December 2010
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A Smattering of 2010 Records
With just enough time left for one final glance back to the 2010 regular season, here are some of the records that were set that perhaps you forgot.
Most consecutive seasons of 30 or more HRs at the start of a career, 10 seasons, Albert Pujols
Most consecutive seasons of 100 or more RBI at the start of a career, 10 seasons, Albert Pujols
Most consecutive seasons with 200 or more hits at the...
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“I don’t talk to people when I’m naked, especially women, unless...”
– Handsome Jack Morris, pitching to the score.
(via Wezen Ball)
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Babe Ruth: King of Spring Training →
tinkersghost:
Best Babe Ruth story: He once refused to field fly balls in the outfield one day. Why? A gator had come up and taken one of the baseballs.
Babe Ruth, Prima Donna
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Strange Times in Baseball: 1845-1875
After sitting on my shelf for years, I finally decided to read the Baseball Chronology, a book with 660 pages of daily notes from 1845 to 1990. Let me tell you, the 1800s were a weird and bizarre time.
Below is the first segment of bizarre baseball news and notes, featuring the years 1845-1875:
April 24, 1849:
“The first baseball uniform is adopted at a meeting of the New York...
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Harmon Killebrew Diagnosed With Cancer
From Harmon Killebrew’s Statement:
“I was recently diagnosed with esophageal cancer. With my wife, Nita, by my side, I have begun preparing for what is perhaps the most difficult battle of my life. I am being treated by a team of medical professionals at the Mayo Clinic. While my condition is very serious, I have confidence in my doctors and the medical staff and I...
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My Hall of Fame Ballot
I recently participated in the Baseball Bloggers Alliance Hall of Fame vote which recommended Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven for induction into the Hall of Fame. I’m usually a smaller Hall supporter, so I was shocked when I ended up selecting nine out of a possible ten players. As promised, here is who received my votes:
Roberto Alomar: From 1991 through 2001, Alomar hit .313/.389/.477...
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“I would say this to those people who would not vote for Jeff Bagwell because...”
– Joe Posnanski in his latest Hall of Fame piece.
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13 Moments From 2010 That Remind Us Why Baseball...
Here is the exciting conclusion to the 13 most wonderful moments from the past year. For Part One, click here.
6. Stephen Strasburg’s Debut
The God of Pitching Prospects. The Real Sidd Finch. The Man with a Golden Arm. This was Stephen Strasburg’s reputation long before he ever made his Major League debut. With so much buildup and so much hype, there was no way his performance could...
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Baseball Bloggers Alliance Recommend Alomar and...
The Baseball Bloggers Alliance announced their annual Hall of Fame results and have unofficially recommended Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven for Hall of Fame.
This was my first election that I took part in since joining the BBA and I’m interested to see if this will reflect the official BBWA results when they are announced on January 5th. I usually feel like baseball blogs are a little...
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Baseball Bloggers Alliance Recommend Alomar and...
The Baseball Bloggers Alliance announced their annual Hall of Fame results and have unofficially recommended Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven for Hall of Fame.
This was my first election that I took part in since joining the BBA and I’m interested to see if this will reflect the official BBWA results when they are announced on January 5th. I usually feel like baseball blogs are a little...
Cuba Béisbol: Dec. 29: On this day in 1878, the... →
cubabeisbol:
An eight-run eighth inning propelled Habana to a 21-20 victory against Almendares in the first game in Cuban League history.
Habana would go undefeated that season, 4-0-1, beating Almendares and Matanzas for the pennant in a season that lasted from Dec. 29, 1878 to Feb. 16, 1879 with…
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“I am on the toilet thinking about writing a third book.”
– Jose Canseco, winner of ESPN Page 2’s Quote of the Year.
(h/t Hipster Diet)
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“So much has gone on in the last eight or nine years, it’s kind of taken...”
– Jeff Bagwell on the steroids allegations that may keep him out of the Hall.
It’s an amazingly insightful interview with Jerry Crasnick and I’m inclined to side with Jeff Bagwell. Perhaps I’m being naive, but plenty of Bagwell’s points make sense. Thus far there has been no...
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Remembering Who Baseball Lost in 2010 →
We are born, we die, and in between, some people are fortunate enough to play baseball. But while giants like George Steinbrenner, Ron Santo, and Bob Feller’s passing may still be in mind, it’s important to remember the Bobby Bragan’s and Walt Dropo’s who filled the box scores and lived their lives between two chalk lines.
(h/t Hardball Talk)
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Your National Book Award Winner For Best Work of...
And it comes courtesy of Rafael Palmeiro. Palmeiro, in an interview with Sports Illustrated, spins a delicious alternate universe tale where Palmeiro never took steroids. Palmeiro says:
“I have never taken steroids. For people who think I took steroids intentionally, I’m never going to convince them…”
Palmeiro also makes the case that he believed he was only receiving...
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“But we’re out there, all of us, hoping every day that he comes back. I think he...”
– Yankees President Randy Levine on Andy Pettitte.
Can anyone remember a time when the Yankees seemed so desperate, so sad, or so needy? This is the Yankees, they’re supposed to crush free agent’s souls with overwhelming sums of cash—instead, they’re left begging a 39 year old...
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“But we’re out there, all of us, hoping every day that he comes back. I think he...”
– Yankees President Randy Levine on Andy Pettitte.
Can anyone remember a time when the Yankees seemed so desperate, so sad, or so needy? This is the Yankees, they’re supposed to crush free agent’s souls with overwhelming sums of cash—instead, they’re left begging a 39 year old...
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King Kaufman Live Blogs Game 7 of the 1960 World... →
He gives it a nice slow burn too, as this post represents only the first inning. If MLB Network’s three hour special on the game wasn’t enough for you, by all means click through.
(h/t BBTF)
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13 Moments From 2010 That Remind Us Why Baseball...
2010 was a pretty magical baseball season. From it being the year of the pitcher, to the exciting rookies who quickly made their mark; to the unexpected pennant winners; there was plenty to look back on with warm and fuzzy thoughts. Sure, Ken Griffey’s Jr’s retirement dampened spirits, and perhaps your team failed in their umpteenth rebuilding year, but let’s not think of that....
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13 Moments From 2010 That Remind Us Why Baseball...
Here is the exciting conclusion to the 13 most wonderful moments from the past year. For Part One, click here.
6. Stephen Strasburg’s Debut
The God of Pitching Prospects. The Real Sidd Finch. The Man with a Golden Arm. This was Stephen Strasburg’s reputation long before he ever made his Major League debut. With so much buildup and so much hype, there was no way his performance could...
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Want To Be a Cubs Analyst? →
Click through and read #67 if you would like to apply for the job of Cubs game analyst. This is Ron Santo’s old position, so you’ll have some big shoes to fill. And if you’re not a former baseball player, you’re going to have a hard time getting hired.
(via Tony Jewell, Reddit)
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Joakim Soria on His No-Trade Clause:
“I didn’t put it there, my agent did, as a strategy. But if the Royals decide to trade me to New York I would gladly go to play with the Yankees or any other team… I repeat, I would not block a trade to the Yankees. I like to play baseball and I would play with any team.”
In summary: Joakim Soria likes baseball and would like to continue playing it, wherever that may...
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Oh No, Oney!
Oney Guillen, Ozzie’s son, has taken to battering Bobby Jenks on Twitter after Jenks said he “was looking forward to playing for a manager who knows how to run a bullpen.”
Big League Stew has collected some of Oney’s most outrageous tweets, and if you like high drama, then you can cancel your cable television:
“u cried in the managers office bc u have problems now...
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It's that time of year again →
nonsensemachine:
Of course, I’m talking about the time of the year when Hall of Fame ballots are cast for former Major League Baseball players. Every year there is an eligible player who gets a lot of press, and this year it’s Jeff Bagwell. Now, Bagwell was pretty fucking good, and I have no problem with the…
Yes, yes, yes.
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Winter Cleaning
Since I’ve been back in my childhood home for the Holidays, I’ve started going through some old boxes buried deep in my closet. The sheer amount of baseball memorabilia that I’ve forgotten ever existed is unbelievable. Did you know that wood carvings of a cherubic Ken Griffey Jr existed at some point in time? It’s true!
So, take this as your heads-up/warning before a slew...
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Joe Posnanski on the Forgotten Players on the HOF... →
Joe Posnanski is doing a daily post on the Hall of Fame this week, but today’s might be my favorite as he focuses on the lesser players to be included on this year’s ballot. When you consider that a player must play ten years to be included on the ballot, it’s a pretty special honor to even be included.
I can’t think of a better way to while away the time on a snowy...
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“Obviously, the premier free agents…they’re just so few of them, [contracts] just...”
– Nolan Ryan on the free agent market. He also doesn’t seem too heartbroken over missing Cliff Lee, calling seven year deals “retirement contracts.”
Then again, Nolan Ryan is a dying breed; he is a man who would rather die than admit to an emotion other than “controlled...
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Ten Best Home Run Trots of 2010 →
Wezen-Ball does it again. I love that guy.