Attention!!!!

I have decided to start a new blog focusing on baseball history. It will still have some analysis and comments on modern baseball, but it will be mainly about various things from baseball's glorious past. The mini-bios will be part of the new site, but they will by no means be the only part. Over the next few days, I'll be reposting some stuff over there from here, and it might be until Tuesday before things really start becoming "new" (although there will be some "Today in Baseball History" stories that are completely new). Please come over to the new site because I won't be posting here anymore. Thank you all for coming here, and I hope to see you on the new site, which is:

http://waybackgone.blogspot.com/

I'm really excited about the move and change. I would like to be a baseball historian professionally one day, and this is step one.

Tris Speaker

Called the "Grey Eagle" because his hair turned grey prematurely.

Career stats:
.345/.428/.500/.928__1882 R__3514 H__792 2B__222 3B__117 HR__1529 RBI__158 OPS+
1 MVP award (1912)


Tristram E. Speaker was born on April 4, 1888 in Hubbard, Texas. As a boy, he was involved in a horse-riding accident in which he broke his right arm. As a result, he tried throwing with his left hand and became so comfortable with it that he began throwing left-handed, even when his arm healed. Later during his college career, he broke his left arm while playing football. The doctors suggested that his arm be amputated because of the severity of the injury. Speaker, however in a House-like move, refused.

His early career was unsuccessful, but in 1909, he won the Boston Red Sox starting center fielder job and never looked back. Along with Harry Hooper and Duffy Lewis, the threesome would be known as the "Million Dollar Trio" because they were one of the best outfields in the majors. His best season would be 1912 when he led the league in doubles (53), home runs (10), and had three hitting streaks of 20+ (30, 23, 22), which is still a major-league record for one season.

After the 1915 season, Speaker and the Boston owner had a falling out. The owner wanted Speaker to take a pay cut because his batting average fell to .322. Speaker, of course, declined, and he was traded to the Cleveland Indians. Angry with Boston, Speaker demanded and ultimately received $10,000 of the $50,000 sent to Boston, and the trade is still considered one of the most lop-sided in history. In 1917 while trying to steal home, the batter lined the ball of his face. The opposing team allowed Speaker to sit out the next inning while having his face sewn up, and he went back out the inning after.

Like several players in the day, Speaker became a player-manager, but unlike many, he actually led the team to a World Series victory in 1920. However, Speaker was forced to retire from managing after a betting scandal between Speaker and Cobb, but most believe it was Dutch Leonard's anger over being kicked out of organized baseball that started all of it. Ultimately, it failed to kick either player out of baseball.

One of the best center fielders of history, Speaker was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1937 with 165 of the 201 votes.

Nap Lajoie

Yikes.

Career stats:
.338/.380/.467/.847__1504 R__3242 H__657 2B__83 HR__1599 RBI__150 OPS+
1 Triple Crown (1901)


Of French-Canadian descent, Napoleon Lajoie was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island on September 5, 1874.

He started his career in 1896 as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, but in 1901, he crossed the city to be a member of the Philadelphia Athletics. That season, he had one of the greatest seasons ever as he hit .426/.463/.643, especially for a second baseman. The same year, Najoie was intentionally walked with the bases loaded, the second in history and only one of six players ever (Almer Dalrymple, Del Bissonette, Bill Nicholson, Barry Bonds, and Josh Hamilton). One year later, the Phillies filed an injunction against Najoie, saying he could only play for the Phillies, but instead, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians, who renamed themselves the Naps in his honor. Until 1905, Najoie was the best player in the majors.

Ty Cobb arrived in the majors in 1905, and the two quickly began an intense rivalry. That rivalry boiled over in 1910. The two were locked in a close battle for the hitting title, and both wanted the prize, a Chalmers automobile. Instead of trying to add to his average, Cobb took the last two games off, sure his average was high enough. Najoie, however, was well-liked, definitely more than the obnoxious and sometimes violent Cobb. The St. Louis Browns allowed Najoie to go 8-for-8 in the final series, six of them on bunts when the third baseman played unusually far back on such a speedy hitter, to officially win the title (Cobb may not have won anyway as one of his games happened coincidentally to be counted twice). Choosing not to take sides, the Chalmers Auto Company gave both players a car.

The slick-fielding second baseman returned to the Athletics for two final seasons. In perspective as a second baseman, Lajoie's numbers are staggering (side note: I had never heard of him before this -- a key reason I'm doing this as there will be many more I don't know). He was elected into the Hall of Fame as the leading vote-getter in 1937 with 168 of the 201 votes.

Smoltz, Glavine, Chipper, Cox and the End of an Era

It's been a good ride boys. Time for some others to step it up.

I guess we've all heard that John Smoltz signed with the Boston Red Sox. I went to Winchester yesterday and earlier today to hang out with a few friends thinking nothing of importance would happen. Wrong. I know this is a common problem. Players come up, they do great, they stay around and help the team, and then they grow old. What do you do with them? Do you sign them to a contract out of respect or do you let them go, thanking them for everything? It's a problem that everyone has to face. You don't want the players to leave because they've meant so much to the team and have been there as you grew up, but at some point, you realize that their skills have declined, injuries took their toll, and/or the team is better off going in another direction. It's not an easy situation, and retirement is really the only graceful way to end it. Smoltz didn't retire, and if he can still play and wants to, he has every right to go wherever he wants. Glavine probably won't retire, and ditto above about Smoltz. Chipper's decision is coming up soon. Again, I understand that every team faces this decision, but I argue that this group of players leaving is harder on Braves fans than other teams. Why?

1) The Success. Remind me again how many teams have won 14 straight division titles and have had the same domination. Oh, that's right -- zero. Actually, the only other team I can see this with is the Yankees. They've had so much success for the last 12-13 seasons that they're in the same boats. You can admire the Red Sox for knowing when to let players go, but they really haven't had that much success recently until about 5 years ago or so. Their players weren't as important to the fans because they didn't lead to wins (whether that's fair or not). Smoltz and Glavine (and Maddux) were the dominant pitchers. Three Hall of Famers on one staff. Every year, you knew the Braves would be the best pitching team in the NL. Everyone else was playing for second. They weren't only good. They were dominant. The fans became endeared to them. Granted, it was easy because they were so good, but we become more endeared to good players. The Yankees are the next to see this when decisions come up with Posada, Jeter (especially), and Rivera. Good luck.

2) This Off-season. It's been one of the worst in recent memory. Maybe I'm hyperbolizing, but I can't remember such a terrible one. Lose out on the needed ace (Peavy), watch the potential ace go away to another team (Burnett), watch a home-grown guy wrench our hearts out (Furcal), and now, one of our most-beloved is leaving (Smoltz) with one almost sure to follow (Glavine). Add in last season's failure. Add in the terrible current outlook. And we just can't bear it. It's not that it's not fair. It's not that it doesn't happen to other people. It's just ... painful. We wanted to believe in them last year, and we still want to believe. Seeing them come back gives one the belief that the past can return. The future is scary because it's different (different but has to happen eventually). You don't think the success will ever return because the people that brought it aren't there, and after the last three years of not winning, you definitely don't think you can do it after them. It's irrational. It's illogical. It's being an ardent fan of a team.

3) The Last Three Years. After an unprecedented streak of 14 division crowns, the Braves have stunk it up. The current team is largely made of the same players (Chipper, Johnson, Escobar, McCann, and Francoeur) and has lost some key ones (Maddux, Smoltz, Andruw, and Teixeira) with no real great options left. If the good players leave, what does that leave us? A rough outlook.

4) The Way Smoltz Left. It wasn't that it was unfair. It wasn't that you can't understand. It was that it was so unexpected. We knew he was coming back. No one really thought he'd leave. I doubt even the Red Sox believed he would leave. It was out of nowhere and just added to the crappy situation that is this off-season. With Glavine having already left once, it looks even bleaker that he'll return.

Don't pity me. Don't take this as anything more than the emotional release of a depressed and shocked fan of a team that has watched its team hit a relatively short period of decline but still has a brilliant look for the future. I just needed to get this out. Whether or not it's the worst thing that has ever happened is not the point. The point is that it's therapeutic. These men have meant so much to me, to the team, to the city, and to baseball that it's hard to see them go. Anyway, here's on to a logical look at each of the four people from the title.

Smoltz: He's the only one that has left so far. I don't blame him. He took the best offer he had. I'm not going to chastise him for leaving. He gave everything he had to the organization for 20 years, but he simply found a better situation and pay in Boston. Now, if he wears a different hat than a Braves hat when he goes to Cooperstown, I'll be pissed. That's for another day, though. As for a strictly baseball look. The Braves aren't losing much. They couldn't expect a lot out of him. As much credit as I give Smoltz for being competitive and great and awesome, he just had major shoulder surgery on a 40 year old arm. He hasn't been put through a real stress test that he'll face in a month or so. Forgive me for not getting carried away about a bullpen session or two. He could be fantastic next year and win 16-20 games, but I wouldn't count on it. I'm not sure he'll even be able to start.

Glavine: He hasn't left yet, but I find it hard to believe he'll be back. He wasn't very good last year, and he also had major surgery on an old arm. If he signs with the Braves, it will be because the Braves gave him a courtesy contract and no one saw much value in him. His skills have really declined, but there are worse fifth starters.

Chipper: This one is especially hard for me. He's my favorite player playing on my favorite team. He's Jason's Derek Jeter. A loved player that is Hall-caliber but is facing a tough decision soon. Chipper's contract is up after this season. He'll be there at the beginning of 2009, but who knows by August 1, 2009. The Braves are essentially rebuilding, and if they can get serious value at the deadline for him, they should think about it. They should probably do it. The Braves still need a future third baseman and pitching -- maybe more depending on how good Heyward and Freeman really are. If they don't trade him, they face a tough call. Do you give a contract to an aging, injury-prone player still playing (if he is) at a high level when he plays? Or do you let him go, knowing you need to move on eventually and this is as good of an excuse as any? Do you have a replacement plan for him, or are you just going to wing it? If he's still playing well, then they should try and give him a one or two-year contract. Anything else is irresponsible with the potential bevy of prospects about to hit the big-league team. Anything longer just blocks possible improvements. Not giving him anything would be terrible if he's still playing well. They don't have an immediate replacement, and he's still good. If he gets hurt and/or declines, then the decision is easier, isn't it? Wouldn't it be better to let Chipper end his career as a DH for an AL team, letting him get his counting numbers to ensure his already sterling resume to get into Cooperstown? Tough call. I love Chipper, and I want him to be a Brave. But I also know that I love the Braves, and I want them to win. Being sentimental and emotional about Chipper, or any player, leads to bad decisions.

Cox: I love the man. He's energized. He's respected. He defends his players. He gets the most out of them. But he sure makes some questionable decisions. Why does he abuse his bullpen? Does he have to play the right-righty/lefty-lefty matchup every time? Does he give his players enough time off? He makes some weird decisions sometimes. I wonder if he has always done it, and I just haven't noticed until I became more cognizant. Or is this a recent development? Or is it that he simply has a worse team than he did in the past, a team that could cover his mistakes? Another 90 loss season, and he's gone. Another 90 win season, and we'll be singing his praises. Regardless, I want this to be his last season. The Braves need to move in a direction. Find some new blood. Just not Pendleton. Please god, no.

We've been building up to this for awhile. I guess it just really hit with the loss of Smoltz. Are you serious? I just need a hug. I'm still trying to grasp this. But it could all work out for the best. It's an end of an era, a wonderful one at that. But it doesn't mean the next one will be horrible. We're in the interim period. We will be for at least one more season. After that, the McCann-Jurrjens-Francoeur (please remember how to hit)-Johnson-Escobar era begins officially. Let's just hope it's half as good as the last one. No one will ever top it. That's for sure.

Trevor Hoffman

Chicks dig the change-up.

He's 41 and just had the worst year ... well ... pretty much in his career, only slightly better than his 1995 campaign. And the Milwaukee Brewers want him. Then again, he is the all-time saves leader and he converted 30 of 34 save opportunities last season. So, what's right -- his age or his talent?

Last season, Trevor Hoffman was 3-6 with a 3.77 ERA in only 45.1 IP, but he did, as stated above, convert 30/34 SVO. Is he getting worse? Well, his K/9 of 9.13 was his best mark in five years, and his BB/9 of 1.79 was one of the best of his career. So, his stuff doesn't seem to have diminished. His LD% was 13.4, and that was much lower than it has been in years past. They didn't hit him any harder. All in all, however, his FIP was 3.99, his worst since 2001. It had to come from somewhere. Well, it was his home run rate, which ballooned to 13.8%. His career rate is 6.8%. Did he lose the luster on that magic change-up? Considering his line-drives and strikeouts were fine, it couldn't have gotten too much worse. At least, it couldn't have been any worse than it was before.

So, how will he do next year? My guess is he'll rebound. His career FIP is 3, exactly, and I bet he's more in the 3.20-3.30 range next season. Acceptable, but not great. Bill James has him down for a 3.00 ERA next season, but Marcel hammers him with a 3.70 ERA (presumably because of his age). Age and injuries could certainly hurt him, but it's not like 41 is too old. A one year deal wouldn't be a bad idea. Two might be pushing it.

JC Romero and Sergio Mitre

Okay, they didn't use steroids, but I still like the picture.

Both JC Romero and Sergio Mitre have been suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for using performance-enhancing drugs. You'll likely see a lot of stories trying to qualify and pity the two pitchers, but you won't find it here.

1) Romero should have called the hotline. That's what it is there for. How long would it have taken to call the hotline? I don't feel sorry for the guy. In this time, you know the result of being even labeled with PED's. You know the results. You know the consequences. TAKE EVERY PRE-CAUTION. By not doing so, you're bringing it on yourself.

2) I admire Mitre for accepting responsibility. He owned up to it and said it is his fault. However, he did sort of qualify it by saying "contaminant" and implying it wasn't his fault. Therefore, I don't pity him.

3) How do we know the "contaminant" didn't come from Mitre himself? I hate to be pessimistic, but I find it odd that a pharmaceutical company would accidentally spill something in the supplement.

4) Isn't this policy what we wanted? We demanded people be held responsible, but at the first moment they seem innocent, we waver and qualify. You can't have it both ways. Then again, is it logical to have such a strict policy when we've obviously found an "exception" possibility? Then again, if we allow exceptions, people can just lie and fit their situation into that exception.

5) We live in a democracy that "values" the whole "innocent before proven guilty" thing (I say "values" because we're awfully inclined to believe people are guilty before proven innocent), and the two pitchers were proven guilty. Now, we wait for the insanity pleas.

6) What exactly is the difference between steroids and other PED's than the protein shakes, etc. that are still legal but still are unnatural performance enhancers?

Walter Johnson

Last but not least in the first class.

Career stats:
417-279__531 CG__110 SHO__3509 K__2.17 ERA__147 ERA+__1.061 WHIP
3 Triple Crowns (1913, 1918, 1924)
2 MVP awards (1913, 1924)


The last of the "Five Immortals" elected into the inaugural Hall of Fame class, Walter Johnson was born on November 6, 1887 in Humboldt, Kansas. A drought forced his family to leave Kansas and head to California. Not having played baseball in Kansas, Johnson learned the game in California but received no real formal training, and as a result he maintained his trademark sidearm delivery. After being initially told he was suited for the outfield and not for pitching, Johnson caught on with a California Winter League team and threw 77 consecutive scoreless innings. Combining that with a strikeout rate around 14 per 9 and a walk rate of 1 per 9, Johnson received several offers, and he accepted the offer from the Washington Senators.

The Senators were woefully bad, and his early records did not reflect his talent. He would continue to pitch in the California Winter League even after being signed by the Senators but would stop after the 1909 season. One notable early moment in his career, Johnson pitched three consecutive complete-game shutouts over Labor Day weekend in 1907.

After some rough early years marred by an ear infection, a severe cold, and lack of results, Johnson dominated the next decade from 1910-1919. It began well as he pitched a complete-game shutout and won the first Opening Day that a President of the United States (William Taft) had attended. His newfound domination could be attributed to new manager Jimmy McAleer, who restrained himself from pitching Johnson more than every four days and told Johnson to almost exclusively stick to his fastball. After his 1919 season, Johnson's career began to decline but was still amazing. His ERA jumped a run and a half, but the league's ERA jumped a half-run as well (doctored balls were not allowed after 1919, but it probably was not the only reason for the jump).

By the end of the 1927 season, Johnson had decided to retire from playing, but he would still manage the Senators (1929-1932) and the Cleveland Indians (1933-1935). In the inaugural Hall of Fame class of 1936, Johnson received 189 votes, enough to get him in as the fifth player. Interesting note: Cy Young, Rogers Hornsby, Tris Speaker, Lou Gehrig, and Lefty Grove were all not voted in during this class, and even the ones who were weren't inducted in until 1939, when the Museum opened.

After writing about the first class, I have a few thoughts. One, I find it interesting that Cy Young, who has the most wins in history, didn't even receive 50% of the votes (111 out of a possible 226). Two, I find it interesting that Christy Mathewson received 16 more votes than Johnson when Johnson was probably the better pitcher.

Mutiny Time?

He might be young and good-looking, but I'd rather he be good and old.

I was reading this article by Mark Bowman about the Braves and ran across this:

Before pitchers and catchers report to Disney's Wide World of Sports complex on Feb. 14, it appears Wren will be more likely to upgrade his starting rotation with the acquisition of Jon Garland or Andy Pettitte.

Pettite's fine, as I have already mentioned, but if Wren gets Garland, I will mutiny. I don't send emails to companies complaining about not having something, discontinuing something (EA Sports still needs to re-start their MVP Baseball video games), etc., but I will send one to Frank Wren about Jon Garland (probably just a copy and paste from this post). There is no good reason to get him, but he's been mentioned too often around the Braves' search for a starter to make me think it's not legitimate. He might be cheaper, but being cheaper doesn't mean he'll be worth anything. If we are just re-building and need a cheap option to throw out there, any of the minor-leaguers would probably be better. Don't do it, Frank.

Also, the article notes:

There's still absolutely no indication that the Braves are interested in revisiting trade talks for Peavy. As for Derek Lowe, it appears they may show more interest in him if his cost drops and he's willing to pitch for an annual salary of approximately $12 million.

Why on earth are you willing to spend 5 years and $80M on Burnett but not on Lowe? Age pretty much counts as injury issues, right? So, if you could get Lowe for 3/48 or 4/64, shouldn't you do it? I agree that 5/80 is probably too much, but the other two aren't necessarily. But I guess the Braves front-office knows something we don't. However, I refuse to believe they know the special cure for Garland's suckiness.

Christy Mathewson

Big Six

Career stats:
373-188__434 CG__79 SHO__2502 K__2.13 ERA__135 ERA+__1.059 WHIP
2 Triple Crowns (1905, 1909)
2 No-hitters


Christopher Mathewson was born August 12, 1880 in Factoryville, Pennsylvania. He would go on to Bucknell University and play on both the football and baseball teams. Mathewson left college and signed with a team from the New England League before the New York (Baseball) Giants purchased his contract. Initially, he failed to live up to expectations, so the Reds selected him in the next Rule V draft (which was a better selection -- Mathewson or Johan Santana?) and then traded him back to the Giants.

Mathewson employed a good fastball and a new pitch -- the screwball -- during his 17-year career. One of the best stories about Mathewson is the 1905 World Series against the Philadelphia Athletics. He pitched a 4-hit shutout in Game 1 for the win. Then, he came back three days later to throw another 4-hit shutout. To top it all off, he came back two days later and twirled a 6-hit shutout to clinch the series.

Mathewson had a great career in New York, but he didn't do it on Sunday. He had a religious conviction against pitching on the Sabbath and may have been a reason he was called the "Christian Gentleman". When he did pitch, he was great, and he even had a brother that pitched alongside him. Henry and Christy won the most games by brothers on a single team with 373. Christy won 373 of them, and Henry won all of 0.

The Reds would take him back for his last game in the majors on September 4, 1916. That game pitted him against his old foe Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown. Mathewson threw a complete game but gave up eight runs in his final victory. He would manage the Reds for the next two seasons until he enlisted in the Army for WWI along with Ty Cobb.

Along with Cobb, Babe Ruth, and Honus Wagner, Mathewson was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1936 with 205 votes.

Derek Lowe

I'm a little surprised he's still available.

The Mets tried to give Derek Lowe a 3-year/$36M deal, but he wasn't impressed. He came back and said that he wanted $16M/season. Jon Heyman, then, stated that the Mets, Phillies, and Braves are in heavy competition for the sinker-baller, and the Red Sox and Brewers are still in the mix. First, I thought the Braves weren't interested, but I'm not surprised that they would be now. Second, if the Brewers could add Lowe and Ben Sheets, they could become a contender again. Third, was last year an aberration for Lowe?

Lowe was excellent this past season. He was 14-11 with a 3.24 ERA in 211 IP. His GB/FB rate of 2.63 is stellar, but it was well below his career 3.32 and his 3.38 of 2007. His K/9 of 6.27 was above his career 5.91 but below his 6.64 from 2007. Neither of the two should scare anyone. He'll likely see his groundball rate climb back closer to 3, and even if it doesn't, it's good enough to keep him successful regardless. The strikeout rate is fine. What I worry about is the walk rate. It was an astounding 1.92 last season, but that is way down from his career 2.53. The previous season saw him walk 2.66 every nine innings. He's due to see that jump back to his career norm (an interesting side note -- he threw first pitch strikes 59.2% of the time, which is around his career norm, so why did he walk so few people?). His FIP last season was 3.26, so he didn't get lucky from having a good defense. And, his last two seasons saw him have FIP's of 3.97 and 3.68. He should be closer to those next season. His HR/FB rate of 9.5% is a little low, and it will probably go up next season (maybe even way up if he goes to Philly).

Lowe will be 36 next season, so teams are understandably concerned about his age. But, he's been very durable and successful. I'd like to see the Braves try to grab him for 3 years/$58M. It's a lot of money, but the Braves have enough. If the money kept the number of years to three, I'd like the deal. I'm sure the Mets and Phillies (maybe less so for the Phillies) would like that as well. More years would probably be a bad idea. After three, he'll be 38 at the end. He probably won't be an ace at the beginning of the contract, and therefore, I don't think he'll be one at the end. The Mets initial offer was probably low because they thought they were the only ones involved. Then again, they may be the only ones involved anyway, considering the lack of veracity in the rumor mill lately.

The Off-Season So Far

Hmmm ...

There's not a whole lot going on right now. No one is really doing anything during the holidays, and with about 6-7 weeks left until Spring Training, I imagine some things will start up in the next week or two. I'm kind of searching for things to write about at the moment -- hence the Hall of Fame posts (which I like doing and have learned a lot from), but when there's nothing out there, there's nothing really to write about. Anyway, here are some thoughts about what we've seen this off-season:

1) Less spending. This is a common theme among writers right now. After the weeks following the Winter Meetings, things still have not taken off. Teams aren't making a lot of trades as they want to hold onto prospects and keep costs down. They aren't buying up free-agents like they used to. But why is it? Certainly, the economy has played a part, but how much? Are teams really that squeezed that they can't spend on free-agents? With some teams still spending and raising payrolls, I'm not entirely convinced. Could it be just that teams are learning the free-agent game? Relievers used to get huge contracts, but have stats analysis and experience finally taught teams to spend better? And now, this smarter spending and poor economy is all coincidental? Or did the economy spur the smarter spending, and when it works out, will it become a precedent for future spending/negotiations? Or will free-agent spending go back up once the economy gets better? I know it seems like the Yankees are the only teams willing to spend, but the Orioles and Nationals would have dropped a lot of money on Teixeira as well.

2) Older players aren't getting any play. This seems to have really taken off last season with the Mitchell Report, and it has followed through this off-season. People are scared off of players past the age of 33-35, and even players of those ages. But why? You can talk about how steroids and amphetamines helped aging players stay young. But Ty Cobb hit .401 at 35 and .378 at 38. Stan Musial hit .330 at 41. Joe Morgan hit .289 at 38. Babe Ruth hit 34 HR at 38. Mike Mussina was just great at 39. Steve Carlton had a 3.11 ERA at 38. Players have always been able to succeed after their primes. Are teams just being too pessimistic thinking that the drugs were the only reasons for their success? Then comes the biggy -- did the drugs have anything to do with the players' success anyway?

3) Will players still get their money? The longer things drag out, the more you wonder just how low salaries for guys are going to get for next year. Is Ben Sheets going to have to take $5M to pitch next season or will he still get something closer to 3/$36M? Is Adam Dunn going to get his $13M a year or will he have to settle for 9 or 10? Will there really be bargains or will guys still get a lot per season but maybe with fewer years than usual? And again, does this have to do with the economy or are teams just getting smarter with their money?

4) What happened to Derek Lowe being the most sought-after pitcher after Sabathia? It seemed like Derek Lowe was number 1 on many teams' lists at the end of the season, but he is still waiting while Sabathia, Burnett, and Dempster have already signed. As of now, it really only seems like the Mets, Phillies, Red Sox, Brewers, and maybe the Braves are interested, and only the Mets and Phillies seem legitimately interested. Is this because people were initially excited, but after considering his age and demands, they became less so? Or were the never really that interested and the media drummed up all the attention?

5) How long will the focus on defense last? If Tampa and Seattle have bad seasons, will teams look at that and say that they prove defense isn't as important? If they both succeed with less-than-stellar offenses, will it change the game? History is often cyclical, and defense could once again reign, at least until someone proves that a massive offense can offset a bad defense. Will teams have the patience to watch the Adam Everetts and Endy Chavezes hit .250 but play stellar defense but give them a lot of at-bats? Will we criticize them for letting them have those at-bats even if they're playing great defense?

Honus Wagner

I don't care how good he was. Why would you pay $3M for his baseball card?

Career stats:
.327/.391/.466/.857__1736 R__3415 H__640 2B__252 3B__101 HR__1732 RBI__722 SB__150 OPS+


Johannes Peter Wagner was born February 24, 1874 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During his childhood, his mother called him "Hans", and that would later evolve into his more popular nickname "Honus". Even though he was the most famous of his brothers by the end, it was actually his brother Albert who got him his first tryout.

Wagner began his successful career as one of the greatest shortstops of all time with the Louisville Colonels (Louisville!), but after his second season, the league contracted and the Colonels were gone. The Colonels owner, however, bought half of the Pittsburgh Pirates and brought many of his players, including Honus, with him after the 1899 season.

Pittsburgh proved to be a beneficial place for Wagner. He won a batting title in his first season and won a World Series in 1909. That World Series almost did not happen, however. After the 1907 season, Wagner retired, but the owner offered $10,000 to Wagner. Wagner accepted and was the highest paid player for many seasons, and due to this, some wonder if his retirement was just a ploy for a raise (these were the days before a union). Wagner would later become the second player in history with 3,000 hits (Cap Anson being the first). Like other players of the time, he became the manager of his team, but after 5 games, he told the owner that the position wasn't right for him. After the 1917 season, Wagner retired.

One of the greatest shortstops and even players of baseball history, Wagner was an easy choice for the inaugural Hall of Fame class of 1936, and he tied Babe Ruth's 215 votes. Bill James rates him as the second greatest player of all-time behind Ruth, and he makes many people's all-time lists as the top shortstop.

The "Flying Dutchman" was known for his speed and defense. What he may be best known for now is his T206 baseball card. He, supposedly, didn't want his picture and image used as a baseball card in a cigarette box, and the American Tobacco Company had to stop making them, which in turn made the card extremely rare. In 2007, the card sold for $2.8M and became the most valuable card ever.

Joe Mauer Has Kidney Surgery

So, it wasn't a kidney, just a few bolts.

Twins fans everywhere just freaked. Luckily, the Twins and GM Bill Smith stress that the surgery was minor and only removed an obstruction in his kidney. Calm down. It's a slow news day ... week.

Babe Ruth

I still think of Sandlot when I think of him.

Career stats:
.342/.474/.690/1.164__2174 R__2873 H__506 2B__136 3B__714 HR__2217 RBI__207 OPS+
94-46__107 CG__17 SHO__2.28 ERA__122 ERA+
2 All-Star games (1933, 1934)
1 MVP award (1923)


Born February 6, 1895, George Herman Ruth was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but he spent most of his early life in St. Mary's orphanage because his parents worked too much to take care of him. At St. Mary's, a brother taught Ruth how to play baseball, and it was there that Ruth was discovered.

With needing to say so, Ruth's playing career was astounding, both on the mound and crushing pitches from it. He began his career with the Boston Red Sox as a pitcher, but his anger and self-discipline issues would become a factor in him being dealt to the New York Yankees. By 1918, Ruth's hitting prowess enticed the Red Sox into putting him in the lineup on a more regular basis. Ruth himself wanted to hit more, and he gradually stopped pitching. In his last season as a Red Sox (1919), he set a regular-season home run record with 29. It would also be his last season as a Red Sox.

After the 1919 season, Ruth demanded a raise to $20,000 (double his previous salary), and after negotiations failed, owner Harry Frazee looked to trade Ruth. The White Sox offered Shoeless Joe Jackson and $60,000, but the Yankees offered $100,000. Ruth signed a contract, on which the trade was contingent, and became a Yankee. As a Yankee, Ruth shifted to the outfield on a permanent basis and became the symbol of a changing style of baseball, in which power had a place. When the team moved from the Polo Grounds to Yankee Stadium, Ruth fittingly hit the first home run in the "House that Ruth Built". He would go on to break and re-break his home run record, and reportedly after hitting his 60th in 1927, Ruth shouted, "Sixty, count 'em, sixty! Let's see some son-of-a-bitch match that!" By 1934, however, even Ruth began to decline, and due to his quarrells with manager Joe McCarthy, the Yankees sold Ruth to the Boston Braves, who hoped Ruth could bring in much-needed attendance. However, besides an initial spike in attendance, Ruth did little else for the Braves and retired May 30, 1935.

A remarkable career led to Ruth being inducted into the inaugural Hall of Fame class of 1936 with 215 of 226 votes (second to Ty Cobb). Ruth prowess led to several phrases and adjectives. "Ruthian" describes something done with great power, reminding baseball fans of his 500-foot blasts. "The Babe Ruth of ____" describes that ____ is the best player or person doing whatever he/she does, implying Ruth was the best baseball player that ever lived. Indeed, he may have been.

Off the field, he was well-known for his exploits, with alcohol and women. On the field, he had several outbursts and was known to throw dirt on umpires as well as take a swing at them and fans.

A common mistake is to believe that the candy bar "Baby Ruth" is named after Babe Ruth. However, it is named after Grover Cleveland's daughter, the first and only born in the White House, Ruth.

Giants Getting in on Manny?

Manny Bay Manny

According to Troy Renck:

The Giants, the NL West's most active team this winter, are quietly making an aggressive play for free agent Manny Ramirez, according to a major-league source.
A few thoughts:

1) Sabean just can't keep his hands off old players with track records.

2) Barry Bonds II.

3) This would make the Giants the favorites in the NL West.

4) The Giants could be that Wild Card team Boras always banks on and always gets.

5) This would be a double shot at the Dodgers. One, the Giants just took away the Dodgers best player from right under their nose. Two, Manny will get to prove 19 times why Coletti should have paid him the money. There's motivation for you (well, for at least one season).

6) This could just be a negotiating ploy set up by Boras to get leverage against the Dodgers by threatening 5).

Ty Cobb

The Georgia Peach wasn't so peachy.

I've decided, after doing the post on Jim Rice and Dale Murphy, to go back and look at baseball history and, more specifically for the moment, the Hall of Fame. They won't be long, and they're mainly aimed to inform. If you know anything more (interesting stories, opinions, etc.) about a player, leave something in the comments. I feel that people don't know enough about baseball history (myself included), so this is my attempt to educate myself and others at the same time (as a history major and hopeful future historian). Today, I'll start with Ty Cobb.

Career stats:
.366/.433/.512/.945__167 OPS+__4189 H__724 2B__295 3B__117 HR__1937 RBI__2246 R__892 SB
Triple Crown in 1909
1 MVP Award (1911)


Tyrus "Ty" Raymond Cobb was born on December 18, 1886, and he played from 1905 to 1928. When Cobb went out to try for a semi-pro team, his father told him, "Don't come home a failure." In August of 1905, he was sold to the Detroit Tigers, but in the same month, his mother killed his father. Supposedly, his father suspected his mother of infidelity and snuck past his own window to try to catch her, but his mother thought he was an intruder and shot him. Cobb would later attribute his play to the memory of his father saying, "I did it for my father. He never got to see me play ... but I knew he was watching me, and I never let him down."

Cobb's playing career was obviously remarkable. At age 20, he became the youngest to win a batting championship until Al Kaline did it in 1955 while a day younger. He apparently cherished winning batting titles so much that he sat out to preserve his average and played mind games with Shoeless Joe Jackson. Cobb also set the single-season stolen base record by stealing 96 bases, which stood until Maury Wills broke it. This style of play caused Cobb to resent the up-and-coming Babe Ruth who hit home runs and refused to be the hit-and-run player Cobb was (Cobb also hated Ruth's lifestyle), and in order to prove himself, Cobb decided to swing for the fences for a series. In one series, he hit 12 of 19 with five home runs and 29 total bases. Ruth responded by saying, "I could have had a lifetime .600 average, but I would have had to hit them singles. The people were paying to see me hit home runs." In 1921, Cobb would become a player/manager, but he was never really liked and was never really successful. Later that season, he became the youngest and fastest (in at-bats) to 3,000 hits, both records are still intact.

He retired after the 1928 season having hit at least .300 for 23 consecutive seasons, an amazing record not likely to be broken. A dead-ball era legend, the "Georgia Peach" is arguably the best player in baseball history. He received the most votes (222 of 226) in the inaugural Hall of Fame class in 1936.

Off the field, Cobb had a violent temper and was an unabashed racist (albeit, he lived in a much different time with much different values). He stabbed a black man for being "uppity" and choked a black woman when she tried to defend her husband. Cobb also fought with an umpire underneath a grandstand after a game, and the fight was only broken up after Cobb knocked the man down and began to choke him. At the end of his life, Cobb, however, seemed to see some of the error of his ways and supposedly told Joe E. Brown, a comedian, that he regretted having no friends at the end of his life. Cobb died on July 17, 1961.