Anniversaries and Ballots

Today, January 22nd is a big day in the baseball world. It's the day the Baseball Hall of Fame announces the enshrinement class of 2019. The ballots from the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) have all been tabulated and those players who have garnered a minimum of 75% of the votes will be headed to Cooperstown, NY this summer.

Back to that in one moment, but first...

This past December marked the 13th anniversary of the "My Pinstripes" blog. Once glance will show that I have not done much posting on here over the last few years due to the time I have spent writing for "Bronx Pinstripes".

The plan going forward is to continue to post at My Pinstripes here and there, hopefully in a new WordPress format. Blogger is not what it used to be. And, of course, I will continue at Bronx Pinstripes.

Now back to the ballot.

It didn't take long for controversy to start with this year's voting. One member of the BBWAA revealed that he had left Mariano Rivera off his ballot. He also didn't turn his ballot as to not be the one to keep Rivera from possibly being the first player to be on 100% of the ballots turned in (said writer will not get his name mentioned here since his whole premise was ridiculous).

I've noticed many of the writers voting for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, especially the former, but I still do not believe they should have the privilege of entering the Hall.

Fred McGriff must be voted in today or this whole thing is a farce. If not for the 1994 work stoppage, McGriff would have hit 500 home run (he finished with 493) and would have been an automatic to enter.

Mike Mussina won 270 games. It doesn't matter that he has no rings, that he won only 20 games once in his career, etc. He pitched in the toughest division in baseball his entire career. He also would have had that ring if not for Rivera's rare World Series meltdown in the 7th game in 2001.

Andy Pettitte will not get into the Hall because of his admitted PED use. His numbers might have been iffy anyway, but now we'll never know.

Edgar Martinez is one of the best pure hitters of all-time. But, because most of his time was at DH he has been overlooked. That might change this year.

If I had a vote, my ballot would include:

Mariano Rivera (1st time on ballot)
Roy Halladay (1st time on ballot)
Fred McGriff
Mike Mussina
Edgar Martinez
Jeff Kent
Larry Walker

I'm still not sure on Walker, especially since Todd Helton has similar numbers. However, Helton's entire career was spent in hitter-friendly Colorado, while Walker's was not. It will still be tough for Walker to make it since this is his last shot (10th time on ballot) and he only received 34% of the vote last year.

As for Kent, compare his numbers to other second basemen, not just other players and you will see why deserves to be selected.

The announcement will be at 6 pm EST this evening, with the MLB Network talking (way too long) about it beginning at 3 pm EST.

Johnson, Martinez, Smoltz, and Biggio Headed To Cooperstown

 
For the first time ever, three starting pitchers have been elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in the same year, and four players have been elected to the Hall for the first time since in 60 years.

Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and John Smoltz make up the triumverate of pitchers headed to upstate New York this July. They will be joined by catcher-turned-second baseman Craig Biggio, who spent 20 seasons with the Houston Astros.

Johnson struggled early in his career as a 6'10" member of the Montreal Expos, but once dealt to the Seattle Mariners, saw his Hall of Fame career get kicked into gear. Johnson won 303 games, five Cy Young Awards, and struck out 4,875 batters playing for the Mariners (10 yrs), Houston Astros (post deadline 1998), Arizona Diamondbacks (8), New York Yankees (2), San Francisco Giants (1), and the Expos (2).

The "Big Unit" was the 2015 top vote getter with 97.43% of the tally, the eighth highest total in Major Leauge History. A 10-time All-Star, Johnson received a no-decision when he struck out 20 Cincinnati Reds on May 8, 2001. He is one of five pitchers to throw a no-hitter in both leagues and was the 2001 World Series Co-MVP with teammate Curt Schilling, after he won Games 2, 6, and 7.

Martinez, a slightly built power pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers, saw his career begin to blow up after he was traded to the Expos prior to the 1993 season. But it was his time in Boston that made Martinez a household name. The crown jewel of pitching statistics, the Triple Crown, was accomplished by Martinez grabbed in 1999 when he topped the American League with 23 wins, a 2.07 ERA, and 313 strikeouts.

A three-time CY Young winner (once with Montreal, twice with Boston), Martinez was a character on and off the mound; a pitcher who wasn't afraid to throw inside at hitters of any stature. He won 219 games in parts of 18 years with the Dodgers (2 years), Expos (4), Red Sox (7), Mets (4), and Phillies (1). The native of the Dominican Republic produced two seasons - 1997 (1.90) and 2000 (1.74), with ERA numbers under 2.00), struck out 3,154 batters.

Martinez, who inexplicably received just 91.1% of the vote, won a World Series ring with the 2004 Red Sox and pitched in the 2009 World Series for the Phillies.

Smoltz is the only pitcher in MLB history to win at least 200 games and save at least 150, and just the second pitcher (Dennis Eckersley the other) to win at least 20 games and save a minimum of 50 games in separate seasons. Acquired  for the Detroit Tigers' Doyle Alexander in a 1987 deadline deal, Smoltz spent 20 seasons with the Atlanta Braves. He won the NL Cy Young Award in 1996 when he earned 24 victories and struck out a league high 276 batters. After missing the 2000 season due to Tommy John surgery, Smoltz came back as a reliever and led the NL with a league record 55 saves in 2002. He would save 45 and 44 games the next two seasons before moving back into the starting rotation in 2005. A year later he tied for the NL lead in wins with 16.

An eight-time All-Star, Smoltz finished his career in 2009 with the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. He compiled a 213-155 record with 154 saves and 3,084 strikeouts.  "Smoltzie" won a World Series ring in 1995 and was a member of four other NL pennant winning teams. He'll join former teammates and fellow pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, and his former manager Bobby Cox, all of whom were induced into the Hall last year. Smoltz received 82.9% of the vote.

Craig Biggio came into Major League Baseball as a catcher out of Seton Hall University in New Jersey. Selected by the Houston Astros as the 22nd overall pick in the 1987 draft, Biggio spent his entire career in an Astros uniform. After four years behind the plate, Biggio moved to second base prior to the 1992 season and went on to win five Gold Glove Awards.

A five-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award, Biggio reached 3,000 hits in his final season (2007) and ended up with 3,060 for his career. He led the league in doubles three times, and topped the league in being hit by pitches, five times. He stole 414 bases, including a league best 39 in the strike shortened 1994 campaign. Biggio finished in the top five in the NL MVP vote  in 1997 and 1998 and was a member of the 2005 Astros NL pennant winning team. (It's the only Houston team to reach the World Series.).

Biggio just missed out last season, his second year on the ballot, when he came up .2% shy of the required 75%. This year was no problem as he finished with 82.7% of the vote. He is the first player to entre the Hall as a Houston Astro.

For those that missed out this year, catcher Mike Piazza came the closest to making it a five-player induction when he received 69.9% of the vote. It's a good sign for him to get enough votes next year when Ken Griffey Jr. is the only first year eligible player who is a sure thing.

Carlos Delgado was the top player with under 5% of the vote required to remain on future ballots. Don Mattingly receievd 9.1% in his final year of eligibility, now that the rule has changed from 15 years to 10 years to be voted for.

MLB Hall of Fame Time: Why is it the Most Miserable Time of the Year?

Finding out which players, executives, announcers, etc. were elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame used to be one of the most exciting, highly anticipated days of the year. Then the Internet and social media took off and suddenly a day that should be joyous for a number of people became overshadowed by the disdain nominees, fans, and media - specifically the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) had for one another.

With the announcement coming up tomorrow, Wednesday, the fury has already gotten off to a great start thanks to MLB.com beat writer Ken Gurnick. As part of this year's process, all of the MLB.com writers made their ballots public on Tuesday which put a bullseye right on Gurnick's back due to this statement by the Dodgers' beat writer:

"(Jack) Morris has flaws -- a 3.90 ERA, for example. But he gets my vote for more than a decade of ace performance that included three 20-win seasons, Cy Young Award votes in seven seasons and Most Valuable Player Award votes in five. As for those who played during the period of PED use, I won't vote for any of them."

With that simple act Gurnick threw the baby out with the bathwater. It means he completely ignored legitimate candidates like pitcher Greg Maddux and slugger Frank Thomas. It also means there will still be no unanimous electee to the Hall. It's also an embarrassment to the game and to those are tasked with the privilege of electing the Hall entrants.

While I agree that players that were caught or admitted using performance enhancing drugs should not gain entrance to the Hall, you cannot lump other players (i.e. Jeff Bagwell) that you believe were PED users in with the "bad guys". And you certainly shouldn't be leaving out those, like Thomas, who have been anti-PED activists.

This year's election process also became farcicle when one voter sold a ballot to Deadspin.com, which then allowed its readers to fill out the ballot. Deadspin is trying to make a point of how much the process has degraded over the years, but the anonymous seller of the ballot should be permanently stripped of the honor of being part of the vote.

My ballot, if I had a vote, would look like this:

Greg Maddux
Frank Thomas
Jack Morris
Craig Biggio
Jeff Bagwell
Mike Piazza
Tom Glavine

Davis Is My Pick For AL MVP

You'd be smiling too if you hit 53 HR and knocked in 138

Last year's winner, Detroit's Miguel Cabrera, had a legitimate shot to not only repeat his Triple Crown feat but to win back-to-back MVP Awards as well. Just like last year, Mike Trout was right in the mix as well, saying "go to hell"  to the sophomore jinx.

But this year's winner of the AL MVP Award should be Baltimore's Chris Davis. The former sixth round draft choice of the Texas Rangers (2006), Davis struggled with his original organization. There were way too many strikeouts compared to his output (e.g. 2006 - 150 Ks, 21 HR, 59 RBI .726 OPS) to play regularly. He hit a low in 2010 when he appeared in just 45 games with a .571 OPS and a batting average below the Mendoza line.

Not much was thought of it when the Rangers dealt Davis and pitcher Tommy Hunter to the Orioles for bullpen help (Koji Uehara - a huge 2013 impact in his own right). The 31 games he played for the O's showed nothing spectacular - .708 OPS and 2 HR in 129 plate appearances.

But Davis had a break out year in 2012 when he slugged 33 home runs, drove in 85 runs and sported an .827 OPS. And he was still just 26 years of age.

This year Davis has had a season for the ages. He broke the franchise record for home runs with 53 and led the league with 138 RBI and 370 total bases. He's also scored 103 and has a 1.004 OPS. Sure, the strikeouts are still there (198), but his 6.3 WAR was well above his previous high and career average.

The Orioles took a step back from their 2012 playoff appearance and finished 12 games behind Bosto in the AL East and 6.5 back in the wildcard race. However, the Orioles were competitive and in the playoff mix for most of the season and that would not have been accomplished without Davis' power surge. 

Had the Orioles pitching been more up to snuff, Davis could have been putting on a power display in the post-season instead of watching it on TV.

Kuroda Throws His Cap Into the Cy Young Ring

If you look at the won/lost record of Detroit Tigers starter Max Scherzer, it's difficult not to imagine that he's the shoe-in for the American League Cy Young Award. It's difficult not to think that way when you see a gaudy 17-1 record.

Times have changed however, and there is a new way of looking at numbers in addition to a pitcher's won/lost record. Felix Hernandez won the award three years ago with a very ordinary 13-12 mark. He also led the league in ERA (2.27), games started, least hits per nine innings pitched, and struck out more than 200 hitters.

It takes nothing away to say that Hernandez had the benefit of pitching in a "pitcher's ballpark". He limited hitters to a .533 OPS at Safeco Field. Then again the Mariners inept offense hurt him as much as the home field advantage helped him. Seattle score two or less runs in 15 of Hernandez's 34 starts and 3-5 runs in 13 starts. Hernandez lost 10 of his 12 games when the M's scored two runs or less.

It also takes nothing away from Scherzer, but he also pitches in a "pitcher's ballpark". The difference between his season and Hernandez's is that, led by Miguel Cabrera, he has a devastating offense behind him as well. The Tigers have scored 3-5 runs in 10 of Scherzer's starts and 6 or more in 11 of them. Detroit has scored two or less runs in just two of Scherzer's start- a loss and a no decision.

To his credit Scherzer's been even better on the road (.500 OPS vs. .622 at home), but that was the wind up. Here comes the pitch.

Right-hander Hiroki Kuroda does his home pitching in a field made for left-handed hitters. Batters routinely deposit baseballs over the fence from right-center field over to the right field foul pole. Powerful right-handed hitters have no problem poking a long ball the opposite way either.

Kuroda is also in the AL East, a league chock full of big time hitting teams. That would normally include his team, the New York Yankees, but not this year. Due to injuries, age, and ineffectiveness, the Yankees look like a combination of the Bad News Bears (think of Rudi Stein in the original movie with Walter Matthau) and coach-pitch Little League.

It's led to an 11-7 record for Kuroda despite a 2.33 ERA and a league best 174 ERA+ (100 * (league ERA / ERA)). The Yankees have scored two or less runs in 11 of Kuroda's 24 starts (3-5 W/L) and 3-5 runs in 10 of them. (5-2 W/L). Just three times the Yankees went  wild and scored six or more runs with Kuroda on the mound. He's won all three of those starts.

The native of Osaka, Japan has pitched into the 7th inning or later 17 times. He's gone less than five innings just twice and once was because he tried to snare a Shane Victorino comebacker with his bare hand.

Quality starts is a nonsense statistic - 3 runs allowed in 6 innings is not anything of quality - but Kuroda has thrown 16 games where has allowed two runs or less and allowed three runs in a seven inning start to boot. He's 9-2 in those 17 starts with six no decisions . He's also pitched into the 7th inning or greater 18 times and left with the lead three times only to see the Yankees bullpen blow it. (The Yankees are 14-10 when Kuroda starts.)

Since Mother Nature cranked up the heat, Kuroda has been phenomenal. In five starts since the calendar turned to July 1, the 38-year old has allowed five earned runs in 48 innings pitched. (He's 4-1 with three no decisions.) That calculates out to a 0.94 ERA, which also matches his WHIP during that period. He’s walked just eight hitters and struck out 35, and has not allowed a home run.

Kuroda is not only the Yankees ace, he's their MVP as well. Without him, there is no way the Yankees could even see the AL wild card on the horizon. So, if he continues to pitch this way through the end of the regular season, will he have a legitimate shot at the AL Cy Young Award? That remains to be seen, because no matter how good Kuroda's year is, Scherzer's won/loss record could still distract voters like the neon lights along the Las Vegas strip pulls in gamblers.

Bobby Murcer, Survivor

The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) held its' 85th annual dinner last night, and though many awards were handed out, the Milton Richman "You Gotta Have Heart" Award may have proved the biggest hit of the night. The award was given to our main man, Bobby Murcer, Yankees great, broadcaster, and more importantly, cancer survivor.

It was a little over a year ago that Bobby's life suddenly was turned upside down. Complaining about severe headaches, Bobby went to the doctor to get it checked out. An MRI showed a malignant brain tumor. But aggressive treatment and an incredibly positive attitude have helped him to survive.

"The reason I'm here tonight is because of all your love for me. That's what's sustained me and that's what's given me the strength to be here tonight and to fight this deadly disease."

New Yankees manager Joe Girardi presented the award.

"Bobby, you've inspired us with all the hits and the great catches," Girardi said, "but you've never inspired us more than with the way you live your life."

Keep on keepin' on, Bobby!!!

Johnny Damon received the Joan Payson Award for excellence in community service for his work with the Wounded Warrior Project. The association works to help soldiers are who injured in the line of duty. Army Capt. Tony Odierno, who lost his left arm in Iraq, was one of the presenters. Damon was quite moved by the award.

"I'm not that emotional of a person," Damon said, pausing several times to compose himself. "But for the freedoms that we have, we all should pay more attention to a gentleman like Tony who goes out and fights for it.

"We're going to make these guys come home and live normal lives, and feel like they're a part of our country still."

Other recipients on the evening were Jimmy Rollins (NL MVP), who took a good natured shot from Mets' manager Willie Randolph - "You going to make some predictions today?", and Alex Rodriguez received the player of the year award from Yogi Berra, who may also have delivered the line of the night in true Yogi fashion. “You’re pretty good.”

Other award winners included Joba Chamberlain (Joe DiMaggio “Toast of the Town” Award), and Eric Wedge (Manager of the Year).

Bobby Murcer, Survivor

The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) held its' 85th annual dinner last night, and though many awards were handed out, the Milton Richman "You Gotta Have Heart" Award may have proved the biggest hit of the night. The award was given to our main man, Bobby Murcer, Yankees great, broadcaster, and more importantly, cancer survivor.

It was a little over a year ago that Bobby's life suddenly was turned upside down. Complaining about severe headaches, Bobby went to the doctor to get it checked out. An MRI showed a malignant brain tumor. But aggressive treatment and an incredibly positive attitude have helped him to survive.

"The reason I'm here tonight is because of all your love for me. That's what's sustained me and that's what's given me the strength to be here tonight and to fight this deadly disease."

New Yankees manager Joe Girardi presented the award.

"Bobby, you've inspired us with all the hits and the great catches," Girardi said, "but you've never inspired us more than with the way you live your life."

Keep on keepin' on, Bobby!!!

Johnny Damon received the Joan Payson Award for excellence in community service for his work with the Wounded Warrior Project. The association works to help soldiers are who injured in the line of duty. Army Capt. Tony Odierno, who lost his left arm in Iraq, was one of the presenters. Damon was quite moved by the award.

"I'm not that emotional of a person," Damon said, pausing several times to compose himself. "But for the freedoms that we have, we all should pay more attention to a gentleman like Tony who goes out and fights for it.

"We're going to make these guys come home and live normal lives, and feel like they're a part of our country still."

Other recipients on the evening were Jimmy Rollins (NL MVP), who took a good natured shot from Mets' manager Willie Randolph - "You going to make some predictions today?", and Alex Rodriguez received the player of the year award from Yogi Berra, who may also have delivered the line of the night in true Yogi fashion. “You’re pretty good.”

Other award winners included Joba Chamberlain (Joe DiMaggio “Toast of the Town” Award), and Eric Wedge (Manager of the Year).