Tigers game had a graphic related to Trammell and the '76 draft class. 1976 has the most HOFers of any draft class (five), though I don't think Morris deserves to be in. A lot of players were drafted before these guys: Trammell, round 2 Rickey, round 4 Morris, round 5 Ozzie, round 7 Boggs, round 7
On January 5, 1920, the Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for $125,000 cash and $300,000 in a personal loan to Red Sox owner Harry Frazee. The Yankees agreed to pick up Ruth’s $10,000 a year contract, but when Ruth found out about the $125/300, he threatened to hold out unless he got a raise. He got a raise, doubling to $20,000 and tying him with Ty Cobb as the highest paid player in baseball. Ruth had set the single season home run record in 1919 with 29. In 1920 with the Yankees, he hit 54. George Sisler was second in 1920 with 19. In 1921, Ruth hit 59 and the next closest total was 24. The 1920 total was still in the dead ball era.
Frazee is buried in the same cemetery as Col. Jacob Ruppert, the man who he sold Babe Ruth to. Lou Gehrig is also interred in the same cemetery.
On January 14, 1976, Ted Turner bought the Atlanta Braves for $12 million. Turner acquired broadcast rights three years earlier. On December 17, 1976, the FCC allowed Turner to broadcast his WTCG Channel 17 via satellite and the Braves went national on cable packages across the country. He changed the name to WTBN in 1978. During a 16 game losing streak in 1977, Turner named himself manager of the Braves, becoming the first owner/manager since Connie Mack. That lasted one game, before Major League Baseball probhiter him from managing another game.
This article was made possible by research collections at #UofSC Spoiler Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig kind of look like total phonies in new batting-practice video By Jake Mintz @CespedesBBQ January 16, 2019 at 2:17pm Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig changed baseball. Throughout the 1920s and '30s, the Yankee teammates showed the world just how cool and valuable home runs could be, absolutely obliterating American League pitching along the way. In fact, between 1925 and 1934, Ruth and Gehrig were responsible for 13.4% of all American League taters. All things considered, there's no doubt that Ruth and Gehrig were two of the greatest hitters who ever lived. There's always been a debate over whether top players from that foregone era would compete in today's fast-paced game -- just this offseason, free-agent pitcher Adam Ottavino made waves by claiming that he could no doubt strike out Ruth.And now, new footage posted to YouTube last night via the Moving Image Research Collections at the University of South Carolina reaffirms the opinion that old legends like Ruth and Gehrig wouldn't sniff the bigs nowadays. Now before you get all hot and bothered over my Yankee slander, watch the video again and seriously tell me Ruth's cockamamie swing mechanics would enable him to hit a 98-mph heater. Granted it's only batting practice, when players rarely go 100%, but it's still evident that a bunch of Ruth's power came from his Happy Gilmore-style weight transfer.There's a reason no one in the Majors today swings like this. Gehrig's hack is a little better, but his absurdly low, J.J. Hardy-type hand placement would make him crazy vulnerable to inside fastballs. Not to mention his bat path is basically parallel to the ground, something that definitely wouldn't fly in today's uppercut-happy game. This video further proves the fact that these two legends, while undeniably transcendent in their time, would be good Double-A hitters at best if they played today. On the other hand, there's Hall of Famer Walter Johnson. That's a dude who could dominate modern hitters in Andrew Miller style, multi-inning relief role. No doubt about it. Jake Mintz is the louder half of the Cespedes Family BBQ. Despite a torn UCL in his right elbow, he still finds a way to tweet excessively during baseball games. https://www.mlb.com/cut4/babe-ruth-and-lou-gehrig-batting-practice-video/c-302776288
People also need to take in account if those same guys had access to modern day travel, nutrition, S&C and technology they likely adapt. I like to compare people against their peers and those guys were dominant. The sport and athletes evolve so it's hard or me to critique guys who played 100 years ago.
On February 5, 2002, baseball tabled it’s contraction plan to eliminate the Minnesota Twins and Montreal Expos. A Minnesota court ruled that the team would be forced to honor its Metrodome lease. The Twins went on to win the AL Central in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2010.
I was in 9th grade when this came out on PBS. I'd ask my friends at school if they were watching it and I got blank stares from everyone...it was that moment when I realized I liked Baseball more than most people.
I was in college. PBS aired it at the end of September the year the 1994 strike cancelled the season and World Series. I bought it on VHS once I graduated and got a real job. My wife got it for me on DVD for my birthday once VHS became obsolete.
When I lived in Pittsburgh in the early 2000’s, there was still a group of fans who would gather every year at the site of Forbes Field to listen to a recording of 1960 Game 7.
Mazeroski grew up near where I did. He played for a school along the river on the Ohio side, but most of his family moved farther out to the next county in Cadiz, Ohio. Both schools now have their baseball fields named after him. He paid to build the field in Cadiz.
I spent an hour not too long ago just scrolling through that baseball in color Twitter page. Some gold there
On February 25, 1972, the St. Louis Cardinals traded Steve Carlton to the last place Philadelphia Phillies for Rick Wise. Carlton went 20-9 the year before and Wise 17-14. Carlton would win 4 Cy Young awards with the Phillies and become the foundation the team used to build its great late 70’s and early 89’s teams around. I always say Carlton’s 1972 season is the best any pitcher has had for a bad team. The Phillies went 62-94, but Carlton went 27-10 with a 1.92 era.
Great pitcher! It's unfortunate he has to share the Hall with mediocre pitchers like Jack Morris and his 3.90 lifetime ERA. And it's not like Jack had some rough late years that bloated his ERA, he's never had a season of pitching under three, fucking ridiculous #Detroit Tigers
On March 4, 1912, the Brooklyn Dodgers broke ground at Ebbets Field. They played there for 44 years. Dodger Stadium will be 57 years old this season.
On March 30, 1992, the Chicago White Sox traded Sammy Sosa to the Cubs for George Bell. Bell was the 1987 AL MVP, but only played two more seasons before retiring after the trade. Aside from the 1994 strike year, Sosa hit 30 or more home runs from 1993-2004, finishing with 609. The first time I ever saw Sosa on TV, a drunk Harry Carry on WGN stated that if you spell his name backwards, it’s Ymmas Asos.
Watched the Ted Williams documentary on Netflix. Bastardi of a guy, but damn he could hit. He played 19 seasons, but missed 5 full seasons from 1943-45 in WWII and 1952-53 in Korea. On his career, .344 average, 521 HR in cavernous parks. He hit for .406 in 1941, followed it by hitting the triple crown in 1942. He returned in 46 and did not hit less than .342 for four years in a row while leading the league in on base percentage all four years. HE LED THE LEAGUE IN BOTH HITS AND WALKS IN 3 OF THOSE 4 YEARS. He led the league in average 6 times. He led in walks 8 times. Greatest hitter who ever lived.
Bonds will never get the roids stink off him, and it's a shame because that fucker could rake. No reason he had to get all swole up to jack a bunch of bombs like that.
And both have major asterisks... Bonds less so than Ruth IMO since everyone was on roids in the 2000s
Every era has its own pluses and minuses. But I tend to believe Bonds is in a class of his own. Until Trout is done anyway.
Fair. But he also did it without all of the advances in modern nutrition/workouts. That's why I always just compare era to era bc all of these guys played under greatly different circumstances. Hell none of them faced the level of pitching the guys do today.
DiMaggio doesn’t remotely compare. He hit 56, but if he had not played in New York, no one would mention him with Williams aside from 1941. Check the stats. Musial is arguably the most underrated baseball player in history, so I won’t argue there. Fuck Bonds.
We're talking hitters and no Gwynn love? Poor motherfucker had to do it in an era where even pitchers were juicing and throwing harder than ever.
I'm not saying DiMaggio was equal, just that he was in the ballpark. 39 and 40 were just as good as 41. Career .977 OPS, higher than Musial. If you dont argue Musial, not sure how you can argue DiMaggio. Outside of games played, they are almost identical. https://mlbcomparisons.com/stan-musial-vs-joe-dimaggio-comparison/
Tony Gwynn may not have had the power to compete with the best 2 or 3 hitters of all time, but deep diving into his stats is really fun. For instance - Tony Gwynn never struck out against either Greg Maddux or Pedro Martinez in 229 abs against them.