MLB FanHouse

Starting Five: Texas in Trouble

Andrew Johnson — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Astros, Mariners, Pirates, Rangers, Red Sox, Twins, MLB Milestones, MLB Playoffs, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That in a little over 24 hours the Rangers went from in the hunt for the AL wild card to hanging on by a thread. Texas split a doubleheader with the Mariners Sunday and dropped two of three to Seattle over the weekend.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox -- the team the Rangers are chasing -- swept the reeling Rays, who have now lost 11 straight, including taking both games of a day-night doubleheader at Fenway Park.

Boston doubled its lead in the race -- from two games to four -- with 20 games remaining for each team.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

The Sox were an 88 percent favorite to take the wild card entering play Sunday, according to Baseball Prospectus' Postseason Odds Report, an edge that should get even larger with two more games completed by each team and Boston's growing lead.

Things won't be getting any easier for Texas. The Rangers will play 13 of their final 20 games against teams currently above .500, including six against the Angels. The Red Sox only have six games against similar competition -- three against the Angels and three against the Yankees -- sandwiched around series with Baltimore, Kansas City, Toronto and Cleveland.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Justin Morneau has an appointment with the doctor. The 2006 American League MVP has a strained back in addition to a sore wrist, injuries which may explain his recent slump.

Morneau, who also has been playing with a sore wrist, is batting .100 (7-for-70) with two homers and six RBI in his past 20 games.

Though Morneau hasn't blamed injuries, Gardenhire said, "He's really been fighting through it with everything."

Numbers Game ...
The milestones keep coming for Ichiro Suzuki. The one-of-a-kind Mariners star notched his ninth consecutive 200-hit season, a major league record, in the second game of Seattle's doubleheader against the Rangers.

After he reached 200 hits for the ninth straight season during the second game of a doubleheader, Ken Griffey Jr. picked up his slight teammate, slung him over his shoulder and carried him to the showers, where teammates awaited with a beer bath.

"To get to enjoy this with these teammates I have, and especially that guy over there makes me very joyful," Ichiro said.

In Their Own Words ...
"Just compete. You don't need to do any of that stuff. Those two have a thing going out there. I'm set, and he's not even looking at me. That tells me all I need to know." -- Pirates closer Matt Capps, who got into a shouting match with Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada and first base coach Jose Cruz because he believed they were conspiring to steal signs. Tejada later denied any shenanigans.

Advance Scouting ...
The Angels and Yankees are mostly jockeying for playoff position at this point, but don't underestimate the significance of Monday's makeup game (7:05 PM ET) between the two AL powers. Not only are both teams vying for home-field advantage throughout the postseason, but New York is probably hoping for a little peace of mind. The Yankees have been eliminated from the playoffs by the Angels twice since 2002 and are 12-23 against Los Angeles since 2006. Joba Chamberlain will go for New York against Jered Weaver.

Starting Five: Texas in Trouble originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steinbrenner Reflects on Jeter's Record

Matt Watson — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:50:00 EST

Filed under: Yankees, AL East, MLB Milestones

Soon after Derek Jeter singled into right field to break his tie with Lou Gehrig as the most prolific Yankee hitter of all time, team owner George Steinbrenner released the following written statement praising his pinstriped captain:

"For those who say today's game can't produce legendary players, I have two words: Derek Jeter. Game in and game out he just produces. As historic and significant as becoming the Yankees' all time hit leader is, the accomplishment is all the more impressive because Derek is one of the finest young men playing the game today.

That combination of character and athletic ability is something he shares with the previous record holder Lou Gehrig. It adds to the pride that the Yankees and our fans feel today. Every Yankees' era has its giants. It's thrilling to watch Derek as he becomes one of the greats of his generation, if not of all time."

Steinbrenner Reflects on Jeter's Record originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeter's Yankees Hits Record Impressive, But Don't Get Carried Away

Ed Price — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:30:00 EST

Filed under: Yankees, MLB Milestones

Baseball has two types of milestones. In 2004, Randy Johnson recorded his 4,000th strikeout. Less than three months later, Johnson got strikeout No. 4,137 to pass Steve Carlton for most ever by a left-hander.

Which got more recognition? No. 4,000 -- because we like our round numbers.

But I always thought the latter was more impressive because to pass someone seems, to me, more significant.

That said, what do we make of Derek Jeter's breaking Lou Gehrig's record for career hits in a Yankees uniform?

More: Steinbrenner Reflects on Jeter's Record

In New York, it has been quite celebrated, to the point where the Daily News ran at least six stories in Monday's paper related to the impending Jeter achievement.

Derek and Lou
How the hit totals of Derek Jeter and Lou Gehrig break down:
Cat.	Gehrig	Jeter
Hits	2,721	2,723
1B	1,531	2,005
2B	534	437
3B	163	58
HR	493	223
R	1,888	1,564
RBI	1,995	1,064
Source: MLB.com

But somehow, it doesn't seem all that meaningful.

Don't get me wrong, passing Lou Gehrig in almost anything means something (although, as Keith Olbermann pointed out, how many hits would Gehrig have had were it not for ALS?) And owning a Yankees career record is no small matter.

But Jeter was already considered an all-time Yankees great, so he didn't need this record to validate his status.

In fact, this mark means little more than exactly what it is: most hits. There is no way to consider Jeter the best hitter, or the best offensive player, in Yankees history.

Consider the all-time Yankees leaders in various categories, according to baseball-reference.com. Jeter is fifth in batting average but 14th in on-base percentage, 35th in slugging percentage and 24th in OPS.

His "adjusted OPS+" -- OPS weighted for his ballpark and era -- is 34th in team history. His "offensive winning percentage" -- what kind of record would a lineup of nine Derek Jeters have -- is 29th.

Jeter has far fewer doubles, triples and home runs than Gehrig had. And batting at the top of the order most of the time, Jeter has even scored fewer runs than Gehrig did.

Now, considering he has played shortstop his entire career, even if some of that play has been below average, Jeter's offense has been well above average.

But putting him in the sphere of Yankees hitters, what Jeter has done is hit. Hit very well. Not for power. Not with a lot of walks in addition. But just plain hit.

More often than anyone else to wear pinstripes.

Jeter's Yankees Hits Record Impressive, But Don't Get Carried Away originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeter Ties Gehrig's Yankee Hit Mark

FanHouse Newswire — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:41:00 EST

Filed under: Yankees, MLB Milestones

NEW YORK (AP) -- Derek Jeter peeked down at third base and saw a huge patch of green grass. There it is, he thought, a perfect opportunity to break out of that slump. So, he took advantage of it. Jeter began the night with a surprising bunt single - and didn't stop hitting until he tied Lou Gehrig.

With three hits on Wednesday, Jeter matched the New York Yankees record of 2,721, a mark Gehrig held by himself for more than 70 years.

"It's just kind of mind-boggling to have my name next to his," Jeter said on the field during a postgame television interview pumped over the Yankee Stadium public address system.

New York rallied past the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 on a three-run homer by pinch-hitter Jorge Posada in the eighth inning. The comeback victory made it easier for Jeter to enjoy his accomplishment -- he tied Gehrig with a seventh-inning single off rookie starter Jeff Niemann.

"I'm happy that I was able to do it here at home," Jeter said. "We had so many special moments across the street. Hopefully this is the first of many memorable moments here at the new stadium."

Moments after Posada's homer, Jeter received a booming ovation as he stepped to the plate in the eighth with a chance to break the record. He walked against reliever Grant Balfour, bringing a loud chorus of boos from the crowd.

The Yankees are off Thursday. Jeter gets his next chance to set the mark Friday night at home against Baltimore.

"I wish we were playing tomorrow," he said.

Shut down by Niemann most of the night, the Yankees finished a four-game sweep and sent the AL champion Rays to their eighth consecutive loss. It's their longest skid since dropping eight straight in July 2007.

Already on their feet in anticipation, fans at Yankee Stadium let loose with a roar when Jeter's sharp grounder inside the first-base line got by a diving Chris Richard in the seventh.

Jeter's parents, watching from an upstairs box between home plate and first base, raised their arms and exclaimed in excitement. The ball was saved for Jeter as a souvenir.

"I felt proud. I got goose bumps," said Posada, one of Jeter's best buddies. "It was a perfect moment."

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New York Yankees' Derek Jeter tips his helmet after hitting a single during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009 at Yankee Stadium in New York. The hit tied him with Lou Gehrig for most hits by a Yankee. The Yankees won 4-2. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

FR51951 AP

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ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 08: Maicer Izturis #13, Erick Aybar #2 and Juan Rivera #20 of the Los Angeles Angels of Aneheim Celebrate after beating the Seattle Mariners 6-3 on September 8, 2009 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jacob de Golish/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Macier Izturis;Erick Aybar;Juan Rivera

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ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 08: Juan Rivera #20 of the Los Angeles Angels of Aneheim runs the bases after hitting a homerun in the eight inning against the Seattle Mariners on September 8, 2009 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jacob de Golish/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Juan Rivera

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ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 08: Juan Rivera #20 of the Los Angeles Angels of Aneheim hits a homerun in the eight inning against the Seattle Mariners on September 8, 2009 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jacob de Golish/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Juan Rivera

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ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 08: Jose Lopez #4, and Ken Griffey Jr. #24 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates a homerun in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on September 8, 2009 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jacob de Golish/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ken Griffey Jr. Jose Lopez

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ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 08: Ichiro Suzuki #51 of the Seattle Mariners runs back to the dugout after catching a fly ball against the Los Angeles Angels of Aneheim on September 8, 2009 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. The Mariners defeated the Angels 6-3 (Photo by Jacob de Golish/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ichiro Suzuki

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ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 08: Vladimir Guerrero #27 and Juan Rivera #20 of the Los Angeles Angels of Aneheim celebrate with an air five after hitting a home run in the eight inning against the Seattle Mariners on September 8, 2009 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jacob de Golish/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Vladimir Guerrero;Juan Rivera

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ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 08: Ian Snell #48 of the Seattle Mariners pitches against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on September 8, 2009 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jacob de Golish/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ian Snell

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ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 08: Jose Lopez #4 of the Seattle Mariners hits a homerun in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on September 8, 2009 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jacob de Golish/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jose Lopez

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Arizona Diamondbacks' Trent Oeltjen (16) celebrates with teamamtes after he walked in the winning run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Phoenix, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009. Diamondbacks' Mark Reynolds drew a bases loaded walk to defeat the Dodgers 4-3. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Los Angeles Angels' Kendry Morales, left, Chone Figgins, center, and Juan Rivera celebrate their 6-3 win against the Seattle Mariners during a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Jeter took off his helmet and twice waved it to the crowd of 45,848 during an ovation that lasted about 2 minutes. Rays players and coaches clapped as Jeter stood at first base.

"I'm very happy for him," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "He carries himself in a manner that's worthy of passing Gehrig."

Jeter entered the game in an 0-for-12 slide, his longest hitless stretch this season, but ended the skid right away. He noticed that third baseman Evan Longoria was playing deep, so Jeter dropped down a beautiful bunt single leading off the bottom of the first. He beat the play without a throw, prompting the first of several standing ovations.

"He was smart. He took what they gave him tonight. That's the type of player he has been his whole career," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "When you put his name next to Lou Gehrig, it's amazing. It was emotional for me because I wanted it so bad for him tonight."

With cameras flashing all around the ballpark on every pitch to Jeter, he grounded out in the third and drove a ground-rule double to center in the fifth.

On his first chance to tie Gehrig, Jeter came through in fitting fashion -- with an opposite-field hit on the first pitch.

"You don't want to say it was a relief, but afterwards I was pretty excited that I was able to do it tonight," Jeter said. "I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't thinking about it because pretty much everywhere I've gone this entire homestand I've been hearing on the street, in cabs, at the stadium, 'When you gonna get a hit, when you gonna get a hit? I kept telling them, 'I'm trying.'"

In the middle of the eighth, the large video board in center field showed a replay and flashed "Congratulations Derek!"

"He starts the game off, dropping the bunt down just to get a hit. I mean, nobody else thinks about that except Derek. He shocked the world up there doing that," longtime teammate Andy Pettitte said. "I'm just excited to see him break it and get it over with and now he can head on toward 3,000."

Gehrig's final hit came on April 29, 1939, a single against the Washington Senators. The Iron Horse had held the club record for hits since Sept. 6, 1937, when he passed Babe Ruth.

Gehrig's Hall of Fame career ended suddenly in 1939 because of illness. Two years later, he died at 37 from the disease that would later bear his name.

"I know a lot about the history," Jeter said. "What he stood for, being a captain, he's probably one of the classiest people to ever play the game."

By MIKE FITZPATRICK, AP Sports Writer

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Jeter Ties Gehrig's Yankee Hit Mark originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pirates Clinch Record 17th Consecutive Losing Season

Pat Lackey — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Pirates, MLB Milestones

With a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Monday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Pirates clinched their 17th consecutive losing season, a new record for any North American sports franchise. The Pirates haven't had a winning season since 1992, the year that Barry Bonds, Doug Drabek, Andy Van Slyke, and Jim Leyland took the Pirates to 96 wins and a National League East championship.

Since '92, the Pirates have managed no more than 79 wins, reaching that mark just once in 1997. They've currently lost nine of their last 10 and have only 18 wins since July 1. In fact, this record has been a foregone conclusion for most of the season, long before the Pirates traded Nate McLouth, Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez, Adam LaRoche, Ian Snell, Tom Gorzelanny, and John Grabow in a full-on rebuilding effort.

The previous record for the most consecutive losing seasons was the 16-year run by the Philadelphia Phillies between 1933 and 1948. The Phils had 30 losing seasons in 31 between 1918 and 1948. The Pirates are a long ways from matching that sort of streak, but at the same time it's been an eternity for the Pirates and their fans since Francisco Cabrera singled home Sid Bream to complete the Braves' comeback and the Pirates' heartbreaking loss in Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS.

While the players on this current Pirate club are forced to shoulder the brunt of this dubious achievement, they've really got relatively little to do with it. Of the Pirates' regulars, only Ryan Doumit, Zach Duke, Paul Maholm, and Matt Capps played significant roles with the club in 2008. The current coaching staff, led by manager John Russell, has only been in place for the last two seasons and the current front office, with GM Neal Huntington and team president Frank Coonelly, inherited a club that was already doomed to set this record at the end of the 2007 season.

The real architects of this mess are the team's two prior GMs. Cam Bonifay was unable to rebuild the Pirates after the departure of Bonds, Drabek and others in 1993, and when Bonifay was fired in 2001, Dave Littlefield only managed to make the mess worse. It's too soon to know whether the current front office will be able to reverse the trend, though the farm system has improved considerably since they took over in 2007.

Of course, even with improvement coming in the low minors the Pirates might not be able to end this streak until 2011 at the earliest. Until then, everything they're doing will be remembered by baseball fans forever, even if they'd probably rather it be forgotten.

Pirates Clinch Record 17th Consecutive Losing Season originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Teams on Bubble Keep Hopes Alive

Ed Price — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Marlins, Rays, White Sox, MLB Injuries, MLB Milestones, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
The White Sox, Rays and Marlins aren't irrelevant yet.

All three teams faced near must-win games Wednesday, and all came through -- late.

Chicago, which would have fallen eight games out in the AL Central and 4 1/2 behind second-place Minnesota, rallied against Twins closer Joe Nathan with four runs in the ninth for a 4-2 victory.

"Hopefully we start playing better and have a little more fun, at least have a little more fun," [Sox manager Ozzie] Guillen said. "You think we're out [of post-season contention]. People think we're out, just go out there and enjoy it. Hopefully things turn around."

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Tampa Bay entered the night six games behind Boston in the AL wild-card chase. A loss would have dropped the Rays seven out with 30 to play, and they let a four-run lead turn into a tie game in the eighth inning.

Then Carlos Pena doubled, Pat Burrell singled and Evan Longoria homered, keeping alive Tampa Bay's faint hopes of repeating as AL champs.

"Everything's big now, every pitch is huge," Burrell said. "We put ourselves in that situation, and you can't be surprised by anything at this point. We have to go for it every time we step on the field. We've got a lot of ground to make up - some of which I think we're capable of doing, and we might need a little help."

Meanwhile, further south in Florida, the Marlins were letting a ninth-inning lead get away, as the Braves' Yunel Escobar homered to tie the game. But Wes Helms, who had entered in a double switch in the top of the ninth, homered with one out in the bottom of the inning.

That prevented Florida from dropping to six games out in the NL wild-card standings -- tied for fourth with the Cubs -- and three back of Atlanta.

"It felt like we won that game but we didn't," Braves manager Bobby Cox said.

From the Trainer's Room ...
The same day the Rangers found out star third baseman Michael Young will be out at least two weeks with a strained hamstring, slugger Josh Hamilton had to come out of their game with a sore lower back.

Hamilton hopes to be in the lineup Friday in Cleveland. He's been receiving treatment on his back all week.

"I'm doing everything I can to make it feel better," said Hamilton, who doubled and scored before leaving. "It seems like the more I run, the worse it feels. It's good we've got a day off tomorrow."

Hamilton had been heating up, it seemed, batting .342 in August and homering Tuesday to snap an drought of 99 homerless at-bats.

Numbers Game ...
Alex Rodriguez got his 2,500th career hit Wednesday, a fifth-inning single at Baltimore. And that means A-Rod is now tied with former teammate Gary Sheffield for the fewest triples by a player with 2,500 or more hits: 27.

In Their Own Words ...
"It's been a horrible season. It's been a horrible season for me and a horrible season pretty much for everybody." -- Royals outfielder Jose Guillen, who left a 10-4 loss to the Athletics with a sore hamstring four innings after starter Brian Bannister had to depart with "shoulder fatigue."

Advance Scouting ...
In his first two starts for the Cardinals, John Smoltz drew San Diego and Washington -- the worst offense and the worst team in the National League, respectively. Thursday night he gets more of a test when St. Louis hosts Milwaukee, third in the league in runs scored (2:15 p.m. ET). Then again, Smoltz has never lost to the Brewers, going 3-0 with six saves and a 2.84 ERA in 15 appearances (five starts) against them.

Starting Five: Teams on Bubble Keep Hopes Alive originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Phillies' Lidge Falls Off Ledge Again

Ed Price — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Dodgers, Marlins, Phillies, Red Sox, Rockies, Royals, White Sox, NL West, MLB Injuries, MLB Milestones, MLB Transactions, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the Phillies' weakest link is Brad Lidge.

Repeating as World Series champs is going to be near impossible without an effective closer. And Lidge, perfect last year in converting save opportunities, is a mess.

Asked to hold a one-run lead last night against the Pirates, Lidge gave up a single, a wild pitch, a single and Andrew McCutchen's walk-off homer.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Lidge had maintained through many bad outings that his pitches felt good, but tonight was different. "I didn't have anything on the ball tonight," he said.

Lidge has a 0-6 record, a 7.33 ERA and has blown three of his past seven save chances -- nine of 34 this season.

"He's our closer," [manager Charlie] Manuel said. "I've said it all over the place. That's the guy who we've got."

Lidge has surrendered 11 homers in just 46 2/3 innings, which would rank as the worst rate ever for a closer. (Rick Aguilera is the only pitcher to record 20 saves and allow more than 2.00 homers per nine innings; he did so for the 2000 Cubs and it was the last year of his career.)

From the Trainer's Room ...
For the ninth time in his career -- but the first time this year -- Nick Johnson is on the disabled list. Johnson, hitting .308 with a .962 OPS since being traded from Washington to Florida, has not played since Aug. 16 because of sore right hamstring.

Numbers Game ...
The Rockies have gained 13 1/2 games on the Dodgers in 83 days, climbing within two games of the NL West leaders with Tuesday's 10-inning, 5-4 victory. On the morning of June 4, L.A. was 37-18 and Colorado was 20-32 and in last place. Since then, the Dodgers have gone 37-34 while the Rockies have gone 52-22 to get 18 games over .500 for the first time in team history. Three weeks ago, Los Angeles had the largest lead of any first-place team; now the NL West is the tightest division.

In Their Own Words ...
"I don't know why, but I thought [Luke] Hochevar had 15 and no walks [on June 25, but it was actually 13]. So I couldn't figure out what was going on. I was wondering, 'Why are they cheering so much?' It didn't really make sense to me. I thought Hoch had 15. Obviously, I was wrong." -- Zack Greinke on the ovation he got from the Kansas City crowd when he got his 15th strikeout Tuesday night, breaking Mark Gubicza's team record

Advance Scouting ...
Tim Wakefield is scheduled to come off the disabled list tonight to start for the Red Sox against the White Sox (7:10 PM ET). Wakefield was 11-3 before going on the DL with back problems, and while his 4.31 ERA wasn't great, Boston sorely missed him in the rotation as it saw John Smoltz and Brad Penny struggle. Big question: Who catches the knuckleballs? Jason Varitek has worked with Wakefield once since 2005, but can Victor Martinez handle the floaters any better?

Starting Five: Phillies' Lidge Falls Off Ledge Again originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Dugout: Jim Passes Reggie

B. Thompson Stroud — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: White Sox, AL Central, MLB Milestones, The Dugout

URL-eponymous Dugout star Jim Thome reached another in a series of milestones last night, when he launched a Jeremy Guthrie pitch 412 feet to dead center. That home run was number 564, moving him ahead of Reggie Jackson on the all-time list. Thome, a week shy of his 39th birthday, passed Mike Schmidt earlier this season and continues hitting balls as high and as far as they will go in the patented AL Central "losing effort."

To us, nothing Jim Thome does is a losing effort. We love you, Jimbo, congratulations! Today's Dugout is after the jump.

The Dugout

	OctobersGuy: Maybe you heard... just a little crack is okay. Maybe you heard, cocaine can't really hurt you.
	WordUpThome: WHERE WOULD I HAVE HEARD THOSE THINGS
	OctobersGuy: Well you heard wrong.
	WordUpThome: HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE, I HAVE ALWAYS DARED! TO RESIST DRUGS AND ALCOHOL
	WordUpThome: COULD THIS OLD DARE BEAR HAVE BEEN MIS-LEAD BY THE CARTOON ALL STARS TO THE RESCUE; WOULD GARFIELD CAT AND MICHAEL ANGELO LIE TO ME
	OctobersGuy: There's no home run on cocaine. Y'get me? Are you listening?
	WordUpThome: I ALWAYS WONDERED WHY THE CARTOON RESERVES DID NOT ALSO COME TOWARD THE RESCUE
	WordUpThome: DID BOSKO AND COOKIE AND CHANCE FURLONG FROM SWAT CATS THE RADICAL SQUADRON NOT CARE ABOUT MICHAEL'S SMOKING
	OctobersGuy: Just a little bit of crack, or cocaine, can be addictive or even kill you. That's the real truth. The lie is: it's the OTHER guy who's going to die.
	WordUpThome: NO DISRESPECT MEANT REDGE BUT DIDN'T YOU TRY TO ASSASSINATE THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND
	OctobersGuy: that was just a movie, Jim.
	WordUpThome: BUT IT WAS BASED ON REAL EVENTS, LIKE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 1 THE LEGEND BEGINS
	WordUpThome: ARE YOU AWARE OF HOW YOUR ACTIONS INADVERTENTLY RUINED THE DAY OF RENOWNED OPERA SINGER ENRICO PALLAZZO
	OctobersGuy: What did you want to talk to me about?
	WordUpThome: WASN'T OJAY SIMPSON IN THE FILM AS WELL, THE TALL FROSTY ALLEGED SLAYER OF NICOLE BROWNED SIMPSON AND WRONG OLDMAN
	WordUpThome: I HAD NO IDEA THE NAKED GUN WAS SO FULL OF MURDERS
	WordUpThome: OH
	WordUpThome: HEY REGGIE JACKSON THIS IS JI
	OctobersGuy: Hi, Jim. What did you want to talk to me about?
	WordUpThome: JIM THOME
	OctobersGuy: Does this have anything to do with you passing me on the all-time home run list?
	WordUpThome: INDUBITABLY OLD CHAMP, DINGER 564 WAS DONGED LAST NIGHT, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU WEREN'T GOING TO SHOOT A GUN AT ME ABOUT IT
	OctobersGuy: No, of course not. I was just talking to Jim Rice about this the other day.
	OctobersGuy: Today's players are so disrespectful... we didn't have the baggy uniforms, or the dreadlocks. The guys playing now just couldn't compare to us.
	OctobersGuy: you see guys like A-Rod, guys like Manny... bottom feeding, bohemian loudmouths like Derek Jeter with their bongos and patchouli and devil may care attitudes
	OctobersGuy: No, the list of players I will not fall under the control of Ricardo Montalbán and shoot for passing me are two Mariners and you, Jim.
	WordUpThome: THAT IS NICE BUT, UH, HAVE YOU EVER ACTUALLY SEEN DEREK JETER
	WordUpThome: THAT GUY IS SO WHITE BREAD AND BORING HE MAKES EVEN A DOWN-HOMER LIKE MYSELF FEEL LIKE DOLERMITE
	WordUpThome: I AM PRETTY SURE YOU COULD EAT SODA OFF OF HIS NETHER-REGIONS AND NOT GET SICK
	OctobersGuy: Jeter is the one with the skateboard, yes?
	WordUpThome: WHAT
	WordUpThome: WHY NOT CAST ASPERSIONS ON DAVID WRIGHT, THAT GUY IS STRAIGHT OUT OF THE MULAN ROGUE
	WordUpThome: HE IS ONE CLOWN MAKEUPS AWAY FROM BEING TOULOUSE LAUTREC
	OctobersGuy: when you're as old as me, everything seems awful and inflammatory, even the stuff you're used to... 2 + 2 = 4 comes off like the soundtrack to "HAIR" to me
	OctobersGuy: just keep hitting your dingers and pass as many of us as you can before you're through
	WordUpThome: I WILL, JACKO, THANK YOU
	WordUpThome: ALL RIGHT, WHO IS NEXT /types in AOL keyword: "all-time home run list"
	Raffi: I have never used cocaine. PERIOD.
	WordUpThome: OH GREAT, THIS GUY

Photos link to player info. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) WordUpThome.com

The Dugout: Jim Passes Reggie originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 22 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Daring Tulo Makes History As Rockies Roll Into Wild-Card Lead

Ed Price — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Astros, Angels, Athletics, Marlins, Orioles, Rockies, MLB Injuries, MLB Milestones, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That Colorado has cycled back to the top of the NL wild-card standings.

Troy Tulowitzki hit for the cycle Tuesday as the Rockies bashed the Cubs, 11-5. By taking three of four in the series, Colorado moved a game ahead of San Francisco.

According to STATS LLC, Tulowitzki joined John Valentin as the only players ever to hit for the cycle and turn an unassisted triple play.

Tulowitzki ended up 5-for-5 with a career-best seven RBI, and he nearly had a two-homer cycle but replay upheld a foul ball ruling.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

He homered in the first inning, had a potential grand slam in the second ruled foul upon review before settling for a two-run single and then doubled in the fourth.

So he came up in the plate needing a triple. And he got it.

"We were sitting on the bench together and [teammate Brad Hawpe] was telling me, 'If you get anywhere close to getting a triple you better go,' " Tulowitzki said. "I honestly think if it weren't for him I would have stopped at second."

... "I don't know if I'll ever have a game like this ever in my career," he said. "Not too many people can say they had a cycle in the big leagues."

Tulowitzki also singled in the eighth inning.

It was the sixth cycle in the majors this year, the fifth cycle in Colorado's 17 seasons and the eighth all-time at extra-base friendly Coors Field.

From the Trainer's Room ...
In his first game action since March 27 open-heart surgery, Aaron Boone played five innings at third base for Double-A Corpus Christi (Texas). Boone, who is working toward a September return with Houston, went 0-for-2 with a foul out and a popup and handled two chances in the field.

Numbers Game ...
The Angels' Kendry Morales had his third two-homer game in two weeks as Los Angeles outlasted Tampa Bay, 8-7. Morales has 10 homers since the All-Star break, most in the AL, and 25 on the season. The Angels record for homers by a switch-hitter is 28, by Chili Davis in 1996. Vladimir Guerrero also homered twice Monday, giving him 400 for his career; his .322 career average is the highest for a 400-homer player since Stan Musial.

In Their Own Words ...
"I was sitting in the tunnel the whole time, trying to get away from that heat. It was like fighting fireballs. I was throwing water on my face, ammonia towels, trying to cool down a little bit.'' -- Oakland's Gio Gonzalez, who pitched six scoreless innings for a win at Baltimore, where it was 93 degrees at game time

Advance Scouting ...
The Marlins, just three games out in the NL wild-card race, will try tonight for their fifth straight win, at home against the Astros (7:10 PM ET). A victory would give Florida its first 14-6 stretch since May 2008. For Houston, the game marks the return of ace Roy Oswalt, who has not pitched since July 28 because of a sore back. Over his past seven starts, Oswalt is 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA and .180 average allowed.

Starting Five: Daring Tulo Makes History As Rockies Roll Into Wild-Card Lead originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Baseball Brunch: Under-the-Radar Jackson Deal Pays Huge Dividends

Ed Price — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Athletics, Diamondbacks, Indians, Marlins, Mets, Orioles, Phillies, Rangers, Rays, Rockies, Royals, Tigers, AL Central, MLB Media Watch, MLB Milestones, MLB Inside Scoop, Baseball Brunch

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

The most significant trade of last winter barely caused a ripple at the time.

The same day the Mets signed Francisco Rodriguez and traded for J.J. Putz, and the day after the Yankees came to terms with C.C. Sabathia, the Tigers sent outfielder Matt Joyce to the Rays for right-hander Edwin Jackson.

Or don't you remember?

Eight months later, Jackson is second in the AL with a 2.62 ERA and leads the league with a .217 opponents' average. Ignore his 8-5 record; Detroit has scored three runs or fewer in 10 of his 22 starts, and more than five runs just twice.

"We liked him," Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski told FanHouse. "We thought he'd be one of our starters. But to say we thought we'd be trading for an All-Star starter, I would not ever have projected that."

While it may seem that Jackson is one of those pitchers who had plodded along forever, doing nothing special, and has put together a fluke year, it should be noted that he is just 25.

Jackson's unusual career is the result of getting to the big leagues too soon. He made his debut with the Dodgers on Sept. 9, 2003 -- his 20th birthday -- winning against 40-year-old Randy Johnson.

But Jackson then bounced back and forth between the minors and majors, understandable since he was still in his early 20s. He was traded to the Rays in January 2006 and by 2007 he was out of minor-league options despite being only 23. He went into that season with an 11-19 career record and a 5.64 ERA.

In other words, much of his development took place in the majors.

"When I did struggle it was in the limelight," Jackson said. "It wasn't like I was in the minor leagues and had a chance to struggle under the radar.

"I think it all just worked out to make me a stronger person at the end."

And Detroit caught him on the upswing.

"He's been tremendous for us," Dombrowski said. "I don't think anybody could anticipate he'd be good to this extent. I think everybody in the game has been aware of his ability. That goes back for a long time. He's always had great stuff. It was just one of those things where sometimes you get a guy at the right time."

It's not like Dombrowski set out to steal Jackson from Tampa Bay.

Jackson went into last winter eligible for arbitration, meaning he was in line for a big raise from his $412,700 salary (it wound up being $2.2 million this year). With top prospect David Price and others, the low-payroll Rays had some pitching depth, so trading Jackson was a way to save some money that could be spent elsewhere.

It was Tampa Bay that approached Detroit first, Dombrowski said.

"They liked Matt Joyce a lot," Dombrowski said. "And we liked Matt Joyce a lot. I still think Matt Joyce is going to be a good player."

And Jackson didn't take it personally.

"A trade is a trade," he said. "That's the business aspect of it. ... As long as a team wants me, I don't have a problem.

"Without the opportunity [the Rays] gave me, I wouldn't be [an All-Star]. But at the end of the day you can only do so much with a player. You have to kind of let them go out and find themselves. That's what I went through when I had my struggles."

Jackson has thrown more strikes, going from 4.9 walks per nine innings in 2007 to 3.8 last year to 2.9 this year, and success has followed.

"I was just trying to continue to do the same thing I did last year," he said. "I just wanted cut down on my walks, attack the strike zone more. You make the hitters put the ball in play, good things happen for you."

Another reason Jackson took time, as former Rays teammate Carl Crawford noted, is that when the Dodgers signed Jackson out of Columbus, Ga., he was a pitcher and outfielder.

"So he's still learning," Crawford said. "He's not gonna do nothing but get better. He's going to be a dangerous guy for a long time."

But Jackson said he won't mind if, like when he was traded to Detroit, not too many people notice.

"It's not a bad thing to fly under the radar," he said. "It makes life a little easier."

Overheard and Understood

o. Arizona manager A.J. Hinch said ace Dan Haren excels at, as Hinch put it, breaking a game down into 110 one-pitch games -- i.e., focusing on one pitch at a time. But Hinch is also monitoring the mental and physical strain from putting so much effort into every delivery. Including Saturday at Washington, Haren has failed to get into the seventh inning in four of his past seven starts. "He executes that one pitch at a time," Hinch said, "and he exhausts about every bit of energy that he has on every one of his pitches."

o. The Twins' best chance to win the AL Central lies in their schedule. Of their 52 remaining games, 35 are within the division -- including 12 against Kansas City, nine against Cleveland and eight against Detroit (which is 3-7 against Minnesota).

o. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Orioles are the first team in 121 years to have five pitchers (Brian Matusz, David Hernandez, Jason Berken, Brad Bergesen, Koji Uehara) start and win in their major league debut. The only other team to accomplish that was the 1888 Chicago White Stockings.

Chart of the Week
The Mariners are 27-14 in one-run games, putting them on pace for 40 one-run victories this season. That would rank tied for fourth all-time and the most since 1978:
Team	Record
1978 Giants	42-26
1969 Mets	41-23
1940 Reds	41-17
1974 Orioles	40-21
1970 Orioles	40-15
1979 Astros	39-27
1985 Reds	39-18
Source: Mariners, baseball-reference.com

o. The trade of Carl Pavano to Minnesota left Cleveland with just 11 players on its 25-man roster who were on the Opening Day roster or disabled list. Only four players have made it all season on the Indians' active roster: Kerry Wood, Kelly Shoppach, Jhonny Peralta and Shin-Soo Choo.

o. Colorado's Todd Helton reached 500 doubles in 1,749 career games -- third fastest all-time after Joe Medwick and Nap Lajoie.

o. Since Luis Castillo's game-losing dropped popup against the Yankees on June 12, Rodriguez has a 7.71 ERA, four blown saves in 12 chances, and 17 walks and four homers allowed in 18 2/3 innings.

o. Because Dallas Braden is out with a foot infection, Oakland has started a rookie in eight straight games, with Brett Anderson scheduled to make it nine Sunday. The last team to use a rookie starter in nine straight games was the 1997 Cardinals, who used rookies Manny Aybar, Rigo Beltran, Matt Morris, Sean Lowe, Mike Busby and Brady Raggio over their final 19 games.

o. Darren O'Day retired 18 straight batters before walking the first man he faced Friday and has a 1.91 ERA for the Rangers. The Mets took him in last winter's Rule 5 draft but, shortsightedly, opted to cut him in April when they called up Nelson Figueroa for a spot start.

o. Bruce Chen's win Thursday for Kansas City was his first since Oct. 2, 2005, for Baltimore against Tampa Bay. In between Chen's wins, Roy Halladay and C.C. Sabathia each won 63 games.

o. Florida's Dan Uggla joined Joe Gordon as the only second basemen ever to begin their careers with four 20-homer seasons.

o. The Phillies broadcasters have created a sports-broadcasting scholarship for Philadelphia-area college students, called the Kalas Award, in memory of their late colleague Harry Kalas. Scholarship applications and the eligibility requirements are available at www.phillybroadcasters.org.

Baseball Brunch: Under-the-Radar Jackson Deal Pays Huge Dividends originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Tough Tigers Roar Back Against Orioles

Ed Price — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Astros, Athletics, Nationals, Orioles, Pirates, Rangers, Rays, Red Sox, Tigers, MLB Injuries, MLB Milestones, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That Justin Verlander and the Tigers are pretty tough.

They spotted the Orioles five runs Monday in the top of the first inning but somehow came back to win, 6-5, on Clete Thomas' ninth-inning home run.

"I've never hit a walk-off homer before - not at any level," he said. "When I was rounding first and realized it had gone out, I didn't know how to react. It feels better than you even think it will -- and that's something you always dream of doing."

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Verlander gave up hits to the first four batters he faced in the game and seven of the first 10. But he followed the first with seven scoreless innings to give Detroit a chance.

"I think we [ticked] him off after the first inning," [Aubrey] Huff said. "Certainly, you get five in the first against Verlander, you hope to win the game, but it didn't happen."

From the Trainer's Room ...
Roy Oswalt is still not recovered from a sore back, and his next start won't be until Saturday -- if he doesn't end up on the disabled list.

Oswalt left his start last Tuesday and threw a bullpen session Monday.

Oswalt said he would meet with doctors on Tuesday and throw another bullpen session on Wednesday.

"I'm not 100 percent," Oswalt said. "I just don't feel good."

Numbers Game ...
Neftali Feliz -- yet another player Texas got from Atlanta in the 2007 Mark Teixeira deal -- became the first pitcher since 1962 to strike out the first four batters he faced in his big-league career. (Pete Richert of the Dodgers struck out the first six Reds he faced on April 12, 1962: Vada Pinson, Frank Robinson, Gordy Coleman, Wally Post, Johnny Edwards and Tommy Harper). Making his debut at Oakland, Feliz pitched two perfect innings and hit 101 mph on the radar gun.

In Their Own Words ...
"I was kind of sitting on a pitch, and I got totally the opposite of what I was sitting on. I have no idea how I hit it out. I just was late; that's why it went over there. By no means was it a good piece of hitting; it was very good pitching. If I'm not sitting on changeup and I'm sitting on fastball there, I probably pull it into a double play." -- Washington's Adam Dunn on his three-run homer off Pittsburgh's Charlie Morton

Advance Scouting ...
It's almost must-win time for the Rays. Tampa Bay trails Boston by five games in the AL wild-card chase, and the Red Sox open a two-game series at Tropicana Field tonight (7:08 PM ET). Tampa starter Matt Garza is 5-1 with a 2.98 ERA in 10 career starts against Boston, not even including two wins in last year's ALCS. Red Sox lefty Jon Lester this year is 0-2 against the Rays, with a 12.54 ERA.

Starting Five: Tough Tigers Roar Back Against Orioles originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Dugout: Jokes and Jokes, Month of July Edition

Jon Bois — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, Phillies, MLB Milestones, MLB Transactions, The Dugout, MLB PEDs

July was some kind of month. We saw, among other things, a perfect game, an All-Star Game, an exodus of players to competitive teams, our monthly ration of steroid drama, and a baseball executive who was fired for throwing down his shirt as though it were a gauntlet and challenging his players to a fight.

So once again, The Dugout calls upon the insights of Bobby Cox and Charlie Manuel to puree the month of July into a series of easily-digestible puns. Read it after the jump.

The Dugout

	ManuelLabor: hey, didja hear about ort?
	BobbyCoxer: ort? who's ort?
	ManuelLabor: ortiz the guy who did the steroids!
	BobbyCoxer: holey moley! that's a knee-slapper!
	ManuelLabor: don't slap yer knee!
	BobbyCoxer: why shouldn't i slap manny? he did the steroids too!
	ManuelLabor: BOI-OI-OIIING

Photos link to player info. WordUpThome.com Photo Credit: Getty, Creative Commons

The Dugout

	BobbyCoxer: i thought communion wafers were simply made outta flour an' water! but there's more to the recipe than that!
	ManuelLabor: how'd ya figure that?
	BobbyCoxer: 'cause i got ryan church!
	ManuelLabor: D'OH!
	BobbyCoxer: literally!

Photos link to player info. WordUpThome.com Photo Credit: Getty, Creative Commons

The Dugout

	BobbyCoxer: how 'bout that! francouer's been traded!
	ManuelLabor: why'd fran trade her coors?
	BobbyCoxer: 'cause it impairs yer ability to walk!
	ManuelLabor: just like jeff francoeur!
	BobbyCoxer: DAWWW CRAP APPLES
	ManuelLabor: how'd ya acquire him in the first place?
	BobbyCoxer: selected him in the miller genuine draft!

Photos link to player info. WordUpThome.com Photo Credit: Getty, Creative Commons

The Dugout

	BobbyCoxer: i don't put hot sauce on my food.
	ManuelLabor: why come ya don't?
	BobbyCoxer: so it don't bernazard!
	BobbyCoxer: i don't put bernazard on my players.
	ManuelLabor: why come ya don't?
	BobbyCoxer: 'cause my organization ain't a joyless, all-consuming maelstrom of self-immolation and poor color coordination!

Photos link to player info. WordUpThome.com Photo Credit: Getty, Creative Commons

The Dugout

	BobbyCoxer: i heard ya got cliff lee an' pedro martinez!
	ManuelLabor: yep! took 'em with my digital camera!
	BobbyCoxer: a digital camera? i'm too old-fashioned for that!
	ManuelLabor: how's that?
	BobbyCoxer: i like to develop my pitchers!

Photos link to player info. WordUpThome.com Photo Credit: Getty, Creative Commons

The Dugout

	ManuelLabor: didja hear about erin andrews?
	BobbyCoxer: no

Photos link to player info. WordUpThome.com Photo Credit: Getty, Creative Commons

The Dugout

	BobbyCoxer: somethin's fishy! a fielder won the home run derby? did he bat with his glove or somethin'?
	ManuelLabor: naw, ya dunderhead, that was prince fielder! y'know, cecil fielder's dad?
	BobbyCoxer: i thought his pops was rickey henderson!
	ManuelLabor: why come?
	BobbyCoxer: 'cause he "hindered" his "son"!
	ManuelLabor: how'd he do that?
	BobbyCoxer: through a series o' disastrous financial decisions, a gamblin' habit, a judgmental disposition, an' the cultivation of a dysfunctional family environment!
	ManuelLabor: haw haw, that's rich!
	BobbyCoxer: no it ain't!

Photos link to player info. WordUpThome.com Photo Credit: Getty, Creative Commons

The Dugout

	BobbyCoxer: now that the tampa bay rays took the "devil" outta their name, ya think they get to go to heaven?
	ManuelLabor: they can't! mark buehrle pitched a perfect game against 'em!
	BobbyCoxer: what does that have to do with anything?
	ManuelLabor: they can't walk through the buehrle gates!
	BobbyCoxer: well surely st. peter will let 'em through! after all, the team plays in st. petersburg!
	ManuelLabor: i thought the rays played in tampa bay!
	BobbyCoxer: not specifically! tampa bay's just a metropolitan statistical area!
	ManuelLabor: you met RuPaul at an statistical area???
	BobbyCoxer: OHHHH YOU GOT ME AGAIN

Photos link to player info. WordUpThome.com Photo Credit: Getty, Creative Commons

The Dugout: Jokes and Jokes, Month of July Edition originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More History for Mark Buehrle

Andrew Johnson — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:57:00 EST

Filed under: White Sox, MLB Milestones

Fresh off a perfect game last week, Mark Buehrle made more history Tuesday night, setting down the first 17 batters he faced in Minnesota to set the major league record for consecutive hitters retired.

The White Sox left-hander tied the previous record of 41 straight -- held by current teammate Bobby Jenks and former Giants and Angels reliever Jim Barr -- on a strikeout of the Twins' Michael Cuddyer to open the bottom of the fifth inning. He then retired Joe Crede and Brendan Harris on back-to-back groundouts to run his record to 43 in a row.

Buehrle got the first two outs in the sixth inning -- a popup by Carlos Gomez and a groundout by Nick Punto -- before walking Alexi Casilla and surrendering a single to Denard Span, pushing the new mark all the way to 45 straight retired.

More Coverage: Buehrle Unravels in Loss to Twins

Johnny Vander Meer's seemingly unbreakable record of two straight no-hitters is safe, but Buehrle went on quite the run all the same.

More History for Mark Buehrle originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mark Buehrle Throws a Perfect Game

Tom Fornelli — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:23:00 EST

Filed under: White Sox, AL Central, MLB Milestones

White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle made history on the South Side of Chicago Thursday afternoon, tossing a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

It's the first perfect game in the majors since Randy Johnson back on May 18, 2004, and the 18th in Major League Baseball history. It's also the second no-hitter thrown by Buehrle in his career. He no-hit the Texas Rangers back on April 18, 2007.

"I bought everyone watches after the last one. That was an expensive no-hitter,'' Buehrle told reporters. "This one will probably be more expensive."

Buehrle, who needed only 116 pitches to complete the feat, might want to save the most expensive gift for Dewayne Wise. Coming in as a defensive replacement in center field in the ninth inning, Wise reached over the fence to rob Gabe Kapler of what would have been a sure home run. He bobbled the ball as he absorbed the collision with the wall on the way down from his leap, but managed to hang on.

"I was hoping it was staying in there, give him enough room to catch it. I know the guys were doing everything they could to save the no-hitter, the perfect game, whatever it might be," Buehrle said.

Recent No-Hitters in MLB

Pitcher: Mark Buehrle, White Sox
Date: July 23, 2009
Pitching Line: Perfect game, six strikeouts, zero walks

Jim Prisching, AP

Pitcher: Jonathan Sanchez, Giants
Date: July 10, 2009
Pitching Line: 11 strikeouts, zero walks

Ben Margot, AP

Pitcher: Carlos Zambrano, Cubs
Date: Sept. 14, 2008
Pitching Line: 10 strikeouts, one walk

Morry Gash, AP

Pitcher: Jon Lester, Red Sox
Date: May 19, 2008
Pitching Line: Nine strikeouts, two walks

Jim Rogash, Getty Images

Pitcher: Clay Buchholz, Red Sox
Date: Sept. 1, 2007
Pitching Line: Nine strikeouts, three walks

Winslow Townson, AP

Pitcher: Justin Verlander, Tigers
Date: June 12, 2007
Pitching Line: 12 strikeouts, four walks

Duane Burleson, AP

Pitcher: Mark Buehrle, White Sox
Date: April 18, 2007
Pitching Line: Eight strikeouts, one walk

Nam Y. Huh, AP

Pitcher: Anibal Sanchez, Marlins
Date: Sept. 6, 2006
Pitching Line: Six strikeouts, four walks

Wilfredo Lee, AP

Wise called it one of the best plays he had ever made.

"I was with the Braves in '04 and I was there when Randy Johnson of the Diamondbacks pitched a perfect game. So I've been on both sides of it," he said. "It was probably the best catch I've ever made because of the circumstances.

"It was kind of crazy, man, because when I jumped, the ball hit my glove at the same time I was hitting the wall. So I didn't realize I had caught it until I fell down and the ball was coming out of my glove, so I reached out and grabbed it."

Buehrle received a congratulatory phone call from President Barack Obama moments after completing the perfecto. Obama, of course, is a noted White Sox and baseball fan.

"I'm still in shock. Thank you, sir," Buehrle told Obama over the phone.

The perfect game helped the White Sox move into a de facto tie with the Detroit Tigers for first place in the AL Central (Chicago is behind Detroit by 1/100th of a percentage point), with the two teams set to open a four-game series on Friday in Detroit.

Buehrle is the 26th pitcher in major league history to record multiple no-hitters during his career, and just the second to accomplish the feat multiple times in a White Sox uniform. He is also only the sixth to throw a no-hitter and a perfect game. Only one other White Sox pitcher -- Charles Robertson in 1922 -- has pitched a perfect game.

Information from the Associated Press used in this report.

Mark Buehrle Throws a Perfect Game originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Central = Astros + Naughts

Ed Price — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Astros, Braves, Dodgers, Giants, Nationals, Phillies, NL Central, MLB Injuries, MLB Milestones

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
The Astros are a game out of first place.

A little more than a month ago -- before the games of June 20 -- Houston was dead last in the NL Central, six games behind first-place Milwaukee.

Since then the Astros have gone 19-11, including Wednesday's 4-3 defeat of the (now) first-place Cardinals with two runs in the bottom of the ninth, finishing a three-game sweep. Miguel Tejada delivered the game-winning single.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Over that same time, the Brewers have gone 11-17, the Cards 14-15, the Cubs 16-14, the Reds 10-18 and the Pirates 11-16.

Excellent division.

"I think the most important thing is that everybody on this team believes," Tejada said. "And now I think the fans are starting to believe we can do this."

Every year since 1997, Houston has had a better record after the All-Star break than before. In the 2004-08 seasons, the Astros' overall second-half record was second best in the NL to the Phillies'.

"We've been doing this since I got here," [Roy] Oswalt said. "First half is to play to keep close. Second half is to gain ground and maybe catch up and go ahead by the end."

From the Trainer's Room ...
Nationals rookie Jordan Zimmermann, who has a 3.18 ERA over his past eight starts, went on the disabled list late Wednesday with a sore elbow. Collin Balester will start in his place today.

"We really feel it's a situation we're being ultra-conservative with," interim manager Jim Riggleman said. "If this was a playoff hunt situation, there'd be no question about it. He'd be pitching. We're just going to shut him down here for a couple weeks."

Uh, yeah. No playoff hunt there.

Numbers Game ...
Manny Ramirez's grand slam was the 21st of his career, second-most all-time to Lou Gehrig's 23, and his first ever homer as a pinch hitter (36 plate appearances).

In Their Own Words ...
"We've been playing real good but we didn't play good today. ... We just won 10 in a row, whatever that means. We can't do anything about it because it's gone, except come back tomorrow." -- Phillies manager Charlie Manuel after the Cubs ended his team's 10-game winning streak

Advance Scouting ...
Atlanta, 6-1 since the All-Star break, goes for a four-game sweep of San Francisco (1 PM ET), with the Braves' stingy pitching -- this time Kenshin Kawakami -- going against Barry Zito, who has had terrible run support all season.

Starting Five: Central = Astros + Naughts originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Dugout: Luncheons Are for Mortals

Jon Bois — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, MLB Milestones, The Dugout

On Friday, the Braves celebrated Greg Maddux's election into their Hall of Fame by throwing a luncheon in his honor. Baseball fans, of course, recognize him as one of the greatest pitchers of all time. However, he's about as much of a pop-culture presence as Hideki Irabu (Maddux pieced together a shoo-in Hall of Fame career as quietly as possible; Irabu was mentioned in the series finale of Seinfeld).

I'd venture to guess that Maddux isn't bothered by this in the least. He humored his peers, but I suspect that he spent the entire luncheon silently reciting the Periodic Table of Elements to himself, or trying to remember whether Calvin Coolidge died before or after Herbert Hoover.

A Dugout in honor of Greg Maddux is after the jump. Greg Maddux is ambivalent.

The Dugout

	OnlineHost Welcome to Greg Maddux Honorary Luncheon Chat!
	AllThePerezEddiesMen: /taps microphone I'm so glad you all could make it to this luncheon. I would tap a wine glass to begin proceedings, but Greg specifically requested that we drink tap water out of Dixie cups.
	maddux.xmission.com: /looks up from Sudoku puzzle mm? /continues working on Sudoku puzzle
	AllThePerezEddiesMen: I hope you all enjoy the Pop-Tarts he also requested as our main course. He custom-ordered them with no frosting or filling.
	maddux.xmission.com: yes, the pop-tarts people were like, "mr. maddux, without the frosting or filling, you would literally be eating sweetened drywall," and i replied, "jackpot"
	AllThePerezEddiesMen: Haha. That's Greg Maddux for you! He's all business!
	maddux.xmission.com: could we please hurry up with the proceedings? my sofa is not going to scotch-guard itself
	AllThePerezEddiesMen: Sure, of course.
	AllThePerezEddiesMen: Well, my most colorful memory of Greg Maddux was this one time I caught him in San Diego. Must have been 1995.
	AllThePerezEddiesMen: I signaled for a slider. He shook it off. Then I signaled for a fastball down and in. He nodded. Then he threw a fastball down and in.
	AllThePerezEddiesMen: Imagine that! What a character!
	maddux.xmission.com: yes, i remember. it was 84 degrees at game time. there was a half-moon that night. that day's new york times crossword puzzle answers were: 2 across, "belgium," 4 across, "cilantro," 6 across, "alpha centauri, 8 across...
	maddux.xmission.com: /pauses to sniff the air
	maddux.xmission.com: has anyone in this room read "the fountainhead" within the last month? because i swear
	AllThePerezEddiesMen: What?
	maddux.xmission.com: /stares expectantly
	AllThePerezEddiesMen: Anyway. Greg Maddux has helped me out in more ways than one. Remember how I used to have that huge mole on my face? Well, one time we were in the clubhouse. He performs a ninety-minute lecture on Nash's Game Theory, and I was so bored that my mole fell off.
	AllThePerezEddiesMen: To Greg! /raises Dixie cup full of tap water
	maddux.xmission.com: ugh, that's Fulton County tap water, don't drink that s***
	AChipOffTheOl'_erJones: /steps up to podium. You know, I played with Greg Maddux for almost a decade. He was very low-key.
	AChipOffTheOl'_erJones: No, seriously, he was very low-key. He recorded himself plunking the lowest key on a piano once every four seconds, and listened to the recording for three hours before each game.
	AChipOffTheOl'_erJones: He didn't even have a place of his own. Immediately after showering, he would lie face-down and motionless on the locker room floor. We'd wake him up the next morning.
	maddux.xmission.com: mattresses are irrational extravagances
	maddux.xmission.com: sigh sorry to be a stick in the mud
	maddux.xmission.com: have fun in candy land, you tools
	maddux.xmission.com: /returns to Sudoku puzzle
	AChipOffTheOl'_erJones: Part Cy Young, part Rain Man, part Borg, part loaf of bread. That just about sums up Greg Maddux.
	SuttonDeath: /takes podium
	SuttonDeath: Greg, let me tell ya. Today is a special day. I knew you'd be in the Braves Hall of Fame.
	maddux.xmission.com: good work, nostradamus /looks down at puzzle, furrows brows
	maddux.xmission.com: what's the fifth most populous city in spain?
	SuttonDeath: What? I thought you were playing Sudoku.
	maddux.xmission.com: mind your own business hmm
	maddux.xmission.com: BILBAO! /scrawls "BILBAO, DON'T FORGET" on hand
	SuttonDeath: You ought to get an iPhone for stuff like that.
	maddux.xmission.com: what could the internet possibly tell me that i don't already know
	SuttonDeath: Greg, what is it like to be so much smarter than everyone around you?
	maddux.xmission.com: you want to know what it's like?
	maddux.xmission.com: when you see a moth flying around in your house, and you know you could kill it
	maddux.xmission.com: but then you wonder whether this moth will eat your food and chew through your clothes, and you know he won't
	maddux.xmission.com: so you sit and stare at him as he rests on the wall. you know you're better than him, smarter than him, but you wonder whether it's your given right to squash him
	maddux.xmission.com: you think about it, and then you decide it's just as well to let him ground out to shortstop
	maddux.xmission.com: or maybe fly out to david justice. different method, same result.
	SuttonDeath: You're laid-back, rational, and efficient. We get it. We all get it.
	SuttonDeath: But you're frustrating the hell out of me. I don't buy it.
	maddux.xmission.com: try me
	SuttonDeath: Remember that time about fifteen years ago? A sick kid was supposed to throw out the first pitch at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. You were his favorite player.
	SuttonDeath: Shortly before the game in question, he died.
	maddux.xmission.com: ...
	SuttonDeath: Since you were his favorite player, you took his place. You threw out that first pitch. They said that you cried.
	maddux.xmission.com: mm
	SuttonDeath: Are you crying? You're crying, aren't you?
	maddux.xmission.com: i am cleansing my tear ducts of foreign toxins
	SuttonDeath: You're crying.
	maddux.xmission.com: sometimes emotions are efficient

Photos link to player info. WordUpThome.com Photo Credit: Getty, Creative Commons

The Dugout: Luncheons Are for Mortals originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Greg Maddux Inducted Into Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame

Knox Bardeen — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:05:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, MLB Milestones

ATLANTA -- The entire Atlanta Braves 25-man roster, coaching staff, some former players and almost 900 fans were in attendance today to watch Greg Maddux become the 21st player in Braves history to enter their Hall of Fame.

Joe Simpson was the Master of Ceremonies today at a luncheon celebrating the career of Greg Maddux, which spanned 11 seasons in Atlanta and ended with the pitcher landing eighth on the all-time wins list with 355 career wins.

Instead of focusing on his four consecutive Cy Young Awards, a feat nobody has ever matched, or his 18 Gold Gloves, fans were treated Friday to stories about Maddux the person and teammate; stories which not only proved his worth as a ball player, but showed us all that Greg Maddux lived, breathed and loved this game, and wanted not only to be the best, but have fun doing so.

Following the introductions, a very esteemed group of individuals gathered on stage to answer a few questions about Maddux. John Schuerholz, Eddie Perez, who was at most times Maddux' personal catcher, Leo Mazzone and Chipper Jones joined Joe Simpson to spend some time reflecting on the career of Greg Maddux.

Schuerholz started off with a powerful message that no person in the room could doubt. When asked if Maddux was the best right-handed pitcher he had ever seen, Schuerholz replied, "No doubt, no question." A short and simple answer about a pitcher who was anything but simple.

The loudest reception came in response to Eddie Perez' answer to Simpson's question about whether catching Maddux was harder physically or mentally.

"It was more mental. I had to teach him a lot of stuff." was Perez' answer sending roars through the panel and crowd.

And Chipper Jones recalled a story about a game during his rookie season in 1995, a game against the San Francisco Giants. Barry Bonds was at bat and Jones, who admittedly was a bit anxious, collided with Maddux on the first base side of the pitchers' mound, knocking them both over.

"'Bleep' dammit, mother 'bleepin' settle the 'bleep' down... 'bleepin' rookie", Jones recalled, noting he was putting it nicely for the crowd.

After the first six Braves hitters collected hits, including Jones, Maddux walked over to make amends... sort of.

"Hey Larry, nice job. Now stay the 'bleep' away from me"

Whether it was stories like this that showed the lighter, yet competitive side to Maddux or statements about Maddux' uncanny ability to set hitters up, out thinking them even months in advance sometimes, every person in the room knew they witnessed greatness for the eleven seasons Maddux spent in Atlanta.

Of the 24 players in Major League Baseball history who have earned 300 or more wins, four were in attendance today, if you include Tom Glavine's taped speech. Glavine, who was unable to attend because of his ten-year-old son's baseball tournament in Florida, thanked Maddux for "making me a better player".

He also shared the excitement he felt upon hearing the news that Maddux would be joining the Braves, back in 1993.

"I had a feeling [about] what we were about to witness for the next five to 10 years. [We got] five of the greatest years of any pitcher in the game," Glavine said.

Don Sutton, one of the other 300-game winners in the room, complimented Maddux for being the best pitcher "one out of every five days" and the best teammate "four out of the other five days". Sutton also said that he regretted never being able to play with Maddux.

"You would have made me better," he said to Maddux.

When Maddux finally took the stage he thanked many people. He thanked Bobby Cox for teaching him. He gave thanks to teammates Chipper Jones and David Justice. Jones for "driving in a lot of runs" and Justice for "that home run", making sure to mention the solo shot Justice hit against the Cleveland Indians in game six of the 1995 World Series to clinch the Braves the title.

Maddux made light of Eddie Perez' comment from earlier saying, "I did listen to you; more than you know". He also called Rafael Furcal and Andruw Jones "pitcher's best friends" for their amazing defensive prowess.

Greg Maddux was officially inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame at 1:15 PM ET when he received a miniature statue, which was a replica of what would be installed in Monument Grove, outside of Turner Field.

Before Friday night's game against New York, Maddux will become the sixth person to have his number retired for the Braves. He'll join Hank Aaron (44), Eddie Matthews (41), Dale Murphy (3), Phil Niekro (35) and Warren Spahn (21). Along with those five numbers, no one else will ever again wear number 31.

In true No. 31 fashion, Maddux ended his speech by raising his voice a little and saying, "Let's crush the Mets tonight".

Greg Maddux Inducted Into Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rivera Joins Hoffman in 500-Save Club

Ed Price — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:47:00 EST

Filed under: Yankees, MLB Milestones

NEW YORK - Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman got to 500 saves in different ways.

Rivera, who earned No. 500 on Sunday night as the Yankees defeated the Mets, did it in the New York spotlight, with his biting cut fastball.

Hoffman was in the relative shadows of San Diego with a changeup as his signature.

But they are more alike than they are different.

"They joke around, they have personalities, but when they get locked in, it's a whole different beast," Brett Tomko, who has sat in the bullpen with both men, told FanHouse.

"And you can see the similarities between the two, where there's something inside that turns on. And you probably could sit and talk to them and they wouldn't even hear you."

Rivera got a bonus along with save No. 500: RBI No. 1. Francisco Rodriguez inexplicably walked Rivera with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth, giving the Yankees an insurance run for their 4-2 victory.

"RBI No. 1 is more [memorable]," Rivera said. "It's my first RBI. It's my 500th save."

He was half-serious.

For all the debate about the worthiness of the save as a statistic, there is something to getting the final out of a close game. And to do it 500 times takes a certain combination of skill, confidence, fearlessness and calm.

All-Time Saves Leaders
Pitcher	Saves
Trevor Hoffman	571
Mariano Rivera	500
Lee Smith	478
John Franco	424
Dennis Eckersley	390

Rivera probably gets the nod as the greatest ever because of extra credit for his remarkable performance in the postseason. As Yankees manager (and former catcher) Joe Girardi said, " 'Mo' was as big a part of that dynasty as any player in that clubhouse."

Tomko joined the Yankees this spring, and one of the first things he wanted to find out was how Rivera compares to Hoffman.

They're from the same mold, it turns out.

"I think the main thing is focus, work ethic," Tomko said. "I think from what I've seen here with Mo, they have the routines, they stick with it, their even keel. I think the thing I like most about them is they're very humble. They go in, they do their job, there's not a whole lot of show to them, you wouldn't know if they were saving the first game of their career or the 500th. They act like they've done it a million times, and to me to see both of them ... pretty much act the same way when they finish the game, I think it's a cool thing."

As Rivera said, while some closers might point to the sky or pound their chests after a save, "I go home. Simple as that. My personality is just different."

Rivera's humility is genuine. Asked about his impending milestone on Sunday afternoon, he demurred somewhat.

"It is something special," Rivera said. "There's only one guy that has done it in Major League Baseball. It's a great achievement. But at the same time, without my teammates, I could not do anything."

Asked what he admires about Hoffman, Rivera said, "The way he takes care of his business. You never hear anything about the guy. He always respects the game and goes [about] his business."

And Rivera prides himself on being the same way.

Asked if he has the goal of passing Hoffman (571 saves) for the all-time lead, Rivera said, typically, "I am not looking for no records. I'm not here for that. I'm here to play baseball and win World Series. If it happens, it happens."

Latest Baseball Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 28: Matt Kemp #27 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates after hitting a homerun in the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Dodger Stadium on June 28, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Matt Kemp

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 28: Hiroki Kuroda #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the Seattle Mariners at Dodger Stadium on June 28, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Hiroki Kuroda

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 28: Franklin Gutierrez #23 of the Seattle Mariners runs to first base after hitting a single in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on June 28, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Franklin Gutierrez

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NEW YORK - JUNE 28: Mariano Rivera #42 of the New York Yankees prepares to bat in the ninth inning against the New York Mets on June 28, 2009 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. The Yankees defeated the Mets 4-2, (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mariano Rivera

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NEW YORK - JUNE 28: Derek Jeter #2 of the New York Yankees makes a catch for an out against the New York Mets on June 28, 2009 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. The Yankees defeated the Mets 4-2. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Derek Jeter

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NEW YORK - JUNE 28: Alex Cora #3 and Fernando Martinez #26 of the New York Mets field the ball against the New York Yankees on June 28, 2009 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. The Yankees defeated the Mets 4-2. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Fernando Martinez;Alex Cora

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NEW YORK - JUNE 28: Alex Cora #3 of the New York Mets throws his helmet after striking out against the New York Yankees on June 28, 2009 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. The Yankees defeated the Mets 4-2. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

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NEW YORK - JUNE 28: Mariano Rivera #42 of the New York Yankees enters the game in the eigth inning against the New York Mets on June 28, 2009 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. The Yankees defeated the Mets 4-2, (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mariano Rivera

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NEW YORK - JUNE 28: Mariano Rivera #42 of the New York Yankees walks to the batters box in the ninth inning against the New York Mets on June 28, 2009 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. The Yankees defeated the Mets 4-2, (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mariano Rivera

Getty Images

Rivera, 39, earned his first save on May 17, 1996, during his year as set-up man for John Wetteland (getting Garret Anderson for the final out, with Girardi callng the pitch). The following winter, Rivera was home in Panama when manager Joe Torre called to tell him he'd be the closer in '97.

"I didn't even know John Wetteland was no longer with the team," Rivera recalled.

But Rivera was made for the role, even though he throws nothing but fastballs - mostly that cutter, with an occasional sinker that runs the opposite way (away from lefties) to keep hitters off-balance.

"He's a remarkable pitcher," Girardi said. "And to think that he's done it with one pitch is even harder to imagine.

"I know he sinks it and he cuts it and he elevates it, but just the consistency of his location with his fastball for so many years is really incredible."

While Rivera doesn't get enough credit for his command, it's his control of his emotions that make him a great closer.

"There's a switch," Tomko said. "I think with Mo, he's talkative until it comes about the eighth inning. And then that switch turns on, and you kind of know, OK, let's leave him alone.

"Trevor was fair game for the first three innings because he was down in the bullpen. And then he went inside, and when he started his routine, getting ready, that was it. You didn't mess with him. He was polishing his shoes, getting his arm worked on, and when he came back out in the seventh, that was it."

The skinny guy from Panama and goateed Californian have their differences. But think of it this way: their theme songs - "Enter Sandman" and "Hell's Bells" - aren't the same, but are both, at their core, heavy metal.

Both players, at their core, are classy gentlemen, good teammates and cold-blooded closers.

"They're probably more similar that you'd think," Tomko said of the 500-save men. "I would love to be a fly on the wall and see them go out to lunch and just talk about the game and talk about their careers. It would be a pretty cool lunch."

Rivera Joins Hoffman in 500-Save Club originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aaron on Glavine: 'You Have to Be Gracious Enough to Step Aside'

Terence Moore — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 18:32:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, MLB Hall of Fame, MLB Milestones

It happens. Guys such as Tom Glavine spend much of their baseball careers shining brighter than the sun. Then, when nearly everything surrounding their stardom begins to dim near the end, they just won't leave.

They don't want anybody to push them, either.

Hank Aaron wasn't one of those guys.

"Believe me, I was ready to retire, and the game went on, just like it did after Babe Ruth retired and when Willie Mays retired, and it's going to continue that way whether folks realize it or not," said Aaron, 75, baseball's legitimate home-run king, chuckling during an exclusive interview with FanHouse. He has spent the last three decades or so as an Atlanta Braves executive, a noted philanthropist through his Chasing the Dream Foundation and an eternal straight-shooter on all sorts of things.

On this day, the subject was two-fold: Glavine's noisy disapproval of the Braves' whacking him and his Hall of Fame arm out of nowhere this week, and why it is so difficult for great players without overwhelming health issues to drift quietly into retirement -- you know, like Aaron, who nevertheless understands the mindset of Glavine and others during these situations.

Let's start with Aaron's departure. "The year that I said I wanted to leave (1976), everything was drained out of me at that time," Aaron said. "Everything. I had been through literally hell during the last two and half years of my career, with all of the newspaper articles and with folks saying this and saying that and doing all sorts of different things toward me. I was just absolutely worn out."

Remember? Courtesy of Aaron's storied pursuit and passing of Ruth's 714, he was a target of hate mail and death threats. He finished the last two of his 23 years in the majors with the Milwaukee Brewers after he built his legacy with the Braves of Milwaukee and Atlanta. "I've never said this before, but the greatest thing that ever happened to me was when I was traded to the Brewers, and I was able to go to Sun City, Ariz., for spring training," Aaron said. "That's a retirement area for people 75 and older, and I got me an apartment there, and I swear: I never came out. The only thing I did was train and go home, so that tells you I was ready to go.

"A lot of players believe their careers can go on and on and on and on. They believe that it won't end at some point, and that is not the case. Your legs get worn out. Your arm that used to throw balls 90 mph. Hey, those balls don't get to the plate as fast. The bases you used to steal, they're just not there."

According to Braves officials, a future for Glavine on the field with their suddenly gasping franchise just isn't there, either. This is a team that had a record 14 consecutive trips to the playoffs, but it hasn't gone that far in four years. The Braves are barely a .500 bunch these days in a National League East, where the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets are sliding farther north of Atlanta in the standings.

That means those who run the Braves can't afford too many mistakes, and they definitely can't afford to live on sentimentality.

So this made sense: Although Glavine threw 11 consecutive scoreless innings during his two rehabilitation starts, Braves officials said they didn't like what they saw of their 43-year-old finesse pitcher recovering from shoulder and elbow issues. As a result, they took away Glavine's tentatively scheduled start on Sunday at Turner Field against the Milwaukee Brewers, and they gave it to 22-year-old Tommy Hanson, supposedly the Braves' next Cy Maddux, Cy Smoltz and Cy Glavine. Hanson was a work-in-progress during his debut (six earned runs and six hits in six innings), but he was impressive during early spurts of the Braves' eventual 8-7 victory.

Yeah, this made sense for the Braves, but Glavine says otherwise, of course. He loathed the timing of it all. The day after he baffled Triple-A competition on Tuesday, he was called into a Braves meeting with team president John Schuerholz, general manager Frank Wren and manager Bobby Cox. That's when Glavine got his fateful news. He called a press conference blasting Braves hierarchy. He said they wanted him to fail in rehabilitation to make their transition to Hanson easier. He said he was cut for financial reasons since he would make $4.5 million this season through incentives.

Schuerholz later issued a public apology for not letting Glavine know how much he meant to "our franchise" and "to the game of baseball."

To which Aaron cringed.

"I wouldn't have said anything if I were John Schuerholz. I think that was a mistake, because it was a no-win situation in his case, as much as [Schuerholz] tried to patch up the differences," Aaron said. Then he laughed, adding, "This is the first time I've ever been on management's side. I mean, Glavine got paid very well through the years to play here, and there's never a good way to handle these situations. But if you're the Braves, you've got to throw those kids out there and let them pitch. If you're Glavine, you have to be gracious enough to step aside."

Why don't the Glavines of any sport do so? "The hardest thing for anybody -- especially athletes -- is to wake up in the morning and realize everything has stopped for them," Aaron said. "The cheering. The booing. The traveling. All the things that you used to be doing are no longer there, and it's hard for you to realize that, along with the idea of losing all of the money that I made. It's just not there any more.

"Since the most I made was [$240,000 over two years], I can't possibly imagine what it's like for guys today, because they've got these huge bills. They've got these mansions all over the world. Then they look around and say, 'Oh, my God. I have to pay for this, and I have to pay for that.' That's really tough, which is why a lot of these guys want to wake up in the morning and blame somebody else for their situation."

Which brings us to Glavine, whose thoughts of playing into a 22nd season involve adrenaline more than money. He's one of two active 300-game winners with 305 victories, with 21 years in the majors ...

And with a bruised ego.

Terence Moore is a national columnist and commentator for FanHouse. He is a frequent panelist on "Rome Is Burning," an ESPN show hosted by Jim Rome, that is seen Monday through Friday at 4:30 PM ET. Moore spent more than three decades working for major newspapers, including 26 years as an award-winning sports columnist for the San Francisco Examiner and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He resides in Atlanta.

Aaron on Glavine: 'You Have to Be Gracious Enough to Step Aside' originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 07 Jun 2009 18:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ten Big Memories of the Big Unit

Ed Price — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:30:00 EST

Filed under: Diamondbacks, Giants, Yankees, MLB Milestones

I covered Randy Johnson as a beat writer for eight seasons: 1999-2004 with the Diamondbacks and then 2005-06 with the Yankees. (We both moved East the same winter, by coincidence.)

So I figure I saw about 230 of Johnson's starts - hey, I deserved a day off once in a while - and more than 100 of his 300 wins. Off the top of my head, here are the top 10 Randy Johnson moments I witnessed in those eight years:

1. Perfection (May 18, 2004)
Twenty-seven up, 27 down at Atlanta. And after this game, Johnson even smiled. His 117th and final pitch, a called strike to Eddie Perez, was 98 mph. His 14 strikeouts were second-most ever in a perfect game, and at 40, he was the oldest ever to be perfect. "I don't think my stuff has been any better than it was today," Johnson said.

2. What a Relief (Nov. 4, 2001)
A day after throwing 104 pitches in winning Game 6 of the World Series, Johnson came out of the bullpen for the final 1 1/3 innings of Game 7. Arizona's famous rally in the bottom of the ninth gave Johnson his third win of the series.

3. KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK (May 8, 2001)
Midway through a game against the Reds, I realized I had never seen Johnson with more dominant stuff. He struck out two in each of the first three innings and then the side in the fourth. He finished with 20 strikeouts but got a no decision as the game went to extra innings tied at 1-all. At first, Johnson was not considered to have tied the record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game because the game went longer, but the Elias Sports Bureau does recognize the feat.

4. Tough Luck (June 30, 1999)
Before the 20-strikeout game, the best I had seen Johnson was also against the Reds, in Cincinnati. He struck out 17 in eight innings but lost 2-0 as Ron Villone and Scott Williamson combined on a shut out. That was the second game in a four-game stretch in which Johnson had a 1.41 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 32 innings, but went 0-4 because the Diamondbacks were (in order) no-hit, one-hit, two-hit and three-hit.

5. Bye, Bye Birdie (March 24, 2001)
Just an ordinary spring-training game. Or so thought some bird that decided to fly in front of home plate as Johnson was pitching to San Francisco's Calvin Murray. Then the poor, unsuspecting bird met the Big Unit's fastball. "Three feet from home plate the ball just disappapeared," Murray said. "The bird just exploded. Feathers everywhere. Poof!"

6. Going Yard (Sept. 19, 2003)
With a bat borrowed from Raul Mondesi, Johnson connected on a pitch from future teammate Doug Davis for his first career home run. Johnson became the oldest player to hit his first career homer. (Two years later, the Yankees were in Minnesota and Johnson and I were in the dugout. "Isn't the guy I face in Milwaukee tomorrow the guy I homered off of?" he asked me. It was, but this time he went 0-for-3.)

7. Join the Club (Sept. 10, 2000)
With a 97 mph fastball past Florida's Mike Lowell, Johnson became the 12th pitcher to reach 3,000 career strikeouts - the first to do it before his 14th season. "I feel like I'm the answer to a trivia question," Lowell said, "until he gets to No. 4,000, which is fine with me."

8. Back Home (July 20, 1999)
Johnson liked to think he helped get Safeco Field built, and he has a point. The excitement generated by the Mariners' charge to the playoffs in 1995 helped push through a stadium to replace the Kingdome. Johnson got to pitch in the sixth game ever at Safeco - his first game back in Seattle since the Mariners traded him to the Astros in 1998 - and rose to the occasion with an eight-hit shutout.

9. Oops (April 16, 1999)
In one of the more bizarre baseball altercations, San Francisco's Charlie Hayes charged Arizona pitcher Todd Stottlemyre from second base after reaching on a fielder's choice and moving up on a hit. After the required emptying of benches and bullpens, everything was being sorted out and Johnson picked up his cap off the ground and put it back on. Except it wasn't his hat; it belonged to Giants coach Sonny Jackson. And for a few moments before he figured it out, there was Randy Johnson walking around, unbeknownst to him, with an "SF" cap on - 10 years too early.

10. Guts (Oct. 6, 2006)
The last Randy Johnson game I covered. Despite a herniated disk in his back that eventually required surgery, Johnson started Game 3 of the American League Division Series in Detroit. And even though he allowed five runs in 5 2/3 innings while Kenny Rogers was blanking the Yankees, Johnson showed his teammates something. "After today," Sal Fasano said, "I have more respect for him than any pitcher I ever caught."

Ten Big Memories of the Big Unit originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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