3,000 Ks

Last week we witnessed something in baseball that might not happen only a few times again, if at all. The Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw recorded his career 3,000th strikeout. It wasn’t an easy hill to climb for Kershaw this year. He started the season on the IL, then worked his way back into the Los Angeles rotation a few months ago. The proud lefty is no longer overpowering hitters, but rather using a lot of finesse. Against the White Sox at Dodger Stadium last week, he needed only 3 Ks to reach 3,000. After five innings his line read 92 pitches and just two strikeouts. Manager Dave Roberts decided to give him one more inning to break the record before the sold out, home crowd. On Kershaw’s 100th pitch, Chicago’s Vinny Capra took a Kershaw slider for strike three and Clayton joined the exclusive club. 

Why so exclusive? There have been only 20 pitchers in MLB history who have reached 3,000 career strikeouts. To accomplish the feat, a pitcher needs much longevity. Indeed, Kershaw became only the third pitcher all-time to reach the club with just one team. Walter Johnson and Bob Gibson were the other two. The names include the who’s who of MLB mound stars – Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton, Randy Johnson, and Greg Maddux, just to name a few. Getting into the club is pretty much a sure-fire ticket into the Hall of Fame. 15 of the 20 are already in the HOF, three are still active (Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Kershaw) and not eligible yet, and two, Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling, remain outside the doors.

Kershaw’s career has been truly a remarkable one. The Dodgers selected him seventh overall in the 2006 MLB draft. 2011 marked an early highlight of his career when he won the pitching Triple Crown (wins, ERA, and strikeouts) and was named the NL Cy Young winner. Clayton led all of MLB in ERA four consecutive years (2011-2014). In June 2014, he pitched his only career no-hitter. He captured the NL MVP award that year as well. Kershaw has a career win-loss record of 216-94 and ERA of 2.52, the second lowest ERA among starters in over 100 years. While he did win a world championship in 2020, his struggles in postseason play (4.49 ERA overall) always seem to be a focus. What we don’t always acknowledge is that he is one of the real gems in the game off the field with tons of volunteer efforts.

The Giants’ Justin Verlander has 3,476 strikeouts and counting. You need to blink twice when you see his 2025 win-loss record of 0-7! His career too has been outstanding. Detroit selected him #2 overall in the 2004 MLB draft. Verlander dominated on the mound for the Tigers in his first 12 seasons leading the team to several AL Central championships and two AL pennants (2006 and 2012). After being traded to the Astros, Verlander became a world champion in 2017 as Houston won it all. He was named the ALCS MVP and was one of the co-winners of the Babe Ruth Award in the Series. Verlander’s career win-loss record is 262-153 with an ERA of 3.33. Next stop, Cooperstown!

Also headed to upstate New York five years after his career is Max Scherzer. I have followed his career closely since he was a high school pitcher in Chesterfield, MO, where I spent much of my adult life. He lit up the radar guns then, and certainly has done so throughout his MLB career. Scherzer was the number 11 overall pick in the 2006 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Max has won three Cy Young awards, pitched two no-hitters (both in 2015), and has been on two World Series winners (Nationals in 2019 and Rangers in 2023). In terms of strikeouts, Scherzer pitching for Washington tied the all-time nine inning record of 20 against his former Tigers team in 2016. His career record is 216-112 with 3,423 strikeouts to date. This year with a little health he may be on the mound again in the Series as his Blue Jays team has rallied to take control of the AL East over the past few weeks.

Two current standout pitchers in their mid-thirties, Chris Sale (36) and Gerrit Cole (34), have legitimate shots at getting into the 3,000 Ks club before the end of their careers. The White Sox made Sale the 13th overall pick in 2010. He actually debuted for Chicago that very same season. Sale was an AL All-Star for seven straight seasons (2012-2018) and a 2018 Series winner with the Red Sox. Chris reached 2,000 strikeouts in just 1,626 innings pitched, the fastest ever. His career K record is at 2,528 and moving up quickly as he is having a great season with the Braves. Cole, on the other hand, is stalled at 2,251, finding himself on the IL for his 2025 season with the Yankees. Similar to the Pirates recent phenom, Paul Skenes, Gerrit was selected #1 overall by Pittsburgh. In September 2019, while with the Astros, Cole became the 18th pitcher in MLB history to strike out 300 in a season. Follow both of these two on their journey to 3,000!

The cupboard seems to be bare after that. Innings pitched by star pitchers during a season have gone down dramatically, and as a result, so have the number of strikeouts for the season leaders. Some of it is the number of injuries sustained by pitchers in today’s game. Also part of it is the plethora of 100 mph relievers ready to take over the game from the sixth to the ninth innings. A good example is a game this past week when each of the four Milwaukee flamethrowers who pitched in the game averaged over 99 mph fastballs! Right now the Padres’ Dylan Cease is the under 30 leader in career strikeouts with just 1,133 strikeouts. Cease is 29 years old. When Kershaw turned 30, he already had 2,120. The exclusive 3,000 club demands longevity. We may not see it again. It may be lights out for one of our favorite clubs.

Until the Monday after next,

your Baseball Bench Coach

P.S. Your Coach is taking his own All-Star Break this coming week and will return on July 28.

Ready for the Show

My favorite baseball movie is Bull Durham, the 1988 fictional film of a minor league team, the Durham Bulls, and its players and fans. Indeed, Sports Illustrated has ranked it as the #1 sports movie of all time.  One of the main story lines is the relationship between a longtime minor league catcher, Crash Davis (played by Kevin Costner) and a rookie phenom pitcher, Ebby Calvin LaLoosh (played by Tim Robbins), who is not so affectionately nicknamed by Davis as “Meat”. Meat has major league talent with a terrific fastball, but needs much refinement. Davis talks very fondly of his one shot at the big leagues (‘the 21 greatest days of my life”), and it’s his job to get LaLoosh “Ready for the Show”. After a tough start to the season, the rookie finds his groove mid-season and gets the MLB call-up.

I enjoyed following MLB fireballer pitchers as a little boy in the 1960s. I grew up being a huge fan of Jim Maloney of the Reds, who had a dynamite fastball (recording over 200 strikeouts during several seasons) and threw two no-hitters. Maloney would match up often with the #1s of other teams, such as Marichal (Giants), Jenkins (Cubs), Koufax (Dodgers), and Gibson (Cardinals). Last week during a lazy summer afternoon I settled into the sofa and watched a pitcher’s duel between two of today’s young fireballers, the Pirates’ Paul Skenes and the Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski. Both pitchers consistently were clocked at over 100 mph in the game. While Misiorowski and Milwaukee won this first matchup between the phenoms, 4-0, my guess is that there will be many more duels to come.

Misiorowski attended little known Crowder College for two years before committing to LSU. When Milwaukee drafted him in the second round in 2022, he decided to go pro instead of teaming up with Skenes at LSU. Jacob has been reaching 100 mph with his fastball for a few years in the minors. This season he put his entire repertoire together in Triple-A with the Nashville Sounds, posting a 2.13 ERA. Just over 3 weeks ago, he began his Brewers career in a big way with an MLB record 11-inning hitless streak. Currently, Misiorowski is 3-1 with a 3.20 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 19 innings. He looks to be clearly Ready for the Show. 

Skenes made a big splash onto the national scene in his junior year in college. LSU won the national championship in 2023 with Skenes as the national collegiate pitcher of the year and most outstanding player in the College World Series. Paul was selected first overall by the Pirates and made his way through the Pittsburgh farm system in just one season. Skenes arrived to the Show in May last year and was certainly ready. He was named the starting pitcher for the NL squad at the All-Star Game, only the fifth rookie in MLB history to make the start. In his rookie season last year, Paul had a record of 11-3, 1.96 ERA, and recorded 170 strikeouts and just 32 walks. His overpowering style has continued this year but with little Pittsburgh run support. Incredibly, he has a 1.44 ERA over his last ten starts but only one win to show for it.

The NL Central has two other young, phenom pitchers, the Cubs’ Cade Horton and the Reds’ Chase Burns. In 2022, Chicago selected Horton seventh overall in the MLB draft. Like Skenes, Cade starred in college at a big time program, Oklahoma. Touted as the top pitching prospect in the Cubs system, he started this season at Triple-A Iowa. He didn’t disappoint. With the Iowa Cubs he had a 1.24 ERA in six starts, and soon found himself in the major league rotation. Since Horton was promoted in May, he has a record of 3-2 with 38 strikeouts in 52 innings, including seven shutout innings in his last start. The Cubs are hoping that his dominance on the mound carries well into October.

Burns also blasted onto the national pitching landscape as a dominant pitcher at Tennessee and Wake Forest. Cincinnati made him the second overall pick in 2024. He literally skyrocketed through the Reds system in 2025 – three starts in Single A Dayton; eight appearances at AA Chattanooga; and two starts for AAA Louisville. Less than two weeks ago, Burns made his first major league start in Cincinnati against a tough opponent, the New York Yankees. He became the first pitcher since 1961 to strike out 5 consecutive batters to open his career, including his “favorite one” in the first inning against Aaron Judge. While Burns suffered a setback in his second start, he rebounded yesterday in Philadelphia with a strong outing.

Misiorowski, Skenes, Horton, and Burns. I truly hope there is not a “Wayne Simpson story” for any of them. You see, Simpson made the Reds’ starting rotation as a rookie in 1970. Also a fireballer, he started the season 13-1 and was the only rookie in the 1970 MLB All-Star Game. Based on his pitching motion, many deemed him the next Bob Gibson. In the latter half of the 1970 season, he injured his rotator cuff and truly never recovered. His career win-loss record was 36-31 with a 4.37 ERA. I hope today’s pitching phenoms are not only Ready for the Show, but also able to sustain outstanding careers in major league baseball. 

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

A Maddux

September 7, 1986. I traveled that day to Cincinnati on business and had the good fortune of having the Reds in town that night to play the Cubs. In a reversal of roles, I took my parents to see the game. While I had heard that Chicago was starting a rookie pitcher, I didn’t know much about him. Turns out that it was the first start of Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux’s career. Maddux was just twenty years old. I must admit that I have only faint recollection of the game, but the record books show that the Cubbies won 11-3 and Maddux pitched a complete, 9-inning game, giving up just 3 hits. He would go on to pitch 108 more complete games in his career. This one though was not “a Maddux”.

So what is “a Maddux”? When a pitcher throws a 9-innings or more shutout with fewer than 100 pitches. Baseball writer Jason Lukehart started the statistic in 2012 and it was named after his favorite pitcher for good reason. Greg Maddux accomplished the feat thirteen times in his career, the most ever. It’s a fairly new stat, since actual pitch count data wasn’t available until 1988.  In that year alone, there were 25 times when a pitcher threw one. The only time it was done in extra innings was in 2003 when Roy Halladay had “a Maddux” in a 10-inning game.

The pitching career of Greg Maddux is full of other remarkable records. Among them, he won the Cy Young four years in a row (1992-1995). During those years, his ERA was 1.98. Overall, he touted a 3.16 ERA, a record of 355-227, and had 3,371 strikeouts, one of only ten pitchers in MLB history to have over 300 wins and 300 Ks.  He was truly a Gold Glover on the mound, winning the award the most times of any player in history (18). While he did pitch for the Dodgers and the Padres, his career success of course was with two teams, the Cubs and Braves. His jersey number 31 is retired by both clubs. Interestingly, in his last start in his maiden season (1986) he threw a complete game win over his older brother, Mike, and the Phillies. It happened to be Mike’s rookie season too.

Zane Smith, a lefty who pitched for four teams in 13 seasons (1984-1996), pitched “a Maddux” seven times, the second most ever. Smith is tied with Greg for the most in a single season with three. Zane’s early success was also as a Brave when he led Atlanta with 15 wins in 1987. I remember him mostly when he starred for the Pirates during their 1990 pennant drive. Pittsburgh rode Smith’s left arm down the stretch as he threw three complete game wins in September, including a one-hitter over the division rival Mets.

Complete games of under 100 pitches are a rarity nowadays. Max Fried, now a Yankee after eight seasons also with the Braves, is the leader among active pitchers in throwing “a Maddux” three times. Fried is one of the more dominant pitchers in this era, sporting an overall 83-38 record with an ERA of under 3. Like Maddux, Max is a Gold Glover on the mound, winning the award three consecutive seasons (2020-2022). Last season as a Brave, Fried threw “a Maddux”, one of only two in 2024. This year he has a record of 10-2 with an ERA of 1.92 which just might land him the starting job for the AL All-Stars in a few weeks.

In 2025 we have witnessed “a Maddux” on two occasions. This past Friday the Cardinals’ Sonny Gray threw a one-hit, complete game 5-0 shutout against the Guardians. Gray needed only 89 pitches, the first time since 2021 when “a Maddux” was recorded under 90 pitches. Max Fried hurled that one! The other was in the season’s first week. On April 1, Nathan Eovaldi of the Texas Rangers needed only 99 pitches to beat the Reds 1-0 in a complete game. The fun thing about his opening week performance is that Eovaldi is under the tutelage of the Rangers’ pitching coach, Mike Maddux. After the game, Eovaldi exclaimed, “When I heard it was 99 pitches, I was like (sweet), it’s great to throw a Maddux.”  Mike Maddux joked, “I had a feeling this name would come up.”

When I think of low pitch counts and complete games today, my thoughts turn to the “the Professor”, Kyle Hendriks. He starred for the Cubs for eleven seasons (2014-2024) and now is on the hill for the Angels. Similar to Maddux, Kyle made his MLB debut against the Reds in Cincinnati somewhat late in the season (July). Hendriks finished 2014 with a 7-2 win-loss record and an ERA of 2.46. Hendriks’ most accomplished season has to be 2016, when he went 16-8 with an ERA of 2.13, the lowest in baseball. The Cubbies captured the world title behind his stellar pitching.

Just six seasons ago, on May 3, 2019, Kendriks threw one of the most masterful games ever, an 81 pitch, 4-0 complete game win over the Cardinals, a true “Maddux”.  I happened to be at Wrigley that afternoon with my oldest daughter on a “catch up with each other’s life” outing. We didn’t have much time to chat though, since the game was completed so quickly. Sometimes, “a Maddux” gets in the way.

Until next Monday, 

your Baseball Bench Coach

Picked Off

Late in my Knothole (Little League) career my team acquired another pitcher. Let me call him “Lefty”. I was a little apprehensive about his joining the team at first since it might cut into my innings on the mound. We soon became great friends and teammates. We were a one-two punch; he was lefthanded and I was righthanded. Often, we would each pitch 3-4 innings in a game which would put our opponents on their heels. Lefty was more of a power pitcher; my out pitch was a curveball. Lefty though had one big advantage over me. He had a tremendous pick off move, something that many lefthanded pitchers love to exploit. 

From a pitcher’s perspective, there are several reasons to execute a pickoff attempt. The obvious one is to actually pick off the baserunner and record an out. That’s not always so easy, especially with alert baserunners. Sometimes, the reputation of having a good pickoff throw holds the baserunner closer to the bag and prevents a steal attempt. In situations late in games when the offense may be attempting a bunt, it’s often good for a pitcher to attempt a pickoff to see if the batter will show his hand by squaring for a bunt. And then there’s the old delay tactic, a signal from the dugout to try a pickoff to buy more time for a reliever to warm up.

The big advantage lefthanded pitchers have is in the mechanics. With a runner on first, a righthanded pitcher must first step with his left, non-pivot foot toward the base.  A lefty can make the attempt as part of his regular pitching motion, and simply needs to be careful not to cross his right leg beyond his left one. It can be really deceptive. With a runner on second base, the mechanics are not so different for right and lefthanded pitchers. You can either use a “spin move”, where you spin 180 degrees toward second, or an “inside move” where you try and mimic your normal leg kick to the plate. With runners on first and third base, righties with moderate success used to step off the rubber, fake a throw to third, and then peg a throw to first. MLB made that technique illegal about ten years ago.

Pickoff records are kind of imprecise since they are not an official, MLB statistic. Historically, box scores did not make a distinction between being picked off and caught stealing. A more reknown “Lefty” is hall of famer Steve Carlton, who leads MLB with 145 career pickoffs during his 23-year career. Carlton’s overall stats include a 329-244 win-loss record, an ERA of 3.22, and 4,136 strikeouts. He was a ten-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion. In addition to his career wins and strikeouts at the top of the MLB all-time leaders, Steve was the first pitcher to win four Cy Young awards. One last record to go along with his career pickoffs is that Carlton committed the most career balks of any pitcher with 90. Sometimes that lefty deception went a little too far.

There have been other top lefthanded MLB pitchers quite good with the pickoff move. Andy Pettitte, who spent his 16-year career on the hill mostly with the Yankees, is an example. Pettitte won five World Series as a New Yorker and is MLB’s all-time postseason leader with 19 wins. He had an excellent pickoff move, recording 101 of them in his stellar career. Another includes Mark Buehrle, who starred on the mound for the Chicago White Sox.

Two active MLB lefties are also noteworthy. Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers, who many consider one of the greatest of all time, has an unbelievable 214-94 record with a 2.51 ERA, and is the on the verge of topping the 3,000 strikeout mark. His pickoff move is widely regarded as one of the best in the game. A somewhat lesser known star, Max Fried, is now pitching for the Yankees after eight years with the Braves. His record is sterling at 82-38, and a lot of the reason for it is his Gold Gloves on the mound (three so far), including his control of baserunners and exceptional pickoff move. Don’t stray too far with Max on the rubber!

Matthew Boyd of the Cubs and his remarkable pickoff move may hold one of the keys to Chicago’s success this season. With the starting staff decimated by the season-ending injury to Justin Steele and seven-week absence of Shota Imanaga, Boyd and Jamison Taillon have been asked to shoulder the load. Boyd’s first half finds him at 6-3 with a 2.84 ERA. In his second to last start, he picked off a baserunner for the third straight game and has done so already six times in 2025! According to Boyd, he developed his move at age 9 when he was at a baseball camp. His instructor at  the time apparently joked “if you don’t like someone, you hit him and then pick him off”. The HBP is not in Boyd’s repertoire at the big league level. 

Picking off a baserunner has become harder with the new MLB rules. Pitchers are only allowed two pickoff attempts per plate appearance before a balk is called. With unlimited pickoff attempts, pitchers used to have the ability to disrupt a baserunner’s timing by showing different moves. Today, the limit on attempts includes “disengagements”, for example, simply stepping off the rubber. With the advent of the pitch clock, a baserunner can see how much time a pitcher has left to throw to the plate or to the base. Holding a baserunner by not going into a throwing motion is indeed impacted as well.

My friend Lefty and I saw each other at a team gathering a few years ago and reminisced about our pitching days together. Lefty went on to play in college. He was an accomplished hitter too. He told me about an embarrassing moment during his freshman year. You see, he led off an inning by lining a base hit into the  gap in right center field. An upperclassman shortstop on the opposing team signaled for him to slow down since it had been ruled a ground rule double. In fact, there had been no such call. As Lefty nonchalantly stepped toward the bag, the shortstop applied the tag. Lefty was picked off. Sometimes, even the best ones are.  

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Base on Balls

If you’ve ever attended a youth baseball or softball game, I’m sure you have heard this expression, “a walk is as good as a hit”. While that is not always the case, a batter leading off an inning with a base on balls is as important to the team as his lining a base hit to centerfield. And nowadays, drawing that walk adds to the critical pitch count of the opposing pitcher. I remember my Dad telling me years ago when I was first learning how to keep score that I had the option of using “W” or “BB” on my scorecard. I told him that Pete Rose runs to first so why would I call it a walk. He smiled; it’s been a base on balls (“BB”) for me ever since.

In the early days of  baseball, there was no such thing as a “ball”. Pitchers were instructed to make sure the batters hit the baseball. Since pitchers didn’t always comply, organized baseball soon began to penalize a pitcher for throwing three unhittable pitches and deemed it a ball. A pitcher was allowed only three “balls” per batter.  In effect, it would take nine errant pitches to advance the batter to first base. By 1880 eight unfair pitches became a base on balls, and in 1884 six were required. It wasn’t until 1887 when the National League and its companion league, the American Association, actually agreed to a strike zone. In 1889, baseball finally mandated that four balls outside the strike zone would constitute a walk.

How many times do you find yourself grimacing when your favorite team’s pitcher walks a leadoff batter to begin an inning?! Statistics bear out the importance of it. A key metric in “The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball”, authored by three baseball historians, is “run expectancy”. The metric looks at the 24 possible baserunner/out scenarios, for example, bases empty with no outs. In that case, a team has a 46.1% chance of scoring a run in any given inning. When the leadoff batter walks, the run expectancy jumps to 83.1% and the anguish for the fielding team begins.

The success of a pitcher is often based on his strikeout to walks ratio, the higher the better. One of today’s superstar pitchers, Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers, is a huge example. Skubal debuted with the Tigers in 2020 and last year had a season to remember. In an early May game against the Yankees, he became the first Detroit pitcher in over 100 years to strike out more than 12 batters and give up not one base on balls. His 2024 record was sterling, an 18-4 record, 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts, earning him the AL Cy Young award. This year he’s been even better. In ten consecutive starts, he compiled 89 strikeouts to just three walks, the first MLB pitcher ever to do that. He currently has a 14.14 to 1 strikeouts-to-walks ratio. You need to see him pitch to believe it. 

Jacob deGrom, who now pitches for the Texas Rangers, still maintains the highest career strikeouts-to-walks ratio, at 5.3538. DeGrom pitched for nine seasons (2014-2022) with the Mets before joining the Rangers.  He was an overnight success in 2014, winning the NL Rookie of the Year. This 4-time All-Star has led the National League in strikeouts (2018 and 2020) and won the NL Cy Young award in 2019. Often injury riddled, his career record is 90-59 with an ERA of 2.50.  At the end of last season, he had the second lowest earned run average for pitchers with 1,000+ innings in the modern era. Jacob has been lights out this year as well. In his last ten starts, he has not allowed more than two runs, notching a 1.81 ERA during that span. His manager Bruce Bochy said this after a recent outing: “I’m a fan. I love watching him and what he can do with not just the stuff, but the command and his pitchability.” Control matters.

From a hitter’s perspective, success used to be measured simply by batting average, HRs, and RBIs, the latter two of course depending on the number of at-bats so far in any given season. It was a stat line that was easy for baseball fans to follow. If you read an article about any of today’s hitters, it all comes down to a player’s “slash line”. Slash line is batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage. The first two may be easily understood by the baseball novice, but slugging percentage needs an explanation. Slugging percentage measures a batter’s power by dividing total bases (for example, you get two bases for a double) by at-bats. 

For me, the focus should be on-base percentage (OBP), which is the ratio of a batter’s times on base (hits, bases on balls, hit by pitch, but not reaching by an error) to at-bats. At-bats in this context does include official at-bats as well as well bases on balls, hit by pitch, and sacrifice flies. The point is that good batters are not always ones just slugging the baseball but also those who coax the base on balls for the good of the team. While OBP did not officially become an MLB statistic until 1984, the late Ted Williams, the Red Sox hitter thought of as the best of all time, has the highest career OBP with more than 3,000 plate appearances at .482. Williams led the AL in OBP for 12 seasons. Barry Bonds of Giants’ fame led the NL ten times.  Currently, the Yankees Aaron Judge leads the 2025 season with a remarkable .493 OBP.

The scorecards we keep turn into box scores of a game, my favorite page in a newspaper by far. I must admit that I’m even more careful now in reviewing a box score for a game. You see, I no longer just check on how many hits a batter gets in a game or how many runs a pitcher gives up. I need to dig a little deeper. I want to know how many times a batter got on base and how many bases on balls a pitcher had.  Those are the stats that really matter! 

Until next Monday, 

your Baseball Bench Coach

Innings Eaters

I’m sure all of us at some point in our lives have heard this from a parent or coach, “you can’t win all of the time”. Multiply that by 162 games for MLB teams. The late Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda summed it up the best: “No matter how good you are, you’re going to lose one-third of your games. No matter how bad you are, you’re going to win one-third of your games. It’s the other third that makes the difference.” While it’s clear that he did not envision the last two seasons of the White Sox and Rockies, the point is that there are so many times during a season when an MLB manager decides that the other team will most probably win the game and it’s best to use a pitcher that will give the team innings. Every team needs innings eaters who allow the manager to save the top relievers for the next game.

An innings eater is a pitcher who is known for pitching a large number of innings in a game or season. Typically, they maintain a low pitch count and allow batters to put the ball in play, rather than rely on strikeouts. Historically, each team had a “long reliever”, someone who could come in during the first three innings of a game to relieve a starter who just didn’t have his stuff. Most of them were previous starters who lost their effectiveness over time and accepted a new role to help the team get through the season. In post-season play where a rotation of the four best starters is common, teams often keep their fifth starter on the roster to serve in this innings-eater role. A new concept nowadays is to protect your fifth starter by using an opener, a relief pitcher who begins the game and pitches just one inning against your opponent’s best hitters at the top of the lineup.

Edwin Jackson, who played for 14 MLB teams in his 17-year career (2003-2019), is the most notorious innings eater. Jackson pitched for more teams than any player in MLB history. His all-time stats include a 107-133 record with a 4.78 ERA. While his highlights include an All-Star appearance in 2009 and a no-hitter in 2010, most of his time was spent as a fourth or fifth starter going from team to team. Jackson parlayed a solid season with the Nationals in 2012 when he was 10-11 with a 4.03 ERA to a 4-year, $52 million contract with the Cubs beginning in 2013! In April of his first season with Chicago, he, along with another Cubs pitcher, broke the record for wild pitches in an inning with five. His 2013 record was 8-18, followed by a 6-15 2014 record, and in 2015 he became the Cubs’ long reliever. Jackson finished his career in 2019 with stints with the Blue Jays and Tigers.

A more successful innings eater was Jamie Moyer, whose 25-year career (1986-2012) spanned eight MLB teams. Moyer was a soft tosser, a lefty that didn’t throw that hard but kept hitters off balance with an assortment of pitches. His best seasons were with the Mariners, as he compiled records of 17-5, 15-9, and 14-8 in 1997, 1998, and 1999.  Jamie was 269-209 lifetime. Moyer’s longevity was a testament to his pitching style. In April 2012, he became the oldest pitcher, at 49 years old, to win an MLB game. At the time he retired, he had faced about 9% of all MLB hitters to have played the game in the modern era. Bottom line, Moyer gave his managers tons of innings and wins.

Today’s innings eater has to be Jordan Lyles, who has pitched for nine MLB teams in fourteen seasons (2011-2024). Lyle’s career stats so far are on the dismal side, 72-107 with a 5.22 ERA, the fourth highest ERA of any pitcher in MLB history with at least 1,000 innings on the mound. Yet, MLB teams keep signing him and giving him the baseball year after year. He stays off the IL, gives managers innings, and takes the ball whenever called upon.  It’s not a bad gig. After signing a 2-year contract for $17 million with the Royals, he had a tough season in 2023 with a 6-17 record and a 6.28 ERA record in 31 games. Not exactly the kind of performance you want out of your fifth starter. Lyles is currently a free agent.

This past week, another current innings eater, Charlie Morton of the Orioles, pitched his Baltimore squad to a 3-2 win over the White Sox. Morton is now 6-0 lifetime over the Sox, recording an ERA of 1.70 and 35 strikeouts. Five of those wins are with different teams! Morton has always been that steady back of the rotation starter, a 138-130 record with a 4.08 ERA. Morton also has pitched for several teams (Braves, Pirates, Phillies, Astros, Rays, and Orioles) in 18 seasons. His best two seasons were in 2017 and 2018 with Houston, compiling records of 14-7 and 15-3. That kind of success helped him garner some pretty lucrative contracts over the past six seasons. Just give him the ball! 

Reds pitcher Brent Suter looks to be on the way to be an innings eater. His current role on the team is to be Cincinnati’s long reliever and spot starter. So far, so good this season, as he has a 1-0 record with a 2.43 ERA. The Reds are Suter’s third team, pitching previously with the Brewers and Rockies. It’s a coming home party for Brent since he played high school baseball in Cincinnati before an outstanding college career at Harvard. Like many of the innings eaters mentioned above, Suter adds a dimension of leadership to the team with a willingness to accept any role on the pitching staff.

I’ve been an innings eater, too! You see, in high school one summer I pitched for a team that had a pretty grueling schedule and not quite enough pitchers to get us through the games. We played every Thursday and Friday evening, a doubleheader on Saturday, and a Sunday afternoon game to boot. Oftentimes, I pitched the Thursday game and was brought back to start the Sunday matinee. I have this not so fond memory of getting pounded on one of those Sunday afternoons, losing 8-1 in the fifth inning, when my manager strolled to the mound. He told me to look to the sideline to see who was warming up. I did, and there was no one there. He then patted me on the back and simply said, “it’s your game”.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Sent Down

This spring I visited all of the Cactus League ballparks. As one of my friends loves to say about my tour of the spring training sites, “he was like a kid in a candy store”.  I truly was. One of the many highlights was a trip to Tempe Diablo Stadium to see the Reds and Angels. I had my choice of seats down the third base line outside of the Cincinnati dugout. When Reds outfielder Will Benson caught the third out of the first inning, he trotted off the field and flipped the ball right to me. I made the catch, checked again that there were no kids near me, and decided to keep the souvenir for myself. I indeed felt like a kid again. But I also felt this sudden connection to Benson, rooting for his success. 

When the Reds broke camp this spring, Benson was sent down to Triple-A.  He had been on a big league roster since 2022, but last year he had a down year, batting only .187 and striking out 40% of the time. Maybe it was time for a little wake up call, and Benson made the most of his time in Louisville tearing up the Interleague League. Benson was called up to Cincinnnati on May 9, and just a week later was named the National League Player of the Week. Beginning the week of May 15, Benson hit .526 with 5 home runs and 10 RBIs.

Pete Crow-Armstrong, who should this week be named NL Player of the Month for May, is also a sent down success story. Many Cubs fans questioned the 2021 trade that sent Javier Baez to the Mets for a minor league outfielder, now known by everyone as simply, “PCA”. PCA made his MLB debut in September, 2023, and started slowly at the plate. In spring training 2024 he batted just .138, so the Cubs optioned him to Triple-A Iowa to begin the season. When Cody Bellinger was injured, PCA returned and in a big way. In his rookie season, he hit 10 HRs, stole 27 bases, knocked in 47 runs, and dazzled the Wrigley crowd with sensational outfield play and baserunning instincts. So far this season, PCA is putting up MVP-type numbers. Recently, PCA became just the third MLB player all-time to have 14 HRs, 14 stolen bases, and 45 RBIs through his first 51 games. He may be the most exciting player in the game today.

There are stories aplenty of MLB stars needing a demotion to the minor leagues to reset their stardom. HOF pitcher Roy Halladay, who pitched for the Blue Jays and Phillies (1998-2013), is one of them. Toronto selected “Doc” in the first round of MLB’s 1995 draft. He debuted with the club in 1998 and came close to throwing a no-hitter in his second start. In 2000, he struggled out of the gate and was actually demoted to the low minor leagues to rework his delivery. He certainly succeeded in that – an 8-time All-Star and 2-time Cy Young winner (2003 AL and 2010 NL). His crowning achievements both occurred in 2010,  a perfect game in the regular season and a no-hitter in the postseason. 

Another Blue Jays pitcher in that era, Chris Carpenter, who worked the hill for Toronto and St. Louis (1997-2012), has a similar story. At the age of 22, he debuted in May 1997 with the Jays but was rocked in his first start against the Twins, losing 12-2. Two starts later his first season looked even more shaky as he had a 12.71 ERA and an 0-2 record. Carpenter was sent to Syracuse where he dominated AAA-ball for a two-month stint. After returning to the big league club in late July, there was no looking back. Carpenter, whose stardom was mostly in his nine seasons with the Cardinals, was a 3-time All-Star, Cy Young winner, and two-time Sporting News National League Pitcher of the Year. As a Cardinal, he had a lifetime .683 winning percentage on the mound.

As to today’s stars, the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber comes to mind. Schwarber also was a first-round MLB selection (2014 by the Cubs). He had a magnificent rookie season in 2015, including a memorable HR at Wrigley against the Cardinals in the NL playoffs. He spent the entire 2016 season on the DL, but returned in the World Series as a designated hitter against the Indians. Kyle is the only player in MLB history to get his first hit of the season in the Series. His 2017 season started off slowly at the plate. In late June when he was demoted to Triple-A Iowa, he had the lowest batting average in the major leagues. After the All-Star break, he returned to the Cubs and busted out again, hitting .290 with a .954 OPS in September. “Schwarbs” is one of the most feared power hitters in today’s game.

Another first-round selection of the Cubs (2023), current third baseman Matt Shaw, experienced the sent down feeling just this season. Shaw tore up AA (Tennessee Smokies) and AAA (Iowa Cubs) last season, in fact winning the Southern League’s MVP award. The Cubs took Shaw to Japan in March to open as their third baseman. Unfortunately, Matt had a slow start and was sent down to Iowa in April.  In mid-May Shaw returned to the Cubbies and went 5 for 11 with 2 runs, 2 RBIs and 2 steals in his first series back. On Tuesday this past week he captured a walk-off hit in a win against the Rockies.

I must admit that I have a special incentive to see Shaw succeed. You see, I took my older grandson to the Cubs Convention this past January in Chicago. Like any 9-year old boy, his goal was to obtain as many autographs as possible. The autograph lines were long and winding. I happened to see Matt sitting at a small booth in the souvenir area with just a handful of fans around him. I knew exactly who it was and told my grandson that this autograph might be one of his best ever. After having Matt sign a baseball, take some photos, and chat with us for a few minutes, my grandson was beaming.  I hope Shaw proves my grandson’s Papa right. 

Until next Monday, 

your Baseball Bench Coach

Rivalry Weekend

College football introduced “Rivalry Weekend” decades ago, a slate of games that features “The Game” between Ohio State and Michigan. Since MLB introduced interleague play in 1997, baseball now has a Rivalry Weekend as well. Last weekend (May 16-18), we were treated to some storied matchups and a few, somewhat contrived. Let’s take a look at the best of them:

Subway Series (Mets vs. Yankees).  The origin of the NYC rivalries goes back to the days of the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, and New York Yankees. When the two NL teams moved to LA and San Francisco in 1958, the Yankees reigned. The expansion Mets arrived in 1962, and the “Mayor’s Trophy Game”, an in-season exhibition game, was played by the teams until the early 1980s. In 2000, the first Subway Series in the World Series since 1956 (when the Yankees played the Dodgers) captured the Big Apple. While the Yanks defeated the Mets in five games, it was not without some intrigue, including a bench-clearing incident in Game 2. Today, both teams are near the top of their respective leagues in the won-loss column. We could see a rematch in 2025. A week ago, the Yankees took the three-game set 2 games to 1, and remain in control of the all-time series, 86-68.

Crosstown Classic (Cubs vs. White Sox). This inter-city series has gone by a lot of names. My preference is North Siders vs. South Siders. The teams have met in the World Series only one time, in 1906, won by the White Sox “Hitless Wonders” in six games. In 1985, the teams began an annual “Windy City Classic” exhibition game. The most famous exhibition game was played at Wrigley in 1994, when the White Sox invited Michael Jordan from its AA-affiliate Birmingham Barons team to join the fun. It is truly a heated rivalry, featuring fisticuffs and a brawl in 2006. A week ago, the Cubbies swept the Sox in ugly fashion and now lead the all-time series, 76-75. Pope Leo XIV need not worry about a potential conflict this year. While the Cubs have their sights set on the 2025 World Series, the South Siders have no such expectations.

Freeway Series (Dodgers vs. Angels). The first series between the teams began as exhibition contests in 1962. While the teams of course are matched as rivals now with the advent of interleague play, the exhibition series is still intact. Each season between the end of the Cactus League and Opening Day, the teams play in their respective ballparks in LA and Anaheim. For the Angels, the biggest issue has always been what to name them. The Dodgers have tried to block a simple reference to Los Angeles. So the Angels have been the California Angels, Anaheim Angels, and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The 2002 World Series is thought of as the Angels ultimate revenge when they faced off against the Dodgers’ bitter rivals, the Giants. The Angels won their first and only world championship. The Angels lead the regular season series, 78-73, coming off their recent 3-game sweep.

Bay Bridge Series (Giants vs. Athletics).  This series has certainly lost its luster with the Athletics move to Sacramento and ultimately to Vegas. Interestingly, it’s been always thought of as a friendly one even though both teams resided in the same metropolitan area. If you would ask baseball fans in the Bay Area about their MLB rooting interest, you might often get the response that they like both teams. The 1989 World Series was the first and only time the teams met in championship play. Yet, what happened on the playing surface, a sweep by the Athletics, was of lesser importance than seeing how the community came together in the aftermath of the October 17, 1989, earthquake. The Series was suspended and resumed 10 days later. Most recently, the Giants got a sweep of their own which tightened the all-time series at Athletics 76 wins, SF 75.

I-70 Series (Cardinals vs. Royals). About 240 miles separate these two teams and cities in Missouri. St. Louis has dominated the interleague play between them, leading 78-53.  Both teams have peaked at different times throughout the past six decades. The collision of championship play was influenced by manager Whitey Herzog’s style of play. Herzog led the AL Royals through some glory years in the late 1970s, then took control of the Cardinals in the early 1980s building an NL top team. In the 1985 World Series, Whitey’s former and current teams met with Kansas City winning in seven games. The Series was not without its controversy, as first base umpire Don Denkinger missed a crucial call in Game 6. St. Louis won the first rivalry series this year, 2 games to 1.

Battle of Ohio (Reds vs. Guardians). This is another matchup of MLB teams at two ends of a state. Both teams have a long, storied MLB history. Indeed, one can trace the first game between the two franchises to July 2, 1869, when the Cincinnati Red Stockings defeated Forest City, a team in Cleveland. A more recent meeting between the two squads was in 1989 with a pre-season exhibition game played in Columbus, the mid-state capitol. Nowadays, the teams face off in the spring Cactus League, and of course meet in two series during the regular season in interleague play. Cleveland leads the all-time series, 76-62. The Reds swept the Guardians a week ago in Cincinnati.

Lone Star Series (Rangers vs. Astros).  I’m pushing the envelope a bit putting this one into the same category as the interleague rivalries above. Yes, any sporting event pitting the Dallas/Ft. Worth area against Houston is a big one in Texas. And oh, by the way, these teams used to be interleague rivals until the Astros moved from the National League to the American League in 2012. But really this is a division rivalry that was placed into Rivalry Weekend. The Astros won a tight series a week ago in taking the weekend matchup 2 games to 1.  Get this though, the Rangers maintain the slimmest of leads in the all-time series, 145-144. That’s competitive!

Beltway Series (Orioles vs. Nationals). You need a map of the United States to figure out the origin of this rivalry named after the beltway highways in the Baltimore and D.C. areas. The St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore in 1952 to become the Orioles. With the AL Senators already in the area, MLB soon approved a move by the Senators to Minnesota to become the Twins. When a replacement franchise, called the Senators, also failed, the team was moved to Arlington, Texas, to become the Rangers. It wasn’t until 2005, when the Expos left Montreal to become the Washington Nationals, that the beltway area had two MLB teams again. The interleague series is relatively new with the Orioles leading 64-55. This is despite the fact that the Nationals swept the Orioles recently, leading to the firing of O’s skipper, Brandon Hyde.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Çoach

Lost Art

My daughter pitched and my niece caught for the 2001 Ellisville Reds. We were deadlocked at 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning and facing a very good pitcher. My niece stepped to the plate with two outs and a runner on second base. Standing in the third base coaching box, I decided to take a risk and give my niece the bunt sign. She was an exceptional bunter, and I thought maybe we might score the winning run on an errant throw to first base. First pitch, foul bunt. Still bunt sign on. Second pitch, another foul. I flashed the bunt sign again, my niece looked twice to make sure, and she stepped back into the batter’s box. She put down the perfect bunt, and the third baseman threw the softball wildly past first. Reds win, Reds win!

What my niece demonstrated in that game years ago was the lost art of bunting. The technique she learned was pretty simple – position yourself up in the box so that you can catch the ball in front of home plate; when the pitch is thrown move your opposite leg slightly forward and place your hands apart with the bottom hand near the handle and the top hand in the middle of the barrel of the bat; and keep the bat parallel so you can easily deaden the ball upon impact. Sounds good, right, but have you watched MLB batters attempt to bunt recently? It is clearly the lost art at the major league level.

With the advent of the DH rule and pitchers no longer used at the plate to sacrifice, bunting is uncommon nowadays. Bunting for base hits is also clearly not the norm. The game has changed so much strategy wise. Not many teams play for just one run but rather rely on the home run ball. The statistics tell the story. In 2002, there were 772 bunt hits during the MLB season, about 2% of all hits. Last year it was less than 1%. When the movie Moneyball came out in 2011, Brad Pitt, starring in the role of Oakland’s general manager Billy Beane, famously responded to a player asking about bunting when the third baseman is back with “No bunting whatsoever”.  MLB managers listened.

Brett Butler, whose 17-year career spanned six different MLB teams from 1981 to 1997, is widely thought of as the best bunter in modern history. Butler led off for most of his career and played center field. He led the National League in triples and runs scored in two seasons, batted .290 overall, and garnered 2,375 hits. 188 of those hits were bunt hits.  Most notably, Butler reached base on a bunt hit in 50% of his attempts.

Number 4 on the modern day list of top bunters is my second favorite Dodger of all time, Maury Wills (my first is Sandy Koufax). In watching LA in the 1960s, you needed to be a fan of speed and defense. Wills embodied both. In his 14-year career, Maury stole 586 bases (setting the season stealing record at one point with 104 in 1962), batted .281 with 2,134 hits, and won two Gold Gloves at shortstop. Wills was known as a master craftsman of bunting. His 124 career bunt hits were gained with a success rate of 47% attempted bunts.

On the not so great bunter list is current Dodgers manager, Dave Roberts. As an example, in 2004, Roberts attempted to reach base via a bunt 33 times and was only successful in seven of them. In Roberts’ 10-year playing career with five different MLB teams, he batted a modest .266 and stole 243 bases. Roberts’ MLB success, of course, is helming LA for the last ten seasons. The Dodgers won two World Series (2020, 2024) with Roberts on the top step of the dugout. While his teams are known for hitting, pitching, and exceptional defense, they are in the bottom of the league in bunting. Now you know why. 

The rule in MLB extra inning games introduced in 2020, adding a ghost runner at second base at the start of each half inning, adds a new dimension to the lost art of bunting. The issue is whether the first batter should bunt the ghost runner to third. Traditionalists say yes, so that a fly ball or an infield play might advance the runner home. The managers and the statistics say no. The road teams typically play for more than one run, having the leadoff man swing away 90% of the time with a winning percentage of 51%. Home teams swing away less often, 82% of the time. If the game is still tied in the bottom of the inning, home managers though opt to bunt 60% of the time with a winning percentage of 77%. Maybe bunting is on the comeback trail.

Two of my most faithful blog followers were also exceptional bunters in their playing days. They happen to be brothers, and both second basemen on their knothole (Little League) teams. When I told them that my article this week was titled “Lost Art”, they both responded immediately that the topic had to be bunting.  I doubt that many MLB players today would understand the sentiment.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Record Setting

My nephew told me recently that he isn’t always sure whether I’m joking with him. Sometimes my sense of humor doesn’t play well, and I certainly know from whom I inherited the trait. My Dad and I were at a Pirates vs. Reds game at Riverfront Stadium in the 1970s. The matchup back then was known as the Lumber Company vs. Big Red Machine, both teams with a fearsome lineup of sluggers. My Dad leaned over and told me that there was a fight in the Pittsburgh dugout. He explained that the Pirates hitters were scuffling at the bat rack to be first to the plate against the Reds pitching. He then smiled.

I might have been fooled back then, but that same joke today would have zero believability. MLB continues to struggle in the early season with the dearth of players hitting above .300. There is one BIG exception, the Yankees’ Aaron Judge who at week’s end is batting .409, 60 points higher than anyone in the game. Yes, it’s only May, but let the discussion begin on whether we might see a .400 hitter for the first time in over 80 years. (Editor’s Note: I had a similar discussion at the All-Star Break in 2023 about Luiz Arraez who ended the year with a .354 average.) In MLB history, there have been 50 times that a player batted .400 or over for the season, names like Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby who both accomplished the feat three times. The last one though was in 1943 when Josh Gibson of the Homestead Grays in the Negro Leagues hit an incredible .466. 

Until MLB just last year began to include Negro Leagues statistics in its official records, the Red Sox Ted Williams was thought to be the last one. The “Splendid Splinter” won six AL batting championships and two Triple Crowns (leader in batting average, HRs, and RBIs), and finished his career with a .344 batting average. And notably, Ted’s .482 on-base percentage is the highest of all time. Williams’ breaking the .400 mark in 1941 with a .406 average has always though been the focus. My Dad used to tell me that one of the reasons for Williams’ hitting prowess was his great eyesight, and that legend is that he could see the seams of the baseball as it was nearing the plate. Well, I did a little fact check this week. In an article written in 2013, it was reported that Ted Williams met with Senator John McCain before Williams’ passing in 2002, and Ted deemed it a myth.

In my lifetime there have been a handful of MLB hitters who have come close to the .400 mark for the season. In the 1970s, my bet was on Rod Carew of the Minnesota Twins (and in his later years, the Angels). Carew was the best contact hitter of his generation. The perennial All-Star second baseman (18 consecutive years) won seven AL batting titles in his career. Indeed, in 2016 the AL batting title was renamed the “Rod Carew American League Batting Title”.  In 1977, Carew had the year of his career, winning the AL MVP award and batting a career high .388, just shy of the coveted mark. I recall fondly watching him on the NBC Saturday Game of the Week, laying a perfect bunt hit down the third base line and lining a triple into the right field corner in his next at-bat. He was one of a kind. 

A couple of hard-hitting AL third basemen took shots at the record shortly after Carew’s attempt. George Brett played for 21 seasons with the Kansas City Royals (1973-1993).  He is the only player in MLB history to win a batting title in three separate decades, and is one of five players to garner 3,000 hits, 300 home runs, and over a .300 career batting average (.305).  Brett might be best known for charging the home plate umpire after he was ruled out for a pine tar violation in a game against the Yankees.  I like to think of him as that 1980 AL MVP who batted .390, the modern record for third basemen.  In the 1980 season he was above .400 as late as September 19th, before falling short of the mark.

Wade Boggs, another Red Sox star, is the other. Boggs batted .349 in his 1982 rookie season. He then won the AL batting title five out of the next six years.  During that span, he hit below .349 just once, .325 in 1984, and collected over 200 hits each year. In 1988, he struck out less than 5% of his at-bats, an unheard of statistic today. He flirted with the .400 mark much of his career. And get this, Boggs holds the record for all players batting at Fenway Park, with a .368 average, better than Ted Williams.

One of the greatest NL hitters of all time, Tony Gwynn, also stands out. In his 20-year career with the Padres (1982-2001), Gwynn won eight batting titles and maintained a career .338 batting average. He never batted below .309 during a season. Tony came up as more of a spray hitter to the opposite field, but credits a meeting with Ted Williams as a turning point for pulling the ball more and exhibiting more power.  In the strike-shortened season of 1994, Gwynn flirted with .400 most of the campaign before ending the season at .394. So close. 

Aaron Judge seems to be an unlikely candidate to top the .400 mark. Yes, he is a two-time AL MVP winner and thought of as the best player in the American League. But he is known as a power hitter, holding the AL all-time record with 62 HRs in 2022. He faces some obstacles. When Williams hit .406 in 1941, he struck out only 27 times. Judge has already been K’d 38 times this season, around 20% of his at-bats. The crazy stat is that Judge is hitting over .500 when he puts the ball in play, a percentage that seems unlikely to hold for the season. Since Judge has just above average speed, he won’t be legging out many infield hits. It’s worth a watch, but don’t go to DraftKings on a hunch.

Interestingly, there is another Williams’ record to keep an eye on this season. In 1949, he reached base in 84 consecutive games. The streak is 10 games longer than any player before him, and 21 games longer than any player since that era. The streak was not a glitzy one at the time.  In fact, there is not a single newspaper accounting of it. In today’s game though, a player’s on-base percentage (getting on base, whether by a hit, walk, or hit by pitch) is a big focus. At week’s end, the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber has a streak of 46 consecutive games of getting on base dating back to last season. You just never know what record to follow.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Baseball Books

I’ve spent the past two Saturday afternoons in Barnes & Noble stores for my book signings. Bookstores are alive and well. It was fun to meet a variety of folks in all age groups wanting to share with me their favorite baseball stories. A 12-year-old girl approached me with a handful of other books that she was going to purchase. I was proud to add mine to her bundle. What better time than now to provide my Top Ten List of favorite baseball books. On your next visit to a bookstore or your local library, check out:

Ball Four, Jim Bouton. This is the only book that I’ve read 2 ½ times. My first attempt was as a 12-year-old boy myself. I was halfway through when my Dad took it from my bedroom and it was never to be seen again. Why? The book was a controversial, tell all, inside story of MLB baseball. It covers pitcher Jim Bouton’s 1969 season with the Seattle Pilots and Houston Astros. Bouton’s book was deemed scandalous at the time it was released in 1970, detailing womanizing, dirty jokes, and rampant drug use in the game. What you don’t hear from the book’s critics is that the book is one of the most thoughtful portrayals of baseball and its players during that era. The 20th anniversary edition (a new print comes out every 10 years) is on my shelf and I’ve read it twice. You will enjoy it.

Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, Michael Lewis. If you haven’t read the book, you might have seen the even more famous movie starring Brad Pitt as Billy Beane. Beane served as the Oakland Athletics general manager from 1997-2015. He was in a word, revolutionary. The book illustrates how Beane’s approach took a low budget team to the playoffs in 2002 and 2003. He brought sabermetrics and statistical analysis to the game, replacing old school theories. For Beane, it was all about finding players who could add value to winning games. Hitters should be measured by on-base and slugging percentages, not the traditional batting average, RBIs and HRs. Unfortunately for the Athletics in present day, other GMs have caught up and the A’s low budget operation has left them fledgling in Sacramento and soon heading to Vegas.

Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero, David Maraniss. Of course Clemente’s baseball life was remarkable, highlighted by four batting titles and two World Championships (1960 and 1971). This book tells the story of the man Clemente, someone who led his life with great passion for his family, his native Puerto Rico, and his fans. The author summarized Clemente’s life in these words: “His memory is kept alive as a symbol of action and passion, not of reflection and longing. He broke racial and language barriers and achieved greatness and died a hero. That word can be used indiscriminately in the world of sports, but the classic definition is of someone who gives his life in the service of others, and that is exactly what Clemente did.” If you don’t know the story or even if you do, read this account of Clemente’s life.

From Ghetto to Glory: The Story of Bob Gibson, Phil Pepe. The book hit the shelves in 1968 during the height of Gibson’s HOF pitching career. Just like he dominated the pitching mound, he left no holes barred in this story. Critics marveled at his discussion on how to pitch the great hitters in the game (i.e., Mays, Aaron, and Clemente), and then having to face them the next season. Gibson feared no one. You will find other gems in this book, from his humble beginnings in Omaha, Nebraska, to his World Series pitching greatness. I read the book when I was around ten and devoured the section on how to throw a curveball. I took the lesson to the baseball diamonds where it quickly became my out pitch. My three shoulder surgeries to date are constant memories of how much I loved that pitch and this book.

Shoeless Joe, W.P. Kinsella. Perhaps the greatest baseball movie of all time, “Field of Dreams”, is based on this 1982 novel. The novel tells the story of Ray Kinsella, an Iowa farmer, struggling with the memories of his relationship with his late Dad. One day Ray hears a voice, “If you build it, he will come”. Ray begins to build a ballpark. The author explains that a rift between Ray and his Dad was caused by his Dad’s devotion to the 1919 White Sox and their star player, Shoeless Joe Jackson. A 14-year-old Ray challenges that loyalty, telling his Dad that Shoeless Joe was a criminal. Ray and his Dad never played catch again, something Ray very much regrets.  As the new ballpark takes shape, mystical ballplayers begin to appear and play games, first Shoeless Joe and then seven others, all of whom were banned from baseball in the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. You know the story from there. If you loved the movie, you will love this book.

Hank Greenberg: The Hero of Heroes, John Rosengren. The book focuses on baseball in the 1930s and 1940s and the first nationally known Jewish athlete, Hank Greenberg. Greenberg’s baseball exploits were outstanding, leading the Detroit Tigers to AL pennants in 1934 and 1935 and a World Series championship in 1935. The story though is how much he endured anti-Semitism along the way. There are a couple endearing tales of his life, one involving Jewish mothers in the Detroit area attempting to set him up with a life partner. Like other baseball stars in this era, Greenberg’s career was interrupted by service in World War II.  His military days spanned 45 months, the longest of any MLB player. This book is worth a read and some tears.

Calico Joe, John Grisham. Of all of the Grisham bestsellers, this one is the least known.  The story involves a tale through the eyes of a former Little Leaguer who sees his favorite MLB player, Calico Joe Castle, get hit in the head by a fastball. The beanball changes both of their lives. What is interesting about the book is that it threads fact (MLB players) and fiction within the story. You need to bring out your Baseball Almanac to truly separate it all out. I like Grisham books. I loved this one.

Homestand, Will Bardenwerper. I opened my front door recently and found this gem of a book gift from my college roommate. It’s crawling up today’s bestseller lists and I know the reason why. The setting, Batavia, New York, is one that unfortunately many small towns in the U.S. might relate to. In 2020 MLB trimmed down its minor league affiliates to just 120 teams, leaving teams like the Batavia Muckdogs wondering what to do now after 123 years of baseball. Muckdogs ownership embraced the change, and quickly became one of many teams hosting summer leagues for college players. The story has a lot of baseball in it, for sure, but the focus is on the faithful fans who call the ballpark their home. You will see yourself in this story. It’s a piece of Americana.

The Teammates, David Halberstam. Halberstam may be one of your favorite baseball authors with his hit Summer of ’49, but I like this one better. Baseball, like life, is all about relationships. We see in this classic how four great baseball stars and teammates of the Boston Red Sox -- Ted Williams, Dom DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky, and Bobby Doerr – worked together to win an AL pennant in 1949 and forged a friendship throughout life. When Ted Williams appeared  in public for the last time at the 1999 All-Star Game and the players surrounded him with love, I teared. When his three teammates came to his hospital bed in his final days in this book, I wept. This is another wonderful story where baseball is overshadowed by personal perspectives.

Stealing First, Teddy Kremer. I can assure you that this book might not find many Top Ten Baseball Book lists, but it deserves a spot on mine. Teddy has Down Syndrome, and in 2012 his parents won an auction where he could serve as the Reds batboy for one game. On April 18, 2013, he was invited back by the Reds and on that night, Cincinnati pounded seven homeruns. Manager Dusty Baker deemed him the team’s good luck charm, and Teddy quickly found the home dugout to be his home. His relationships with the players are truly touching, especially with Todd Frazier. The book’s title suggests an impossible task, but just one obstacle Teddy has overcome in life. Teddy attended the same high school in Cincinnati as I did. I’m proud to call him a fellow alum.

I hope you might consider another book, the newly published Baseball Bench Coach, to be on your own Top Ten List soon. Enjoy the reading!

Until next Monday, 

your Baseball Bench Coach

Whiteyball

There was no better place in baseball to be in the 1980s than St. Louis, one of MLB’s great baseball towns.  Busch Stadium set records in attendance as fans celebrated the Cardinals winning the NL pennant three times, 1982, 1985, and 1987, and capturing the world championship in 1982. I recall a St. Louis magazine describing the perfect summer night as a Cardinals ballgame followed by a trip to Ted Drewes, famous for its ice cream concretes. I had the good fortune of experiencing a great many of those nights.

Why was Cardinals baseball so fun in that era? Simply put, Whiteyball, named after Cardinals manager, Whitey Herzog. Hired as the St. Louis skipper in 1980, Herzog revolutionized the game with his focus on team speed, defense, base running, and line drive hits. The Redbirds’ home ballpark, of course, was Busch, an artificial surface stadium similar to so many multi-sports use stadiums of that time (i.e., Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh). If your team is going to play in those ballparks, why not design your team’s style of play to make the best use of them? Whitey did just that.

Herzog’s rise to the managerial ranks is much like many of the game’s finest. His playing career spanned eight seasons (1956-1963), during which time he hit a meager 25 home runs as a left-handed hitting outfielder and first baseman. In 1964, he served as a scout for the Athletics and then in 1965 became a coach. Herzog’s career took off when he served as the director of player development for the Amazin’ Mets beginning in 1969. Texas gave him his first managerial position (1973), followed by the Angels (1974), and a very successful period at the helm of the Royals (1975-1979) where his KC team won three consecutive AL West championships.  

As general manager and manager of St. Louis, Herzog pulled off one of the greatest trades in Cardinals history prior to the 1982 season. He landed shortstop Ozzie Smith from the Padres in a six-player swap that sent disgruntled Cardinals shortstop Garry Templeton to San Diego. Smith, known as the “Wizard of Oz”, bedazzled the St. Louis crowds with his acrobatic, defensive play. Winning the NL Gold Glove for 13 consecutive seasons, Ozzie was the cornerstone of Cardinals baseball. Known as a weak hitter early on, he soon became a threat at the plate. I’ll never forget being in a downtown St. Louis office watching Game 5 of the 1985 NLCS with others as Smith hit the game-winning home run. Jack Buck, St. Louis HOF broadcaster, exclaimed, “Go crazy, folks, go crazy” as Ozzie ran the bases with his fists clenched.

Other players were featured on those great Cardinals teams, all serving unique roles in Whiteyball. Outfielder Willie McGee used his speed to the max, climbing outfield walls to steal HRs from opposing players, hitting line drives into the outfield gaps for triples, and stealing bases. McGee won the NL MVP award in 1985. Speaking of base stealing, how about left fielder Vince Coleman, who came to the squad in 1985, won the Rookie of the Year award, and set an all-time record for stealing 100+ bases in each of his first three seasons. The line drives were plentiful, but the HRs, not so much. In 1982, “power hitting” cleanup guy, George Hendrik, led the team with just 19 HRs.

Are we seeing a reemergence of Whiteyball on the MLB landscape in today’s game? Maybe so.  In 2024, mostly due to the ability of pitchers to check runners on the bases just two times, a call for shorter games and more action, and yes, even the enlarged, pizza box bases, MLB stolen bases totaled 3,617. It was the highest since 1915! Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz led the majors with 67 steals, and of course LA superstar Shohei Ohtani recorded the first 50-50 ever, 59 steals and 54 HRs. In the first month of this year, we have witnessed a slight uptick, 1%, of stolen bases over last year’s average. Indeed, the Chicago Cubs, not known for their base stealing prowess, are leading MLB this season with 44 stolen bases at week’s end. 

This past weekend my Baseball Bench Coach book tour rolled into Cincinnati, giving me a chance to reunite with dear friends who were part of my Knothole (Little League) team over 50 years ago. We laughed about being trendsetters out of necessity, since our team too was built on speed, defense, and pitching. This coming weekend the book signing tour pulls into St. Louis with a “Whiteyball” theme top of mind. I hope the train will also make a stop at Ted Drewes for an ice cream concrete, a perfect night indeed! 

Until next Monday, 

your Baseball Bench Coach

On the Fence

In August 1984 I traveled back to my hometown of Cincinnati for a Reds game at Riverfront Stadium. It wasn’t just any game. My childhood hero, Pete Rose, was returning to the Reds as player manager of the team. I remember the standing ovation he received in his first at bat. And why not! Rose, raised in Cincinnati and a local legend, had captained the Big Red Machine in the 1970s and delighted the home crowd with his style of play. I thought then that he would end his career as a Red and be inducted into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot five years later. Little did we know at that time what the future might bring.

Pete Rose passed away on September 30, 2024, at the age of 83. During his baseball career and until the day he died, Rose was a controversial, sports figure whom you either loved or despised. I idolized him as a player. Affectionately nicknamed “Charlie Hustle”, Rose played the game harder than anyone – sprinting to first base on a walk; diving for infield ground balls; crashing into outfield walls; and sliding head first into third base. One of my fondest memories is the interview of Rose by NBC broadcaster Curt Gowdy prior to Game 7 of the 1975 World Series. On the night before, the Red Sox defeated the Reds in heartbreaking fashion, 7-6, in 12 innings to tie the Series. Yet, Rose told Gowdy “that was the greatest game I ever played in”. In Game 7, the Reds staged their own comeback, winning 4-3, as Rose scored the winning run.

Rose in his playing career compiled eye popping numbers – games played (3,562); at-bats (14,053); singles (3,215); and a 44-game hitting streak (3rd longest in MLB history). Baseball fans remember him as the “Hit King”, as he broke Ty Cobb’s all-time hits record (4,191) with an incredible 4,256 hits in his career. How about the awards – 3 World championships; NL MVP (1973); three NL batting titles; two Gold Gloves; and 17 All-Star appearances! And even during his tenure as manager of the Reds (1984-1989), Rose compiled a winning percentage of .525. Post baseball, Rose would often say that the all-time hits record wasn’t his greatest accomplishment, but it was that he played in more winning games than anyone in MLB history.

So why was he so despised by other MLB fans? It was the way he played the game! In the 1970 All-Star Game, he bowled over Cleveland catcher Ray Fosse at home plate to win what many deemed a meaningless, exhibition game. The collision seemed to ruin Fosse’s promising career. Game 3 of the 1973 NLCS between the Mets and Reds featured Rose sliding into New York shortstop Bud Harrelson to break up a double play, leading to a fight between the two and a bench-clearing brawl. I’ll never forget attending a Reds vs. Cubs game in 1978 at Wrigley. Rose, playing third base, leaped into the air to backhand a line drive headed down the left field corner for the third out of the inning. He spiked the ball on the infield grass. The Chicago crowd greeted him with language not to be put in print. Rose was not a fan favorite outside of Cincy.

It's difficult to put into words the attachment that Cincinnatians had with Rose. When he returned home in August 1984 from stints with playing for the Phillies and Expos, game after game he was greeted with chants of “Pete, Pete!” On September 11, 1985, I watched along with the rest of the country on national television when Rose’s hit #4192 safely landed on the outfield turf at Riverfront Stadium. It was a joyous moment as Rose was embraced at first by his son, Pete Jr., and then the entire Reds team.

Pete’s playing career ended during the next season, and then came the gambling, and yes, the lies. In August 1989 a story broke that Rose gambled on baseball games while he played for and managed the Reds. I recall Marty Brenneman, Reds’ longtime radio announcer, defending Rose on the airwaves. I so hoped that Brenneman was correct and the allegations weren’t true. Rose was soon placed on the permanent ineligibility list. In 1991, the Hall of Fame voted to ban players on the permanent ineligibility list from induction. 

Rose wrote a handful of books, waffling on positions about his gambling on sports. Finally, he admitted in 2004 to gambling on baseball, but only as a manager of the Reds and for them to win. ESPN reported later that Rose also bet as a player, but he wouldn’t admit to it. Sports talk shows, columnists, and podcasts have wrestled for years with the discussion on whether Rose’s gambling on baseball should preclude his induction into the Hall of Fame. Rose maintained this his work on the playing field alone should earn him a spot. His defenders point to the numerous inductees whose own lives lacked personal integrity. And in recent years, baseball itself endorses gambling during game broadcasts, at nearby betting parlors, and even on the outfield walls of ballparks. Rose’s critics though point to his committing the ultimate sin – betting on games that he was a part of. 

Throughout the years, I’ve struggled personally on the topic of Rose’s induction. I continued to think about all the joy my baseball hero gave me as a kid. I kept asking myself, why doesn’t Pete just simply admit everything and ask for forgiveness? He never did. Indeed, in an interview with the New York Times just ten days before his passing last September, he maintained his position. Rose mused: “I’ve come to the conclusion – I hope I’m wrong – that I’ll make the Hall of Fame after I die. . . .What good is it going to do me or my fans if they put me in the Hall of Fame couple years after I pass away? What’s the point?”

After his death, the Reds hosted a Visitation in November 2024 at Great American Ballpark. Long lines of beloved fans honored Rose one last time. This year you will see his number, #14, as a jersey patch on the Reds uniforms. Rose’s family, led by his daughter Fawn, is now leading the charge to put Pete Rose into the Hall of Fame posthumously. Reports are that Commissioner Rob Manfred seems receptive to the idea. 

For my 40th birthday, I attended a Reds fantasy baseball camp in Sarasota, Florida. It was one of the most glorious weeks in my life, the chance to play for and against former Reds players. Out of the 72 camp participants, 20 of them, including me, chose #14 as their uniform number. I cherish that uniform still hanging in my closet. If I had the ability to attend camp today, I’m sure I’d select that same number 14. Yet, if I had the privilege to vote for HOF players, I’m just not sure what I’d do. I continue to struggle, teetering on the fence, but leaning toward induction. So tell me readers, in, out, or on the fence?

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach 

P.S. As I was writing this blog post, word came that former Reds second baseman, Tommy Helms, had also just passed away at age 83. Helms was a defensive stalwart, winning two Gold Gloves. He was also the 1966 NL Rookie of the Year. I met Helms at the baseball camp years ago. He was a close friend of Pete’s, in fact he managed the Reds for short times when Rose was suspended in 1988 and banned in 1989. Helms served as Rose’s baseball bench coach.

Torpedo Bats

Hey Dad, everyone on the team is getting this new softball bat! How much is it? $250, but it’s really cool. You can’t be serious! This was my conversation a little less than 20 years ago with my youngest daughter. She played fast pitch softball throughout her youth. And yes, of course, I purchased the Anderson RockeTech for her shortly thereafter. Her teammates and she put them to good use, winning many games and tourney titles. Crazily, she still has the bat today as an important keepsake in her life.

What’s the latest craze in baseball bats? MLB’s torpedo bats! Marucci Sports and Louisville Slugger, among others, are now offering a bat with a bigger barrel (the wider part of the bat) that increases a batter’s chances of hitting the baseball on the “sweet spot”. Many of today’s stars, most particularly the Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton and the Mets’ Francisco Lindor, are now using them.  And they are absolutely legitimate! Rule 3.02(a) of MLB’s regulations simply provides that the bat shall be a smooth, round stick of solid wood not more than 2.61 inches in diameter and 42 inches long. While the rule prohibits laminated or aluminum bats, the new torpedo bats are in line with the regulations.

The history of bats in baseball is a fun one. The early bats were basically pieces of wood with no real handle to ensure a good grip. In 1890, Emile Kinst invented the banana bat which was somewhat curved to create a spinning motion as the bat made contact with the baseball. Sometime later, Spalding captured the baseball bats market with its design of a mushroom-shaped handle. Along the way, baseball has also seen bats with two knobs on the handle and even one, as recently as 1990, that features an axe handle of sorts. The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts still uses a similar type. If you are interested in exploring further the development of baseball bats, I highly recommend your visiting the Louisville Slugger Museum in Kentucky.

Today, most MLB players use bats weighing between 31 and 35 ounces and are in the mid 30s range of inches in length. It’s a balance between generating speed and power in your swing. When I think of big baseball bats, my thoughts turn to Dick Allen, a power hitter who played for six MLB teams in a fifteen year career (1963-1977).  Allen pushed the limits of the bat, standing in the batter’s box with a 42 inch and 42 ounce monster bat for much of his career. He will go into the Hall of Fame this year as a Phillie since he played most of his career in Philadelphia. Allen won the 1972 AL MVP award as a member of the White Sox.

So why is baseball promoting the new torpedo bats? It’s one way to address the struggling offensive production we’ve seen in the past five years. Batting averages, home runs, and runs scored have always fluctuated in baseball’s history. We’ve had the “Dead Ball Era” in the 1910s and the “Year of the Pitcher” in 1968.  We often think of good hitters as ones with .300 batting averages. Not a fair measuring stick anymore. You might not have noticed, but in 2024 there were only EIGHT(!) MLB players with a batting average of .300 or more. Indeed, in MLB history there have been only four periods of 5-8 years where batting averages steadily declined. We are in one of them.

Just over two years ago, Aaron Leanhardt, then a Yankees coach, decided to do something about it. Leanhardt has a very interesting background. He is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a former Physics professor at the University of Michigan. He is thought of as the inventor of the torpedo bat. When he left the Yankees to serve as a field coordinator with the Marlins the last two seasons, he worked with manufacturers to make the torpedo bats a reality. In fact, his former team, the Yankees, were at the center of the torpedo bat controversy during the first week of this season. With the torpedo bats in hand, the Yankees hit a record nine home runs during a Saturday game against the Brewers on March 29.

The torpedo bats have found their way into other bat racks in MLB dugouts, notably, the Cubs. Dansby Swanson is a big believer. He told the Chicago Tribune: “All the data and everything behind it obviously supports that it works.” His infield mates, Nico Hoerner, Michael Busch, and Matt Shaw, have also tried them. New hitting coach Dustin Kelly offered: “When you actually think about it and they (the manufacturers) explain to you why it’s made that way and what the benefits are, it makes a ton of sense.” Maybe the torpedo bats are just the right, magic potion to turn the tide of pitcher dominance in today’s game.

So what does the MLB brass have to say about them? All in! In an article published by the New York Times a couple weeks ago, Commissioner Rob Manfred deemed torpedo bats “absolutely good for baseball”. Manfred maintained: “The bats comply with the rules. Players have been moving the sweet spot around in bats for years. But it demonstrates that something about the game is more important than is captured by TV ratings or revenues or any of those things, when you have the discussions about it.”  In other words, keep talking about them – it’s good for the game!

I remember years ago my Knothole (little league) team was issued two, wooden bats for the entire season. Coaches would implore us to “keep the grain up” during every at bat so we wouldn’t break one of them. If you were really lucky, your parents would take you to “Bat Day” at Crosley Field so you could get a bat of your own. When I was about ten years old, aluminum bats were introduced. I thought they were the greatest invention ever! Our team had two of them, slightly different sizes, but clearly we were good to go for the season. Stories and memories of the little nuances, like baseball bats, tend to impact all eras and levels of play. That’s what is good for the game!

Until next Monday, 

your Baseball Bench Coach

Cactus League Ballparks

Welcome to the seventh season of Baseball Bench Coach! Although the regular season is well underway, I need to begin BBC 2025 with my baseball journey this spring. You see, I attended spring training games in all ten of the Cactus League ballparks in Arizona. I saw twenty-five games in all, and enjoyed every inning. Here are my thoughts on the ten ballparks with a little spring training nuances and game action mixed in:

Sloan Park, Mesa, Cubs.  On March 8 Sloan Park set the all-time single game attendance record for the Cactus League (and Florida’s Grapefruit League to boot) with 16,121 fans! Sloan is the newest facility (opened in 2014) and in so many ways is a mini-Wrigley Field. Fans experience a Marquee welcoming near the First Base Gate, a replica clock atop the scoreboard, rooftop seating (except actually in the ballpark), wells in the outfield walls, a berm to sit (ala the bleachers), and much more. Deemed by many to be “Wrigleyville West”, the comparison also includes Chicago food specialties – Chicago hotdogs, Italian beef sandwiches, and pizza. And the baseball is pretty good too! If you are fortunate (and most of the time you are), you get to sing “Go Cubs Go” after a Cubs win and see Clark the Cub parade the “W” flag in the outfield. It’s a can’t miss outing.

Salt Rivers Field at Talking Stick, Scottsdale, shared by Diamondbacks and Rockies. Salt Rivers is the second newest facility (just 15 years old) and definitely worth a visit. I attended a Diamondbacks vs. Reds game there on a day that it was just 56 degrees at first pitch. Designed with the expectation of warmer weather, ballpark dimensions include power alley fences 390 feet from the plate. That is unheard of in MLB ballparks but pretty much the norm in the Cactus League. Baseballs really carry in the desert air. Arizona opened with one of its top starting pitchers, lefty Eduardo Rodriguez, who retired the first 11 Reds in order. He then was pulled in the fourth inning due to pitch count. It’s the spring training version of a perfect game as teams gradually stretch out their starters as the spring season moves along. Diamondbacks win, 2-1.

Camelback Ranch, Glendale, shared by Dodgers and White Sox. I attended the first official game of the Cactus League this spring on February 20 featuring a tilt between the Dodgers and Cubs. My first impression of the ballpark was certainly a good one, free parking! Amusingly, I kept looking for an attendant to pay. When you enter the ballpark from the centerfield gate, you have two options, turn to left field (Dodgers) or turn to right field (White Sox). Of course, I went toward right field and ran into a wonderful statue of Frank Thomas. Just like being at Dodger Stadium, it was a late coming crowd, but soon it was at capacity (13,300). The Cubs featured just one regular in its starting lineup, first baseman Michael Busch. Interestingly, I met Cubs player Gage Workman’s family at a concession stand. He had an amazing game, great defense and two hits including a 2 run HR in the fifth.  Gage is a Rule 5 player (meaning that if he fails at any time this season not to be on the Cubs’ roster of 26 players, he goes back to the Tigers). I’ve been pulling for him ever since!  Cubs win, 12-4.

Scottsdale Stadium, Scottsdale, Giants. This ballpark is nestled into Old Town Scottsdale. There are many pre-game restaurants and shops to visit, but fair warning, parking is at a premium so grab a spot as early as you can. The Giants have been a tenant since 1984, and on this night they hosted their division rivals, the Padres. Night games are a rarity in the Cactus League, one reason being that players like to do their work in the day and have the evenings for themselves. Since the matchup was late in the spring season, the Giants started their regular lineup, including newly acquired shortstop, Wily Adames. Adames has been a Cubs killer as a Brewer in recent seasons, so it’s good to see him donning another uniform. The dimensions of the ballpark are noteworthy, 430 feet to the centerfield fence, a monster shot.  I met my favorite Cactus League vendor at the game, a lemonade guy who just loved to say, “Lemonade, lemonade, just like Grandma made”.  My late grandma, “Nanny”, made better. Giants win, 4-3.

Hohokam Park, Mesa, Athletics. I had low expectations for this ballpark based on others’ impressions, but I really liked it. It opened in 1977, but recently has seen some modern upgrades. The ballpark has that intimate feeling of spring training venues of the past. In this encounter between the Reds and Athletics, attendance was just over 4,000. I did get a thrill early in the game when Reds outfielder Will Benson threw me a baseball as he caught the third out in the second inning. No matter your age, it feels good to get a baseball (btw, there were no kids near me to give it to). “Hohokam” is the name of a Mesa booster organization. This organization and others in the area sponsor volunteers at the games. They were the lifeblood of the Cactus League in its early formation. The food at Hohokam is sensational, featuring numerous food trucks down the left field line, “Food Truck Alley”.  I had the “mustache pretzel” which symbolizes the A’s players in the 1970s who sported mustaches.  Athletics win, 13-1.

Goodyear Ballpark, Goodyear, shared by Reds and Guardians. The ballpark is located 20 miles west of Phoenix. It seems farther. While the city of Goodyear itself is one of the fastest growing cities in the Phoenix area, the ballpark is in a very quiet, suburb setting. Food is high quality here as well, especially if you are from Cincinnati. You can buy Skyline cheese coneys (hotdogs with chili and cheese) in the concourse area, as well as stock up on Montgomery Inn barbecue sauce in the team store. (A fun aside: for those in northern Ohio, you can also grab a jar of Cleveland’s favorite mustard.)  The game featured the Reds vs. Brewers. The Reds regular players left the ballpark after six innings of play, while the Brewers entire team stayed to the end. They had to wait to go back to Phoenix en masse on the team bus. Reds win, 5-4.

Peoria Stadium, Peoria, shared by Mariners and Padres. Peoria Stadium is set in a beautiful sports complex northwest of Phoenix. I attended a Brewers vs. Padres game on St. Patrick’s Day. The players and even the umpires wore green caps to celebrate the day. The tradition of wearing green in spring training started over 40 years ago when John McNamara, manager of the Reds, fielded his team in all green uniforms. I saw green cotton candy at the game, but no green beer (thank goodness). One of the major sponsors of the ballpark is Portillo’s, a hot dog empire started in Chicago. You hear often that Phoenix is “Chicago West”, since Portillo’s restaurants, and Lou Malnati’s, a Chicago brand pizza parlor, are all over the Phoenix area. I was pleased to see that the Padres started their star players, the likes of Tatis, Machado, and Bogaerts. I wasn’t enthralled by their respective efforts though. When Tatis trotted to first after hitting a ground ball in the infield, the lady next to me yelled, “why don’t you run!” I had to chuckle. One other note is that you can clearly hear the players talk on the field.  The old “I got it” rang through the park on infield pop-ups. Padres win in a slugfest, 14-8.

Tempe Diablo Stadium, Tempe, Angels. Diablo Stadium is the oldest and smallest facility in the Cactus League. Almost the entire ballpark is in the sun throughout the game, and the comfort of the seats is not great, all bench style. I saw a matchup between the Reds and the Angels. It was the first time that I’ve seen Mike Trout in person. He didn’t disappoint, hitting a leadoff HR in the third inning. If you want to see Trout play in spring training, you will need to hang out in Tempe. I was told that he rarely travels with the Angels to other ballparks. I discovered an interesting rule at the game. Reds starting pitcher, Nick Lodolo, was wild in the first and was lifted for a relief pitcher. When the Reds took the field in the second inning, Lodolo was back on the mound so that he could get his pitches in. You can make a one-time pitching substitution in spring training play; pretty cool. Reds win, 6-3.

Surprise Stadium, Surprise, shared by Royals and Rangers. I was looking forward to this game between the two home residents, Royals vs. Rangers. I tend to like both of these AL teams. Indeed, my favorite manager in baseball, Bruce Bochy, is now on the top step of the dugout for the Rangers. He led them to a World Series championship in 2023. What’s interesting though in spring training is that the manager and a handful of his coaches actually sit on chairs outside the dugout. I guess it gives them a better vantage point to evaluate players. Surprise Stadium is a smaller ballpark. I sat in the very limited 200s section. It was a fun environment that day since the season ticket holders of the Royals cheered from the first base side, only to be matched by the cheers of the Rangers season ticket holders on the third base side. The announced attendance of 4,352 wasn’t much of a surprise since the game was played in chilly weather by Phoenix standards. Royals win, 6-3.

American Family Fields of Phoenix, Phoenix, Brewers. The ballpark is truly in a neighborhood setting just west of downtown Phoenix. I almost drove by the parking lot on the way in. From the parking lot you get to walk through the practice fields. I found it interesting that several catchers were working out by receiving pitches thrown by pitching machines. I guess it saves on pitchers’ arms. I purchased a seat just outside the Brewers’ first base dugout, and boy was I in Brewers land. When the Brewers star players would leave the game, they walked down the right field line to their clubhouse with much applause. Also noteworthy is that the base umpires changed positions throughout the game, another spring training nuance. The food was all Milwaukee, as the featured choices included smoked brats and cheese curds. My seat was positioned well to see the race among the hot dog, Italian sausage, brat, and mettwurst mascots. And to make it a true Milwaukee experience, the crowd sang “Roll out the Barrel” after “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch. Brewers win over the Guardians, 8-2.

I hope someday soon you might visit the Cactus League ballparks. Next week we will tackle the MLB regular season play with the focus on “torpedo bats”. 

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Baseball Bench Coach Returns April 7

Your Baseball Bench Coach returns on April 7 with a review of Cactus League spring training sites. In the meantime, my new book is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Get ready for the baseball season!

Book is Available!

Hope you are having a great baseball offseason. Your Coach has some wonderful news. After six seasons of weekly blog posts reaching 150 in number, I have compiled 30 of my favorite posts in a newly, published book. It is available now through Kendall Hunt Publishing. You can use this URL to order now: https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/baseball-bench-coach.

It's a Wrap!

Groucho Marx once famously said: “I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.” In this last edition of the Baseball Bench Coach for 2024, let’s discuss three different types of baseball “clubs” with one certainly no one would ever want to be a part of.

50/50 Club.  Wow, this is a one-person club whose only member, Shohei Ohtani, joined just over a week ago. On September 19th in a game against the Marlins, Shohei might have had the single biggest offensive showing ever – 6 for 6; 3 HRs; 10 RBIs; and 2 steals. Eye popping numbers, yes, but just an example of the kind of power and speed Ohtani has exhibited throughout the season.  That night he became the first MLB player in history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 stolen bases in a season. Dodger catcher Will Smith attributed much of Shohei’s success to his preparation: “He works harder than anybody. He scouts really hard. He’s playing a different game so it’s fun to see.”

To put it in perspective, baseball only has had six players in its history to have reached the 40/40 club – Jose Canseco (1988); Barry Bonds (1996); Alex Rodriguez (1998); Alfonso Soriano (2006); Ronald Acuna, Jr. (2023); and of course now Ohtani. Why is this such a difficult feat? One answer is that the type of baseball played in different eras always seems to change. For example, most recently we’ve seen the emphasis of speed on teams in the 1960s-1980s and the power obsessed style of play over the past thirty years. It’s rare that a player has the opportunity to display both the talents of power and speed.

While the 30/30 club has more members, still in the scheme of things relatively small, 47, the list contains baseball’s greatest legends, including Willie Mays and Hank Aaron. Baseball Digest once called the 30/30 club “the most celebrated feat that can be achieved by a player who has both power and speed”.  And now we have a player like Shohei Ohtani who reached that club just four months into this season!

All Time Team Losses.  My allegiance to MLB in Chicago is certainly on the north side with the Cubs, but I must say that I wouldn’t have wished the agony of the past White Sox season on anyone. It was a season of 121 losses, breaking the prior record of 120 losses by the woeful 1962 New York Mets. Last Sunday in San Diego, Chicago’s Southside team broke the AL record of 119 losses by the 2003 Tigers before a sellout crowd at Petco Park on the Padres “Fan Appreciation Day”.  The Sox returned home this past week before some not so appreciative crowds, swept the Angels, and held onto hope at 120. History was made this weekend at Comerica Park with loss 121. Along the way, the White Sox were swept in 24 separate series, won just three games in July and four in August, had three losing streaks of at least 10 games, and set a franchise record of 21 straight losses.

All year we’ve seen the comparison to the prior holder of the record, the ‘62 Mets. Their manager, Casey Stengel, was famously quoted: “Can’t anybody play here?” Those Mets also had three losing streaks of more than 10 games, the longest being 17. Their starting pitchers recorded an all-time low of just 23 wins, and their team batting average, ERA, and fielding percentage were the worst in the game, a trifecta of sorts. 

Yet, that team was an expansion team, not a “rebuilding” team like the current Sox. And here’s where the comparison clearly ends. The Mets fans loved their ’62 team with a season attendance in the middle of NL teams that year. This 2024 version of the White Sox was not so lucky at the ticket office, especially in the last month of the season.  It was all very unfortunate.

World Series Winners.  Every team wants to be in this club.  MLB had its first World Series in 1903.  In a few weeks we will witness the 120th World Series. So far the AL team has captured the crown 68 times and the NL, 51. I’ve used this space in the past to provide a ranking of the playoff teams and my take on how the playoffs will play out.  This year I simply have a hunch on the teams that will take the NL and AL pennants, and one Wild Card team that might really make some noise. 

In the National League it would be easy to say that the NLCS will match the Dodgers and Phillies, two teams that have some of the great stars in the game today. Not so fast.  I think the NL playoffs will be decided in the bullpen, and that means the Brewers will win. With a bullpen that includes Joel Payamps, Trevor Megill, and Devin Williams, you better be ahead against Milwaukee going into the seventh inning. Championships are won in the back end of games.  The Brew Crew rules in 2024. 

On the AL side, the Yankees with their powerful lineup would be a safe choice, but not mine. I like the Guardians. Cleveland took control of the AL Central in mid-April and have been in sole possession of first place all but one day in the last five months.  It’s a team that has had the “it” factor throughout the season. While All-Stars Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor, and Steven Kwan aren’t Judge and Soto, their consistency and big moment hits have been just as outstanding.  Cleveland’s bullpen has carried the team in 2024 with the number one closer in the game, Emmanuel Clase, ready to take the ball in the ninth.

If you are looking for a surprise Wild Card team, don’t look further than the hottest team in baseball, Detroit. The Tigers won 30 of their last 40 games to close out the season. Detroit features the clear favorite for the AL Cy Young, Tarik Skubal. No team wants to face him twice in a playoff series. 

And here’s the World Series winner . . . the Guardians. For the first time since 1954, Cleveland will be the World Champions of baseball. 

It’s a wrap!

Until next season, 

your Baseball Bench Coach

People Will Come, Ray

A little over a week ago, actor James Earl Jones passed away at age 93. His authoritative voice boomed through most of his roles in movies, voice overs, and storytelling.  I will always remember these words: “The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball.”  His role as Terence Mann in the movie “Field of Dreams” voiced themes of baseball that have indeed resounded throughout my life. I still sob watching “Field of Dreams” time after time.  I will miss James Earl Jones.

The movie was based on W.P. Kinsella’s 1982 novel “Shoeless Joe”. The novel tells the story of Ray Kinsella, an Iowa farmer, struggling with the memories of his relationship with his late Dad, John Kinsella, a faithful baseball fan.  One day Ray hears a voice, “If you build it, he will come”.  With the loving support of his wife Annie and daughter Karin, Ray begins to build a ballpark.  Along the way, we discover that a rift between Ray and his Dad was caused by his Dad’s devotion to the 1919 White Sox and their star player, Shoeless Joe Jackson.  At the age of fourteen, Ray challenged that loyalty, telling his Dad that Shoeless Joe was a criminal.  After that, Ray and his Dad never played catch again, something Ray deeply regrets.  As Ray’s new ballpark begins to take shape, mystical ballplayers begin to appear and play games, first Shoeless Joe and then seven others, all of whom were banned from baseball in the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. 

The story of the Black Sox Scandal actually begins the year before, 1918, in a way that is frighteningly similar to our COVID years this decade.  In 1918 the Spanish Flu pandemic swept across the world.  We lost an estimated 5 million people worldwide and 675,000 in the U.S. alone.  There were four waves of the Spanish flu, the first beginning in the spring of 1918.  The War Department required that the baseball season end by September 1st and the World Series by September 15th. The Red Sox defeated the Cubs 4 games to 2.  Over the next several weeks, a second wave of the Spanish flu hit the U.S., especially in the metropolitan areas of Boston and Chicago.  A third wave of the Spanish flu set in the next year, 1919.  Attendance was down at ballparks across the country.  At the time, players coveted shares of postseason winnings to add to their mostly average salaries, but with diminishing attendance, those shares would be taking a hit.

Betting on baseball was rampant during this era.  Gamblers would gather just outside the outfield fence at many ballparks, offering outfielders money for misplaying a fly ball.  As the White Sox headed toward clinching the AL pennant in September 1919, some of the players were concerned about not getting much of a payday in the World Series.  There were two factions in the Sox clubhouse, the “Clean Sox” players who didn’t want to participate in any side action, and a second faction that reached out to a gambling syndicate led by Arnold Rothstein.  A meeting with the syndicate was set up on September 21 in New York to discuss a fix of the upcoming Series.  Six players attended the meeting, each of whom were banned from baseball in the aftermath.  One player who attended, Buck Weaver, never received any money but still was banned for not reporting the fix, and another player, Fred McMullin, who wasn’t at the meeting but heard about it and threatened to squeal if he didn’t get a payoff, was banned as well.  The banned players also included Sox star outfielder Shoeless Joe Jackson, who didn’t attend the New York meeting and whose actual involvement is disputed.

The 1919 World Series, a 9-game format, featured the upstart NL Cincinnati Reds against the heavily favored White Sox.  Sox star pitcher, Red Faber, one of the Clean Sox, came down with the flu prior to the Series and never pitched.  Some of his starts went to pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Lefty Williams, who were on the take.  Cicotte, the Game 1 starter, hit the Reds leadoff batter, a signal to the gambling syndicate the fix was on.  With the Reds up 4 games to 1, there was concern among the players that the gamblers were reneging on payment.  The Sox won Games 6 and 7.  Prior to Game 8, there were mentions of threats of violence against White Sox players and family.  Lefty Williams lost Game 8, his third loss of the Series, and the Reds won the Series 5 games to 3.   In October 1920 eight Sox players and five gamblers were indicted by a federal grand jury in Chicago on nine counts of conspiracy to defraud.  The case went to trial in July 1921, and all eight players were acquitted.  Nevertheless, MLB’s first Commissioner, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who was hired by the owners to clean up the game, banned the eight players from baseball.

The 1982 novel captured a theme that I didn’t clearly remember in the movie.  The Kinsella family despised the Yankees, a notion to which many baseball fans can relate.  The Yankees were the scheduled opponents of the White Sox in the “Field of Dreams” game scheduled for the 2020 season which was unfortunately cancelled due to COVID.  Now I see why the Yankees were to be in that first game. We all have “that team” to root against. For me and most NL fans, it’s the Dodgers. For many AL fans, especially those of the Red Sox, the Indians, and even comically, the Washington Senators in the Broadway musical, “Damn Yankees”, that means the Yankees.  The Pinstripes nowadays might have finally relinquished its American League hatred crown to the Houston Astros.

The part of Ray Kinsella in the movie is played by Kevin Costner. At the end of the movie, James Earl Jones, as Terence Mann, comforts Ray as they look out toward the field that Ray has painstakingly built: “This field, this game – it’s part of our past, Ray.  It reminds us of all that once was good and it could be good again. Oh, people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.” Indeed, the MLB has hosted two games at the Dyersville, Iowa site to honor the movie and baseball’s past.  In the inaugural game in August 2021, the White Sox defeated those damn Yankees 9-8 in memorable fashion with a moonstruck home run by Chicago shortstop Tim Anderson. In the 2022 season the Cubs defeated the Reds, 4-2. The hope for MLB is that more games are to come once further renovations are made at the ballpark.

For me baseball has always been about memories. My favorite scene in the “Field of Dreams” movie is when Ray Kinsella got his wish, to play catch with the catcher, his Dad, who finally showed up to play at the Iowa ballpark.  When I was growing up I built my own little ballpark in our backyard where my Dad and I would play catch.  One night my pitch sunk and badly hurt his shin, an injury he didn’t tell me about until much later in life.  It was our last night of catch together. In my own idyllic “field of dreams”, I too wish for one last catch.  Somehow, filling my days with baseball history brings his memory to life. 

People will come, Ray.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Combined No-Hitter

About a week ago Shota Imanaga of the Cubs threw seven no-hit innings, combined with two innings of no-hit relief by Chicago relievers Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge, to defeat the Pirates 12-0 at Wrigley Field. It was the first Cubs no-hitter at the old ballpark since Milt Pappas threw one in 1972. While it was the first combined no-hitter in the 2024 season, seven of the fifteen no-hitters pitched since June, 2021, have been combined ones. The days of a complete game, 125 pitch, no-hitter by the starting pitcher seem to be over.

There have been 326 “official” no-hitters in MLB’s history, 283 in the so-called modern era that began in 1901.  No-hitters mean simply that, a team has not recorded a hit during the game.  That doesn’t mean they haven’t scored; in 25 of these games the no-hit team has managed to push across a run without a hit.  In five of those, the no-hit team actually won the game.  Like everything in baseball, we’ve seen trends along the way.  While there have been exceptions, you see more no-hitters in eras where the pendulum has swung to pitcher dominance.  There were five no-hitters in 1968, the “Year of  the Pitcher”.  From 2002 to 2006 as we neared the end of the Steroid Era, there were only five no-hitters total. 

Of course a much more amazing feat is to hurl a perfect game.  There have been only 23 of these gems in MLB history, 21 in the modern era.  To get credit for one, the pitcher’s defensive team must not allow its opponent to reach base by any means, including catcher’s interference, an uncaught third strike, or a hit batsmen.  Bottom line, 27 players must come to the plate, and 27 must go down.  And for those of you wondering, a misplayed foul ball that the official scorer might deem an error actually would not count against a perfect game being recorded.  That hasn’t happened in a perfect game, but neither has any pitcher ever thrown more than one perfect game.  The closest was Tom Browning, a lefthander for the Reds.  In September 1988 Browning threw baseball’s 12th perfect game, a victory over the Dodgers where he did not run the count to three balls on any hitter.  The next July Browning found the magic again, but this time his perfect game was broken up in the bottom of the ninth inning by the Phillies.

In scouring the list of the 326 no-hitters to date, being a big name, All-Star pitcher does not always equate to having thrown a no-no.  Here are some of the names of no-hit pitchers over the last ten years – Chris Heston; Alex Mills; John Means; Wade Miley; Tyler Gilbert; Reid Detmers; and Ronel Blanco. These are not exactly household names. I, of course, need to mention a couple Hall of Fame pitchers on the list of 326.  Nolan Ryan holds the all-time record for number of no-hitters, seven, while Sandy Koufax is in second place with four.

One of the more interesting paradoxes for a no-hit pitcher is how he follows his standout performance in the following game. It’s not often a great result. Historically, more often than not the no-hit pitcher follows his no-hitter with a losing effort or no decison. The only time that a no-hitter was followed by the same pitcher’s second one was in June 1938 by the Reds’ Johnny Vander Meer.  He pitched a June 11 no-hitter against the Boston Bees.  On June 15, 1938, he started for Cincinnati against the Dodgers at Ebbetts Field in the first night game ever played there.  It was certainly lights out for Brooklyn as Vander Meer threw his second straight no-hitter.

The on-field celebration of a no-hitter is always fun to watch unless you’re in the opposing dugout.  Watching the other team celebrate saw tables turn a little over 50 years ago.  On April 30, 1969, Cincinnati’s Jim Maloney threw the second no-hitter of his career in a 10-0 win against the Astros.  The next night, on May 1, Houston’s Don Wilson also pitched his second career no-hitter in a 4-0 victory over the Reds.  It was actually the second time in MLB history that there were no-hitters in consecutive games; the Giants’ Gaylord Perry and the Cardinals’ Ray Washburn did it in 1968.

No-hitters during postseason play are very uncommon, but there have been some memorable exceptions.  In 2010 Roy Halladay of the Phillies pitched the 20th perfect game ever in a May 29 regular season win over the Marlins.  He followed his perfecto with the second postseason no-hitter ever as Philadelphia downed the Reds 4-0 in Game One of the 2010 NLDS.  In the playoff game against Cincinnati Halladay just missed a perfect game, walking one batter.  Halladay is the only pitcher to pitch a perfect game and no-hitter in the same season.  He doesn’t top Don Larsen though.  Larsen will forever be known for the perfect game he threw for the Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1956 World Series.  The photo of his catcher Yogi Berra jumping into Larsen’s arms as the final out was recorded is certainly etched in baseball’s greatest moments. 

There are also quirky rules around no-hitters.  The Reds’ Jim Maloney could be in the books for three no-hitters except his first one was negated by an MLB rule change.  You see, in June 1965 he threw 10 scoreless innings of no-hit ball against the Mets but the lost the game in the eleventh inning on a solo HR.  While it was originally deemed a no-hitter, MLB later omitted no-hit games broken up in extra innings.  Fast forward to our crazy pandemic rules a few years ago and Arizona’s Madison Bumgarner throwing a no-hitter against Atlanta in an official, seven-inning game.  MLB also failed to recognize this one based on a 1991 ruling by Commissioner Fay Vincent that pitchers need to throw at least nine innings for the game to qualify as a no-hitter.  Yet, under the 2020 rule changes if a perfect game goes into extra innings and the runner placed on second scores by virtue of two outs (let’s say a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly), the pitcher could be credited with a loss and a perfect game.   

One of my fondest memories of being a softball Dad is when my daughter threw a no-hitter in high school yet several members of her team had no idea what that meant. The amusing thing about Shota Imanago pitching in the combined no-hitter a week ago is according to Cubs manager Craig Counsell, “he actually didn’t know he had a no-hitter going at all”. Maybe in a combined no-hitter nowadays, none of us really care to know.

Until next Monday, 

your Baseball Bench Coach