Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Blight of the TV Blackout

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The greatest bane of the Major League Baseball fan in existence is not high ticket prices, competitive imbalance or rainy days. It is the dreadfully antiquated blackout policies of Major League Baseball on television. Drawn up long before the internet, national cable networks and Extra Innings packages, they, as they are currently drawn up, do little to benefit the teams they are meant to and do everything to annoy, enrage and inconvenience fans. It’s so bad, in fact, that some people are suing MLB over it.

(More after the break)

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Great Mysteries in Baseball

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Baseball is a sport where there are a lot of thing that are unexplained or unknown. For example…

  • Where, exactly, does Lena Blackburne’s Rubbing Mud come from?
  • How and why did Big Ed Delahanty fall over Niagara Falls in 1903? Was it suicide? An accident? Murder?
  • What happened to the ball Bobby Thomson hit in the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World”? I seem to remember reading somewhere that a nun caught it, and I think there might be a book out there about the quest for it, but I don’t think anybody really knows for sure.
  • Did John Smoltz really get injured while trying to iron his shirt while still wearing it?
  • Did Babe Ruth really have a piano of his fall into a pond in Massachusetts? And if so, is it still down there? (It’s a long story.)
  • Did Wade Boggs really drink over 50 (possibly as many as 64) cans of Miller Light during one cross-country flight?
  • Does, as the result of an agreement in the early 1880s, the National League (and, as the result of the merging of the AL and NL into one legal entity in the late 1990s, MLB) owe the cities of Troy, NY and Worcester, MA hundreds of exhibition games? (Essentially, the agreement was that Troy and Worcester would lose their NL teams, but as compensation would get at least two exhibition games against NL teams each year… I don’t think that’s happened anytime in at least a hundred years, and I have to figure it’s a lawsuit or publicity stunt waiting to happen.)
  • Was William White, and not Fleetwood Walker or Jackie Robinson, the first African-American ballplayer in the bigs?
  • Who put the obscenity on the bat in Bill Ripken’s infamous baseball card? Was it him trying to pull one on the card company? Was it a bat-boy? His brother Cal? Someone else?
  • Did Babe Ruth call his shot? It’s obvious from video and stills from that day that he was pointing at something, but we probably will never know what, exactly, he was pointing at.

And there are no doubt many more as well….

Wherever they end up, the Athletics better keep their name

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For seemingly the last decade or so, the Athletics have tried to escape from Oakland (home of the infamous Oakland Coliseum, where the crowds are small and the foul territory is the size of the Titanic) and find their way to San Jose (BTW, the way is available on Google Maps). The Giants, who own the territorial rights to there, have basically told the Athletics to take a hike. And so, some have begun to wonder if the Athletics will move out of the Bay Area entirely… Selig has said that MLB would approve the move, depending on where it was (i.e. so long as it didn’t annoy any of the other 29 teams, like San Jose would the Giants).

Wherever the A’s end up though (Las Vegas? San Antonio? Charlotte? Mexico or Puerto Rico?), there is one thing that should happen: They should remain the Athletics. It is too old a name with too rich a history to be abandoned. The A’s nickname has been with that franchise since 1901, and dates back to previous clubs that go back all the way to 1860! Philadelphia, Kansas City or Oakland, they have remained the Athletics. Very few other names in sports have survived so two or more moves: the Boston-Milwaukee-Atlanta Braves (which, contrary to popular belief, was not derived directly from Native Americans, but rather on the notorious Tammany Hall political machine, which had used chiefs as a symbol. Not like that matters) are the only ones from the MLB.  The NFL has had the Oakland-LA Raiders (who don’t really count, since the second move was back to Oakland), the Chicago-St. Louis-Arizona Cardinals and the Cleveland-Los Angeles-St. Louis Rams. The NBA has had the New York-New Jersey-Brooklyn Nets, the Milwaukee-St. Louis-Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia-San Francisco-Golden State (i.e. Oakland) Warriors. The NHL hasn’t had one.

And, in honor of the long tradition, the Athletics should keep that name. No matter where they end up.Same for most of the other above teams.

Justin Verlander will get his third no-hitter… and probably a fourth. And maybe a fifth and sixth.

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I wasn’t at a TV last night as Justin Verlander, the best pitcher in baseball, was throwing a no-hitter. I was at a ballgame. I heard about it after he’d finished seven, but by the time I got to the ballpark’s bar and got them to switch it to MLB Network, he was just finishing off the eighth. It was then that a Red Sox fan, wondering why that game wasn’t on anymore, asked why:

“Verlander is throwing a no-no,” I said.

“Again? Wow,” the man replied (I’m paraphrasing here).

So then it was just waiting. MLB Network kept showing the Red Sox game, but promising they would head back to Detroit once Verlander took the mound again. It felt like an eternity, waiting for them to get back to Detroit. It felt like it was going to be inevitable that he was going to throw it, so it was something of both a shock and a disappointment when Josh Harrison got a soft hit to center with one out. No-hitters always seem to end with the littlest hits, as that is all it takes.

For most pitchers, to lose a no-hitter in the ninth would be a great missed opportunity, one they likely would never have the chance to have again. With Verlander, however, that isn’t the case, as we are now to the point where every time he steps to the mound, there is a real chance he could throw a no-hitter. It doesn’t matter where he is or who he is facing. Barring injury, I have no doubt that he will throw another no-hitter. Heck, he could have several more. He is the first threat to Nolan Ryan‘s record since… ever.

Only Ryan, Sandy Koufax, Cy Young, Bob Feller and Larry Corcoran (a ace of the 19th century who died at the age of 32 from Bright’s Disease) have three or more no-hitters. It is probably only a matter of time before Verlander joins them, and, perhaps, one day surpasses them.

The time I (sort of) saw Jesse Orosco break a baseball record

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In the annals of baseball record-holders, you can find some of the greatest names in the game: Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Cy Young, Pete Rose, Walter Johnson, Tris Speaker, Rickey Henderson, Cal Ripken…

By comparison, Jesse Orosco doesn’t really stand out. But he has the record for most games appeared in. And it doesn’t look like anybody is going to be passing him anytime soon. He broke the previous record, held by Dennis Eckersley, on August 17, 1999.

I was at that game at the ripe old age of nine. But I didn’t actually see him break it. Because, you see, I was busy… looking at the record-breaking home run balls of 1998. Cartoonist and former college baseball player Todd McFarlane had bought most of the McGwire and Sosa home run balls, and was touring them around the country. We’d decided that a good time to go and see it would be once Mike Mussina had left the game.

So, what do you know, he left the game as the 7th began. We went to see the McGwire and Sosa home run balls.

As we looked at the great artifacts of the year before, hardly suspecting that A) the home runs were probably hit with the help of modern pharmaceuticals and B) that Jesse Orosco was making history.

You all remember how it happened. There were fireworks, a message on the video board from Dennis Eckersley, a special appearance by several members of the 1986 Mets, and, finally, a tearful moment on the mound as Orosco embraced his family as both teams surrounded and cheered his grand accomplishment. And then, he got Todd Walker to fly out to center.

At least, I think that’s what happened, I was too busy looking at Todd MacFarlane’s personal museum to see it. So maybe all that happened was that the PA announcer mentioned at the end of the game that Orosco had broken Eckersley’s record. Again, I was nine, so the memory is a bit hazy. I think one of those things happened though.

Twins. Red Wings. It’s a revolving door.

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Quick, ignore the logos and team names, what team is this?:

Well, it’s the Rochester Red Wings. But it’s filled with players who have been a part of the Twins over the rather disastrous past season-and-a-half. Revere is now back up with the Twins (saving Rochestarians from having to hear him sing), but plenty of once-and-possibly-future Twins remain. So when, and who, is most likely to rejoin Revere in Minneapolis? Let’s take a look (more below the break):

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Blast from the past: How my predictions look so far

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Back in April, I wrote my predictions of what would happen in the 2012 season as part of my column for the Cardinal Courier. I’m going to return to those predictions now and in the future to see how I’m doing. Predictions are in BOLD, followed by how I’m doing so far.

Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder will do fine in their new cities (Anaheim and Detroit, respectively).

Well, Prince is doing fine. So chalk that up this prediction as being half-right as of right now.

Justin Verlander will win the AL Cy Young again, but won’t win the MVP again. Instead, Albert Pujols will. He tends to do that.

Too early to tell if Verlander will win the Cy Young again, but I think it’s safe to say that, barring an utterly unbelievable season from here on out, Pujols isn’t winning MVP. Again, half-right as of right now.

The new addition of a extra wild card will make the post-season race more entertaining most years, but this year it will feel underwhelming, since last season’s playoff race was so historic.

Too early to tell.

The Marlins will be the most entertaining ballclub in years, and the second season of The Franchise will be one of the most hilarious documentary series ever created, if only because it will have raw, uncensored, Ozzie Guillen rants.

The first episode (a preview episode, really) of The Franchise was, indeed, quite hilarious with it’s uncensored Ozzie. Problem is, the situation that Ozzie got himself in (the Castro comments) wasn’t. So I guess it is too early to tell.

The Nationals and Royals will be the “surprise” teams of 2012.

Nationals are doing well on this so far. Royals… not so much.

The Mets will stink.

They’ve done surprisingly well so far, but there is still a lot of season left.

This will be the last season for Chipper Jones (who’s confirmed as much), Mariano Rivera (who has hinted as much), Jim Thome, Todd Helton, Roy Oswalt (if he even signs anywhere), Johnny Damon (if he even signs anywhere) and Arthur Rhodes (did you even know he was still in the league?)

Chipper is a yes. Mariano apparently will try to come back from his injury. Oswalt still hasn’t signed. Damon is now with the Indians. Arthur Rhodes has yet to say.

If Twins first-baseman Justin Morneau suffers concussion symptoms again, he will retire for medical reasons. He will go down as one of the great “what might have beens” in sports history.

Hasn’t had concussion symptoms. Thankfully.

Yu Darvish and Yoennis Cespedes, the two big imported players this season (Darvish from Japan, Cespedes defected from Cuba), will do fine, although Darvish is the one more likely to win AL “Rookie” of the Year.

More or less correct.

Bryce Harper will arrive by mid-summer and will become one of the most polarizing athletes this side of Tim Tebow.

Arrived earlier than expected, and has really only served to make Cole Hamels polarizing.

Matt Kemp will win NL MVP, but won’t have a 50-50 season, like he said he is aiming for.

Doubtful on the 50-50. Depends on how well he returns from the DL for the MVP.

Roy “Doc” Halladay will be the NL Cy Young winner. This is, of course, hardly a bold prediction.

He hasn’t been having the best of seasons, by his standards.

Alex Rodriguez will tie Lou Gehrig’s record for career grand slams.

Not yet.

Bryan Stow, the Giants fan who was savagely beaten outside of Dodger Stadium last opening day, will be throwing a ceremonial first pitch out at AT&T Park by the end of the season. And everyone will cry.

He appeared in a video message on opening day but isn’t yet healthy enough to do a first pitch.

Young Royals slugger Eric Hosmer will win the Home Run Derby, fittingly held in Kansas City.

Hosmer has been having a sophomore slump, so it’s unlikely that he will be an all-star.

The NL will win the All-Star Game.

Too early to tell, and a crapshoot to predict anyway.

At least one Cy Young candidate will have his season ended early when he requires Tommy John Surgery.

Depends on if you count Brian Wilson. I don’t think he was a Cy Young contender.

Every home run hit by Ryan Braun will be scrutinized.

Not so much.

The Astros will spend their last year in the National League by being so irrelevant everybody will forget they are in any league.

Actually, they are doing relatively well so far.

Joe Mauer will drop his good manners for a few minutes and ask that the walls at Target Field be moved in.

Not yet, but you know he’s thought about it.

The Cubs and White Sox will both stink, to the point where fans will be chanting for the Bears by late June.

The Cubs do stink, and the White Sox are under .500 so far.

Andy Pettitte’s comeback won’t go as well as he and the Yankees are hoping.

Too early to tell.

Giancarlo Stanton will be referred to as Mike Stanton many times, which isn’t surprising, as he was going by Mike Stanton until this offseason before beginning to use his real first name.

He has.

Buster Posey will be back and will be an All-Star.

He probably will be.

Ichiro will continue his downward slide, but still will probably be the best hitter on the Mariners.

As of this morning, he was hitting a hideous-for-him .288. That’s the highest BA, but not the highest OPS, on the Seattle roster.

The Cardinals and Reds will have a bench-clearing brawl.

Not yet, thankfully.

The Reds will, shockingly, have the best record in the National League, as their pitchers return from their injury-prone 2011 season and they’ve added the better-than-his-win-loss-record-suggests Mat Latos. Oh, and they are in the same division as the Cubs, Pirates and Astros, a great way to inflate a win total.

They aren’t doing bad, but they aren’t the best record in the NL. They merely are at a 19-17 record.

The Orioles will remain three-to-five years away from a return to glory, just like they have been every year since 1997.

I’ll let you know in a few months.

AL Division winners: Yankees, Tigers and Angels (best record).

NL Division winners: Phillies, Reds (the surprise best record in the NL) and Diamondbacks.

The AL Wild Cards will be the Rays and the Rangers. The Rays will win the game.

The NL Wild Cards will be the Giants and the Marlins. The Giants will win the game.

The ALDSes will see the Angels beat the Rays and the Tigers beat the Yankees.

The NLDSes will see the Phillies beat the Diamondbacks and the Giants defeat the Reds.

The Tigers will beat the Angels in the ALCS

The Phillies will outlast the Giants in the NLCS.

The Phillies will defeat the Tigers in the World Series.

Still early, but I’m starting to think my predictions are going to be off…

But, hey, you never know.

How long can the Orioles keep this up?

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The Orioles won again last night. In 15 innings, they defeated the Royals, rallying in the 9th to tie the game and then taking the lead for good with a Adam Jones homer in the top of the 15th. With the victory, the Orioles kept pace with the Tampa Bay Rays (who they are tied with), and extended their lead over the Yankees, who are now 3.5 games back. So we must ask: how are they doing this, and can they keep this up?

Maybe it’s the return of the classic logo…

One thing that really is standing out with the 2012 Orioles is how well the no-name pitchers are doing. Most of the All-Stars the Orioles have had since the retirement of Cal Ripken have generally been hitters: Miguel Tejada, Melvin Mora, Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, etc. The only exceptions have been B.J. Ryan in 2005 (who flamed out after a few years in Toronto in the late aughts)  and George Sherrill in 2008 (he now pitches for the Mariners), although Erik Bedard (who was slyly traded for Jones, Sherrill and others in 2009) could probably have been said to have been snubbed on at least one occasion. That likely will remain true this year: the Orioles will probably see Wieters (who should probably start) and Adam Jones make the All-Star Game this year if they keep it up. But it will be ignoring the no-name pitchers that are keeping them in the race this late in the season.

Take their bullpen. It is spectacular, and I, like most people, can’t name a single one of them without looking it up. Even I, who prides myself on trying to be at least vaguely familiar with everybody in baseball, is just that with the Orioles: vaguely familiar. I recognize the names when I see them, but if I were vacationing down in Maryland and ran into one of them in the Inner Harbor, I wouldn’t be saying “Oh, you’re Jim Johnson!” I would probably instead say: “Look where you’re going!”

And yet, Johnson is having a brilliant year. He has a 0.51 ERA and he leads the league in saves. And the rest of the bullpen has been doing great:

-Pedro Strop, who had been given to the Orioles as a player-to-be-named-later from the Rangers, has a 1.29 ERA in 21 innings.

-Veteran reliever Luis Ayala is the holder of 1.86 ERA and, along with Johnson, Strop and Darren O’Day, is one of four O’s pitchers with WHIPs (Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched) under one.

-Speaking of O’Day, he has the lowest WHIP of anybody in the Baltimore ‘pen: 0.873. Like Strop, he’s a cast-off from the Rangers: the Orioles picked him up off of waivers.

By comparison, the Baltimore rotation hasn’t been as good, especially at the top. Tommy Hunter (another Texas cast-off, arriving to Baltimore along with the immortal Chris Davis last season in exchange for Koji Uehara) is 2-2 with a 4.78 ERA. Jake Arrieta, arguably the best homegrown starter in the rotation, has also struggled, with a 5.21 ERA and a 2-4 W-L record. It leads one to wonder why Buck Showalter hasn’t promoted the two success stories in the rotation up a bit. Taiwanese import (via Japan) Wei-Yin Chen has yet to lose a game, and has a 2.45 ERA. Jason Hammel, a serviceable-but-unremarkable starter the last few years, is 4-1 with a 2.68 ERA.

In my eyes, the only chance the Orioles have of staying in the race in the long run is having the pitching hold up. This seems obvious, but it is true. No matter how well the Orioles hit, they cannot survive the apocalyptic struggle that is the AL East without pitching that can silence the Rays, Yankees, Blue Jays and Red Sox.

Whether they can is up for debate. Chen, for example, is still new to the majors, so it’s possible that the hitters just might not be used to facing him yet. Eventually, they will figure him out, and then, like every other pitcher, Chen will have to make more adjustments.

But if the Orioles keep this up- unlike so many of the previous years where they have teased the world with hot starts- the people who may need to adjust are the rest of the AL East, which somehow now finds itself even stronger.

Correct Predictions in History: Retractable Roofs

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In the past week (the first in the Continuum’s history), I’ve brought predictions of yesteryear about how Kiko Garcia was going to be the Orioles’ shortstop of the ’80s and how bizarre the 2044 baseball season would be. So, to balance out the books a bit, here’s a article from the July 1945 issue of Baseball Digest:

Yes, friends, not only did Fred Russell of the Nashville Banner think that one day baseball defeat the “weather angle”, he thought that it would be possible to do it with a retractable roof. While Russell’s “apparatus” (as you can read about if you head to the Google Books link) is one of canvas (similar to how the Roman Colosseum had canvas to shade some of it’s seats centuries ago), he is more or less correct in his prediction that ball stadiums would be built to hold games despite the weather. However, he was wrong in how long it would take: it wouldn’t be until 1989 that a baseball team played in a stadium with a fully functional retractable roof (Toronto), although the Expos’ tried in Olympic Stadium (the “retractable” part of it never worked).

Why baseball is the best sport to follow on a day-by-day basis

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Baseball’s long season is one of it’s greatest strengths and one of it’s greatest weaknesses. While football long ago has been able to surpass baseball in casual followers thanks to the fact you only have to pay attention two or three days a week, baseball is a day-by-day grind. This also leads to some… interesting things happening.
Take yesterday, for example:

-Brett Lawrie threw his helmet towards umpire Bill Miller and got him on the bounce, for which he will almost certainly be suspended.

-Stephen Strasburg somehow got Icy-Hot in his jock strap. My guess: somebody was trying to haze a rookie and grabbed the wrong jock strap.

-There was the whole thing with David Wright getting pulled so that he wouldn’t get hit as part of the unwritten rules.

-The Angels fired hitting coach Mickey Hatcher.

-The Orioles beat the Yankees and remain tied for first place. Although as a article yesterday at Grantland points out, they’ve been teasing everyone basically the whole decade.

-Josh Beckett, for one day at least, silenced the boo-birds.

And it is like that, day after day, week after week, month after month, from April to October. There is always something happening. Sometimes those somethings are trivial, some times they are important, but they always are happening.