, with his Cardinals facing the Tigers, he won by striking out 17. One of them was Al Kaline, three times, who, as we mentioned, was not an easy strikeout. 

That was Oct. 2, 1968. I woke up and looked at my baseball history for the morning to see that. Later that day, the news that he passed broke. 

He is a triumph in baseball history, a treat in my own.  

Whitey Ford (Oct. 21, 1928 – Oct. 8, 2020)

“The Chairman of the Board” was a 6-time World Series Champion.  He is the all-time winningest pitcher for the all-time winningest franchise:  the New York Yankees. He won 236 games with a .690 winning percentage – a 112 win-per-162 pace. These numbers feel unreal; but they happened!

Whitey pitched for some very good teams, but he was also a tremendous part of why they dominated so definitively. As Brooks Robinson so appropriately put it, “he had great players behind him, but he was the master.”

I didn’t get to see him pitch. I did get to see him join Don Larsen for the last game of the old Yankees stadium, in September of 2008. The two of them scooped up dirt from the pitchers’ mound before they joined Yogi Berra in the booth with ESPN’s Jon Miller and Joe Morgan.  

…Which leads me to our most recent loss.

Joe Morgan (Sept. 19, 1943 – Oct. 11, 2020)

What a ballplayer. What a personality. What a loss. 

One of the most telling statistics from his playing career distinguishes him from every other Major League Baseball player, and it shook me up when I read it. 

Seasons with at least 50 extra-base hits, 50 stolen bases, and 100 bases on balls:  Joe Morgan. – 4.  The other 19,901 ballplayers in baseball history combined – 0.

Joe Morgan, “The Big Red Machine,” played a stupendous second base in 21 years in Major League Baseball, and followed it up playing a stellar storyteller in the broadcast booth. Photo Credit: John Sommers II/Reuters

Despite this, Morgan was even more incredible than his statistics showed. Even when he was with the Phillies’ “Wheeze Kids” in 1983, toward the end of his career, he was a driving force on a dwindling team. And that fire, that fervor, that fascination with the game transcended into his broadcasting career. He lived and breathed this game, and it was about the game. Not the numbers. In fact, he might actually criticize this article for including numbers under his name. 

He was a brilliant ballplayer, an enigmatic color analyst. Sunday Night Baseball with Jon Miller and Joe Morgan was an event in my household. I got through work just to get to my couch and hear them talk baseball. Joe Morgan was a true baseball man; not just on the field, but in the booth, and I imagine, in life.


The losses are many and massive, but the memories are magnificent.  Yogi has good company; and now, they’re all scoreboard watching.  

Bracketology 2020: The Weirdest, Whackiest, Wildest Postseason to Pick a Winner

By
Meg Waldron
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Well, we made it. Months ago, when the baseball season was restricted in its new format, with only 60 regular season games and a postseason as-of-then yet to be predicted, I didn’t expect to be looking at any bracket. I anticipated looking at newspaper headlines of “How MLB Failed,” or “Why No Bubble?,” or, for allegiances’ sake, “How the Marlins Destroy the Phillies Without a Single Pitch Being Thrown.”

When the Marlins were the first team to contract Covid-19 and MLB didn’t seem to have a plan for the scenario, I was sure this season was over. As it turns out, that was just the Fish being the Fish. Then it was Tribe-time. The Cardinals. Flu-like symptoms, for fans, were felt ferociously.

Somehow, Major League Baseball survived, prevailed, and thrived. The players, the staff, and the potently positive media and fans delivered a possibility for a season, and now, a postseason.

The flaws and all, this season has character.

There are some seriously exciting teams coming into this postseason, which starts Tuesday in its new format.

This is one of my favorite times of year. And in a year that hasn’t been so forgiving or friendly, finding a favorite part is TREMENDOUS.

The headline today? “Postseason Predictions!”

ROUND ONE

Rays versus Blue Jays: Jays, all the way. That offense, though young, is studly as it is stellar.

Indians versus Yankees: this is scary for the Tribe. And yet, so is Jose Ramirez. He hit .292 with a .386 OBP and a .993 OPS; 64 hits in 60 games; 17 home runs; 46 RBI.

The Indians’ offense hasn’t been consistent at all this season. Their pitching staff has been their breath, with the arguable MVP and inarguable Cy Young at the helm in Shane Bieber, and the controversial Zack Plesac and Mike Clevinger boys’ night out turning into a wake up call for Plesac and a trade of Clevinger for an accumulation of accolades to come. The team responded.

Twins versus Astros: let’s go Twins! The AL Central proved itself the most powerful of any division this season. The Twins were the favorite coming into pre-Covid MLB, but they had competition with a surprising White Sox squad and the Indians maintaining the team that lost Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer before this season, Mike Clevinger within.

A’s versus White Sox: as odd as this may have sounded preseason, this might be the toughest match-up to predict. The A’s and their eternally energetic pitching staff are sound, but the White Sox are scary. Again, the AL Central faced some fierce foes.  The White Sox have beaten the best.

Dodgers versus Brewers: The Dodgers were 43-17.

Padres versus Cardinals: this Padres team is exceptionally exciting and excitingly exceptional. They made all the right moves in all the right places. They gave up a TON for Mike Clevinger at the trade deadline, but they solidified a staunch rotation of pitching. The Cards, of course, magically seem to find their way into any postseason. They got there the last day. That’s just history repeating itself. This is the most match-up based decision, and I’m going with the Cardinals. Remember the 2006 World Series Championship winners? They had a .516 record (83-78). It’s in their blood to win. In weird ways, sometimes. So, in the weirdest season, don’t discount the Cards.

Cubs versus Marlins: similar sentiment as with the Cardinals. Leave it to the Marlins to break barriers and boast beasts of a different breed in their postseason history. Most people ask how they even made it here. When they do, they do it massively. Cubs are cute. Marlins are monstrous.

Braves versus Reds: this is a great match-up, and it will be amazing baseball to watch. These two teams have played quality baseball all (*60 games) season, with the Braves more consistent, starting rotation notwithstanding, but the Reds more resilient. The East was, well, shitty. Braves beat bad teams more often. The Reds, in the Central? Whew.  This was a team I predicted to win the division. I can see them winning it all.

So, Reds.

ROUND TWO

Blue Jays versus Indians: nevermind the studs, here’s Shane Bieber.

Twins versus White Sox: if I haven’t made it clear, I love the Central this season. This is some seriously good baseball. I hope this match-up happens, and I hope the Twins win. Logistically, they’re both damn good.

Dodgers versus Cardinals: the Cardinals are masters of mischief and mayhem in the playoffs. They won that previously mentioned 2006 World Series making history as the team with the worst regular season record to win the World Series.

The Dodgers are the better team, but the Cardinals are the better competitors.

Marlins versus Reds: the Reds are the better team and the better competitors. With this staff: Trevor Bauer – with his NL-league-leading 1.73 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 11 starts, highlighting it – was built for the duration of a full season. They didn’t get it, but they got the expanded postseason.

ROUND THREE

Indians versus Twins: the Twins have 16 straight playoff losses. 16 straight. This goes back to the 2004 ALDS versus the Yankees. And yet, they’re playing a team they match up with for talent and depth, the Indians have been inconsistent at the plate, and this is certainly a year to break streaks.

However…  Shane Bieber (1.63 ERA, 122 K’s); Zack Plesac (2.28 ERA, 57 K’s); Carlos Carrasco (2.91 ERA, 82 K’s);  Aaron Civale (4.74 ERA, 69 K’s); and rookie Triston McKenzie, who has a 3.24 ERA with 42 strikeouts in just six starts.

Pitching. Wins. Championships.

Cardinals versus Reds: and to further prove the pitching point…

Trevor Bauer (1.73 ERA, 100 K’s); Sonny Gray (3.70 ERA, 72 K’s); Luis Castillo (3.21 ERA, 89 K’s).

The Cardinals may have postseason craftsmanship down, but the Reds’ rotation is craftier by the game.

WORLD SERIES

Indians versus Reds: O-H-I-O!

Baseball fans would surely enjoy this, regardless of allegiances. Going back to the August 5th series when Cincinnati played at Cleveland, the fight was a flighty kind of fun on social media.

“@Reds: Ahhh, Cleveland. So nice, LeBron left it twice.”

“@Indians: How many titles has Cincinnati’s NBA team won?”

“@Reds:  They’ve never lost a game.”

This rivalry of two deeply discouraged teams could be the story line to emphasize a year so, well, often deeply discouraging. The pitching is stellar on both teams, but the Indians’ pitching is deeper. And the offense, though streaky, is seasoned to the postseason. Many of the members of this Indians’ lineup were members of the team who, in 2016, transformed the Tribe into the MLB franchise with the longest tenure without a World Series Championship.

Jose Ramirez of the Indians batted .292 with 17 home runs and 46 RBI this slight year. He, along with Francisco Lindor and a number of other teammates, were part of the 2016 World Series. (Photo Credit: Peter G. Aiken).

The Cubs beating the Indians in the 2016 World Series put the Indians in their place as the new lovable losers. 1948 was Cleveland’s last World Series Championship. The Tribe has their own Bob Feller in Shane Bieber. Larry Doby would tip his cap to Jose Ramirez, potential MVP. Lou Boudreau would happily manage this team, but also be gladly managed by Terry Francona – though Terry leaves six-hole to Francisco Lindor. This team is beautifully built and delightfully determined. They are as well-built as they are fun to watch. It’s a rarity and a scarcity and a treasure.

Maybe this year, the weirdest one we’ve known, the Indians are not “still shitty.”

 

 

MLB Bracketology: My 2020 Postseason Picks

By
Ryan M. Spaeder
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Before I give my picks for the 2020 postseason, I would like to again state, and I will never stop stating, that the new MLB Postseason is formatted exactly how I proposed it be formatted — down to the number of games and where the games be played — on Sept. 29, 2019, and I have at least one front office source who tells me that “Manfred Administration” has eyes all over and is actively poaching ideas from people like me.

A Modified Version of the Ryan M. Spaeder Bracket Model (Photo Credit: MLB)

Having said that, I am glad that MLB decided to run with my, far superior, postseason model, and I assess with VERY high confidence that this model is here to stay. I will note, one glaring difference between the model by the “Manfred Administration” and mine is that I called for the seeding to be based strictly on record, not just where a team finished within their division. It stands to reason that they did it this way this season because two-thirds of each team’s matchups occurred within their division, and I anticipate it will shift completely to my model in 2021, when baseball returns to a normal 162-game schedule.

1. Rays vs 8. Blue Jays
4. Indians vs 5. Yankees
3. Twins vs 6. Astros
2. Athletics vs 7. White Sox

1. Dodgers vs 8. Brewers
4. Padres vs 5. Cardinals
3. Cubs vs 6. Marlins
2. Braves vs 7. Reds

4. Indians vs 8. Blue Jays
3. Twins vs. 7. White Sox

1. Dodgers vs 4. Padres
6. Marlins vs 7. Reds 

7. White Sox vs 8. Blue Jays

4. Padres vs 7. Reds

7. White Sox vs 4. Padres

The Case for deGrom

By
Meg Waldron
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“It’s almost like he’s not pitching against hitters; he’s pitching against himself.”

As usual, Ron Darling states a beautifully phrased case. This one in particular is attributed to a player who is escalating in elite categories from season-to-season.  

Jacob deGrom. There is no Mets bias here. League-wide, deGrom is one of a scarce and scary few who are consistently exciting to watch. Last night’s performance was no exception.  

Seven innings pitched. Four hits. Two runs. Two walks.  

And, oh – 14 strikeouts. 

In the 58-year history of the New York Mets, deGrom is one of three Mets pitchers to have multiple 14-plus strikeout games in one season.

The other two? Tom Seaver, three times, and Dwight Gooden, twice. 

The most exciting part of watching deGrom pitch since he came up in 2014, when he won the NL Rookie of the Year, is the gravity of his growing abilities. We don’t see many pitchers whose fastball velocity accelerates from year-to-year, but his fastball has, well, gotten faster. As Darling said, “we seem to gloss over that his velocity has gotten faster every single year. That doesn’t happen.”  Meanwhile, his slider has turned into a monster for hitters. It cuts, it curves, it dodges, ducks, dips, and dives. And he can throw it for a strike.

Jacob deGrom’s fastball velocity has increased every season since 2016 – from 94.0 to 98.5 mph – supporting Ron Darling’s analysis. (Chart courtesy of Baseball Savant).
After his 14-strikeout performance last night, deGrom leads the National League with 94 strikeouts. (Photo credit: Mike Stobe, Getty Images).

He seems to own a wealth of superpowers. He has Superman’s speed, Batman’s collection of “stuff,” and, (sorry, Syndergaard), Thor’s tremendous power. And those powers are not dwindling. They are amassing. 

He might soon be joining another league of elite, with another kind of superhero. 

Greg Maddux. 

Every part of deGrom’s perfectly poised performances have enamored fans. All of the superb stuff is tremendous fun to watch. To me, the greatest of these is his manipulation of the mentality of every hitter he faces. He is strong yet steady, lethal yet lithe, deliberate as he is determined. He maintains that cool presence while he is absolutely obliterating his foes, at-bat by at-bat. And his mind is mastering every single scenario. He’s challenging himself more than he’s challenging hitters. What can he throw next? How can he manipulate this at-bat? How can he change the face of every game he pitches with each specific turn of his wrist, grip of the ball, stance on the mound?

That is what Maddux did. He was a scholar of his hitters. He held them in fear and ended them in fury. He was a mastermind of his game. Maddux didn’t just have good stuff, he had the brain of a wizard. Even if he was off his game, he’d manipulate mystery from the mound. You never knew how he was going to win, because he didn’t even know yet. His mind was moving miles per hour from pitch-to-pitch. 

This mindful ability led Maddux to join only one other pitcher to win 15 games in 15 consecutive seasons. The other was Cy Young. Conveniently, Maddux achieved this on this day, September 22, in 2002, when his line was immaculately close to deGrom’s from last night. Seven innings pitched with four hits allowed. 

That club was robbed of its potential from deGrom, given this season. The club I’m talking about is one of three. The three-consecutive Cy Young award club. 

Greg Maddux had four straight. Randy Johnson had four. Jacob deGrom is going for his third in a row.

He’s not without competition, but there is a sure likelihood that he can join that class. 

Regardless of statistics, watching him work his superpowers is enough to make a case.

2020 Versus 30-30: How the DH Dissembles an Elite Club

By
Meg Waldron
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David Wright, on his way to joining the 30-30 club in 2007. Photo Credit: Kathy Willens, Associated Press

This year, in the equally memorable, yet oft-wished-for forgettable changes we have experienced, one of the harshest adjustments – at least, for National League fans – is the addition of the designated hitter across all of Major League Baseball.

It was inevitable. All MLB fans knew it was written in stone. It just had to happen in the most dramatic fashion, with the strangest year we have ever had, forced by a season cut back to nearly one-third of its games. It’s understandable. The health of the pitchers, availability of players, loss of time for training and workouts, the increased interleague schedule to eliminate travel… all, and more, played its poisonous part in the decision for the transition. 

My fear is that this strange season’s new adjustments might, and most likely will, trigger the switch for the DH to remain league-wide in future seasons. And, well, that’s a shame.

Many NL fans want the double-switch, the managerial make-or-break moves, the sac-bunt – or just the bunt in general – pitchers looking like fools fumbling with their bats, pitchers looking like heroes coming through in game-changing plate appearances.

Mostly, those out of favor of the DH want small-ball. They want strategy. They want unpredictability, excitement, the risk factor.

I thought of this when I recognized this date, September 16, as a date that recognizes one of my favorite MLB accomplishments: the marvelous, majestic, magnificent 30-30 club.  

30 home runs. 30 stolen bases. In the same season. 

The club is underrated by today’s standards. There are only 42 players who have achieved the feat in baseball history. There was a gap of 34 years from the first time it was accomplished – Ken Williams in 1922 – and the next – Willie Mays in 1956. It’s certainly not easy. It is a rarity, a scarcity, an anomaly…  but a wonder! 

On September 16, 1987, Joe Carter became the tenth member of the elite club. During that season, a then record, since tied three times, four players joined the club. Carter accomplished it with the Indians, Jose Canseco did it with the Athletics, and Howard Johnson and Darryl Strawberry both did it with the Mets. 

On September 16, 2007, David Wright joined; Howard Johnson was waiting for him at the plate as the Mets’ hitting coach. This is a date to remember. And yet, the 30-30 club might not be the coolest club to join – or the most possible feat to accomplish – with the addition of the DH.

David Wright, on his way to joining the 30-30 club in 2007 with his 25th steal of the season. (Photo Credit: Kathy Willens, Associated Press).

The designated hitter is just another factor that eliminates small-ball. When the pitcher had to come to the plate, both teams had an insurmountable amount of factors to work around. When is a game on the line that the manager either risks keeping his starter in for the next inning or pulls him for a pinch-hitter? How does the defense shift for a potential sacrifice bunt? And for the offense with a pitcher at the plate, when do they try to achieve a steal so that there’s less possibility of a wasted at-bat?  

It’s an unpopular opinion that, though perhaps not analytically, the steal can prove more valuable than the home run. Everybody hits home runs. They’re a one-and-done. The steal changes the momentum of the game mischievously. It changes what is going on with the pitcher’s agenda. It can scare the sanity out of him. It eliminates the force out, the double-play possibility. It increases the potential for an RBI that may not have been, breeds confidence in the hitter who suddenly has that potential, breeds a lack of confidence in the defense who suddenly have to shift positioning based on their baserunner.  Their baserunner, who is a sudden threat. 

A home run is beautiful. It may be the swiftest game-changer, but the swiftness of the steal far outweighs the excitement, the acceleration of adrenaline, the stimulation of surprise, the manipulation of the mound from the base paths instead of the plate… there is so much that changes without the score changing. The entire character of the game changes. 

Small-ball is contagious. The power to manipulate a game in such intricate ways is part of why many, including me, love baseball. Removing an element that creates small-ball – by adding the universal DH, for example – may stymie the need or desire for the stolen base.

The 30-30 club may be a thing of the past; thanks to 2020. 

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