Monday, June 30, 2014

Pop Lloyd: Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1977

Born: April 25, 1884

1905: Began pro career

1906: Cuban X-Giants

1907-09: Philadelphia Giants

1910: Leland Giants

1911-15: Lincoln Giants

1914-7: Chicago American Giants

1915: Lincoln Stars

1918-20: Brooklyn Royal Gianst

1919-1932 (on and off): Bacharach Giants

1921: Hired to help form Columbus Negro League squad

1921: Columbus Buckeyes
1923: Hilldale Giants

1924: Won Batting Title

1924: Had 11 straight hits

1926-30: Lincoln Giants

1931-32: Managed Bacharach Giants

Died: March 19, 1964

1977: Elected to Hall of Fame


Accomplishments:
.343 career hitter

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Martin Dihigo: Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1977

Born: May 25, 1906

1922: Began pro career in Cuba

1922-47: Cuban Leagues

1923: Joined Negro Leagues

1923-7: Cuban Stars (East)

1927-8: Homestead Grays

1929: Hilldale Giants

1930: Cuban Stars (East)

1930-1: Hilldale Giants

1935-36, 1945: New York Cubans

1937-47: Mexican League

1951: Elected to Cuban Baseball HOF

1964: Elected to Mexican Baseball HOF

Died: May 20, 1971

1977: Elected to Hall of Fame (Negro League Committee)


Accomplishments:
2x Negro League All Star

Cuban and Mexican Baseball Hall of Fames

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Ernie Banks: Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1977

Born: January 31, 1931

1950: Graduated High School

1950: Signed with Kansas City Monarchs

1951-3: Korean War Service

1953: Back to Monarchs

1953: Sold to Chicago Cubs

Debut: September 17, 1953 (Cubs)

1955: Set HR record for shortstops

1958: NL MVP (.313, 47 HR, 129 RBI, .614 Slugging, .980 OPS, 379 TB)

1959: NL MVP (.304, 45 HR, 143 RBI, .970 OPS, .596 Slugging, 351 TB)

1961: Banks moved to the outfield (later first base)

1962: Three HR game after returning from a concussion received in a beaning

1962: Ran for Chicago Alderman, but lost

1963: Suffered from the mumps

1965: Hit 400th homerun

1967-71: Player/Coach

1967: Became first black owner of a Ford Dealership

1968: Lou Gehrig Award

1969: Cubs overtaken by Miracle Mets for the Pennant

1970: Hit 500th homerun

1971: Retired

1977: Elected to Hall of Fame (83.8% of the vote)

1982: Cubs retired his #14

1999: All Century Team

2008: Cubs unveil statue

2008: Eddie Vedder's song "All The Way" was a birthday gift to Banks

2009: Named Library of Congress Living Legend

2013: Presidential Medal of Freedom


Accomplishments:
14x All Star

2x MVP

1960 Gold Glove

895 Consecutive Games played

.274

512 home runs

1636 RBI

1305 runs

2583 hits

407 doubles

90 triples

.330 OBP

.500 Slugging

.830 OPS

4706 TB

100+ runs: 2x

30+ doubles: 2x

11 triples (1958)

20+ HR: 13x

30+ HR: 7x

40+ HR: 5x

100+ RBI: 8x

Hit .300: 2x

.500 slugging: 8x

.614 slugging (1958): Led league

300 TB: 6x

Led league in games played: 6x

Led league in HR: 2x

Led league in RBI: 2x

Led league in IBB: 2x

Led league in TB (379): 1958

Sunday, June 22, 2014

1905 World Series Game 5

New York: 2 Philadelphia: 0 (Giants win World Series 4-1)

WP: Mathewson (3-0)

LP: Bender (1-1)
Christy Mathewson returned for the third time in five games to shutout the A's. This time, Mathewson defeated Game 2 shutout victor Chief Bender by a score of 2-0. New York scored the only run needed in the fifth on a fly ball double play. In the eighth, Mathewson scored on a ground out. In the top of the ninth, the A's hit three weak grounders, two right back to the mound, to end the first Best-of-Seven World Series. It was the only series to feature a shutout in every game.

Christy Mathewson would have been a unanimous MVP. He threw three complete game shutouts in five games. Overall, he tossed 27 innings, surrendered 13 hits, walked 1 and struckout 18. Joe McGinnity won the other game for New York. The entire staff posted a 0.00 ERA. Red Ames made the only relief appearance for either side.

The A's posted a cumulative 1.67 ERA in defeat. They batted .155 as a team with just 2 RBI and a miniscule .373 OPS. Topsey Hatsel led the A's with a .235 average and .610 OPS. The team struck out 25 times in the five games.

New York batted marginally better than Philadelphia. They hit .216 with a .556 OPS. Roger Bresnahan hit .313 with a .938 OPS. Billy Gilbert hit .294, but not one else topped .263. Neither team hit a home run.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

1905 World Series Game 4

New York: 1 Philadelphia: 0 (New York leads 3-1)

WP: McGinnity (1-1)

LP: Plank (0-2)
Game 4 decided the World Series. Philadelphia trailed 2-1 and there was no way of recovering from a 3-1 deficit with the way Mathewson had been pitching. Connie Mack turned to Game1 starter Eddie Plank. John McGraw started Joe McGinnity. This was the third game in the series to feature a Hall of Fame pitching matchup.

Both men pitched like Hall of Famers in Game 4. The game's only run scored in the fourth. Sam Mertes reached on an error by shortstop Monte Cross. Two outs later, Mertes stood at second. With the pitcher on deck, second baseman Billy Gilbert slapped the biggest hit of his career to give New York a 1-0 lead. The unearned run stood up. Each pitcher allowed 5 hits and no earned runs in 9 innings. However, the Giants took an insurmontable 3-1 series lead with Mathewson waiting in the wings.

Monday, June 16, 2014

1905 World Series Game 3

New York: 9 Philadelphia: 0 (Giants lead 2-1)

WP: Mathewson (2-0)

LP: Coakley (0-1)
Game 3 of the 1905 World Series was basically over with the contest's first pitch. The A's started Andy Coakley, who was the first starting pitcher to appear in that series that did not make the Hall of Fame. Coakley hit Giants lead off man Roger Bresnahan with the first pitch and the rout was on. New York scored two in the first, but that was all Christy Mathewson needed. The Giant started hurled a complete game 4-hit shutout and New York added five in the fifth and two in the ninth for the 9-0 blowout victory. Coakley also went 9 innings and surrendered only 3 earned runs. Dan McGann had three hits and four RBI in the win. It would be 40 years before the World Series had another 9-0 game. In 1945, the Cubs downed Detroit 9-0, but would lose that series.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

1905 World Series Game 2

Philadelphia: 3 New York: 0 (Series tied 1-1)

WP: Bender (1-0)

LP: McGinnity (0-1)
The Giants drew first blood, so the A's turned to 18 game winner and future Hall of Famer Chief Bender to stem the tide. New York started another Hall of Famer, Joe McGinnity, who won 21 games in 1905. Neither team scored in the first two innings. When the dust settled, no earned runs crossed the plate.

Philadelphia scored their first run in the third inning. Giant first baseman committed an error allowing Ossee Schrecongost to reach. Bender sacrified the runner to second and he advanced to third on a ground out. Bris Lord singled in Schrecongost to plate the game's first run.

McGinnity and Bender cruised into the eighth. In the top half, Schrecongost singled with one out and scored on a two-out double by Topsy Hartsel. The run was unearned as Hall of Fame catcher Roger Bresnahan committed an error to allow the runner to score. Hartsel then scored on Lord's second two-out RBI hit of the game. Harry Davis grounded to short to end the inning. A's led 3-0.

The Giants threatened in the eighth with a single and a runner reaching on an error. However, Bender compelled George Browne to ground out to end the threat. The Giants pinch hit for McGinnity in the eighth. Red Ames pitched the bottom half of the frame and escaped a one-out and two runners on jam.

New York rallied again in the ninth, but failed to score. Mike Donlin and McGann reached base with no one out. Bender clamped down and retired the next three batters in order to finish the shutout. In the end, Bender threw a 4-hit shutout, walked 3,and struck out 9. McGinnity allowed 8 hits in 8 innings, walked none, struck out 2, and allowed no earned runs. It was the second consecutive shutout in the 1905 Series and the A's evened the Fall Classic at 1 game each. It was the first time a team lost a World Series game without giving up an earned run.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

1905 World Series Game 1

New York: 3 Philadelphia: 0 (Giants lead series 1-0)

W: Mathewson (1-0)

L: Plank (0-1)
Game One of the 1905 World Series featured a Hall of Fame pitching matchup. New York started Christie Mathewson while the A's Eddie Plank shared the mound. Both men pitched complete games with the Giants coming out on top. Mathewson tossed a four-hit shutout while Plank surrendered 10 hits and 3 runs.

The game was scoreless into the fifth. Plank experienced some difficulties early, but pitched out a bases loaded jam in the second. Mathewson led off with a hit, but returned to the dugout on a force play. Roger Bresnahan took first and then stole second. Centerfielder Mike Donlin singled in Bresnahan with two out. The A's walked the next batter and then Sam Mertes doubled in Donlin. Giants led 2-0.

The game remained 2-0 until the ninth. The Giants tacked on an insurance run on a Bresnahan single to center. Plank retired the next two batters to send the game to the bottom of the ninth. The A's trailed 3-0 with two out in the ninth when Harry Davis doubled. Mathewson forced Lave Cross to ground to third to end the game. The Giants took a 1-0 series lead with a 3-0 victory. In the Deadball Era, this was a blowout.

Monday, June 9, 2014

The 1905 World Series overview

The 1903 World Champion Boston Americans repeated as AL Champs in 1904. However, the National League champion Giants refused to play in a World Series. New York manager John McGraw refused to recognize the upstart American League. The Giants should have been forced to forfeit the world title in 1904. However, public pressure forced McGraw to play in the soon-to-be Fall Classic in 1905.

The 1905 Series featured Hall of Fame skippers John McGraw and Connie Mack. The Philadelphia A's unseated the Bostoners for the AL crown. The Giants won the NL by 9 games after a 105 win campaign. Then, McGraw's Giants won the championship in five games over the A's. Each game featured a shutout. The two teams boasted eight total Hall of Fame players including the series hero Christie Mathewson.

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Sci-Fi History: A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Stanley Kubrik's film portrays a dystopian future in which Malcolm McDowell's character, Alex, displays no sense of morality or empathy. Alex loves classical music as much as rape and intense violence. The immoratlity portrayed is a reflection of the culture at large. The film mocks psychiatry and psychology while focusing on violent youth culture. Some believed the film critiqued communism, but instead examined the extremes from both the right and left.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faML0QvVb2A

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Rafael Palmeiro: Timeline

Born: September 24, 1964

1982: Drafted by New York Mets, but did not sign

1982-85: Mississippi State University (All American)

1985: Only SEC player to win Triple Crown

1985: Drafted by Chicago Cubs

Debut: September 8, 1986 (Cubs)

1988: Traded to Texas Rangers

1993: Signed with Baltimore Orioles

1998: Signed with Rangers

2003: Hit 500th home run

2004: Signed with Orioles

2005: Denied steroid use before Congress

2005: 3000th hit

2005: Suspended for steroid use

2007: Appeared in Mitchell Report on steroid abuse

2008: Mississippi State Hall of Fame

2014: Dropped off Hall of Fame ballot (4.4%)


Accomplishments:
4x All Star

3x Gold Glove

2x Silver Slugger

Most games by a player to never appear in a World Series (2,831)

.288

569 HR

1835 RBI

1663 Runs

3020 Hits

585 doubles

1353 Walks-1348 Strikeouts

.371 OBP

.515 Slugging

.885 OPS

5388 TB

100+ Runs: 4x

203 hits (1991)

30+ Doubles: 11x

40+ Doubles: 4x

20+ HR: 14x

30+ HR: 10x

40+ HR: 4x

100+ RBI: 10x

22 SB (1993)

100+ Walks: 3x

.300 average: 6x

.420 OBP (1999)

.500 SLugging: 11x

.630 Slugging (1999)

1.050 OPS (1999)

300+ TB: 9x

Led league in runs (124): 1993

Led league in hits (191): 1990

Led league in doubles (49): 1991

Postseason: .244, 4 HR, 8 RBI, .759 OPS (5 Series)

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Jack Morris: Timeline

Born: May 16, 1955

1976: Drafted by Detroit Tigers

Debut: July 26, 1977 (Tigers)

1981: Player's Strike (Morris leads leage with 14 wins)

1981: TSN Pitcher of the Year

1983: 20-13

1984: No-Hit White Sox

1984: Won 2 games in 1984 World Series

1984: Tigers win World Series

1984: Babe Ruth Award

1986: 21-8, 3.27 ERA, 267 IP, 6 shutouts, 223 strikeouts, 1.165 WHIP

1987: Tigers win ALCS

1989: Pitched with fractured elbow

1991: Signed with Minnesota Twins

1991: Won Game 7 1991 World Series with 10 inning 1-0 shutout

1991: Twins win World Series

1991: Babe Ruth Award

1991: World Series MVP

1991: Signed with Toronto Blue Jays

1992: First Blue Jay pitcher with 20 wins (21-6)

1992-3: Blue Jays win World Series

1993: Made 14th consecutive Opening Day start

1994: Signed with Cleveland Indians

1994: Work stoppage

1995: Retired

1996: Pitched with St Paul Saints and retired for good

2013: Began broadcasting for Twins

2014: Dropped off Hall of Fame Ballot (61.5%)


Accomplishments:
4x World Champion

5x All Star

1991 World Series MVP

2x Babe Ruth Award winner

No-Hitter

254-186

.577 win %

175 CG

28 SHO

2478 Strikeouts

3.94 ERA

1.296 WHIP

14+ wins: 13x

20+ wins: 3x

ERA under 4.00: 9x

ERA under 3.50: 7x

10+ CG: 11x

15+ CG: 4x

20 CG (1983)

200+ IP: 11x

250+ IP: 6x

200+ Strikeouts: 3x

Led league in wins: 2x

Led league in GS: 2x

Led league in CG (11): 1990

Led league in SHO (6): 1986

Led league in IP (293.2): 1983

Led league in BB (78): 1981

Led league in Strikeouts (232): 1983

Led league in WP: 6x

Postseason: 7-4, 3.80, 92.1 IP, 1.245 WHIP, 64 strikeouts, 5 CG, 1 SHO (7 Series)

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Quotes of the Month: May 2014

Quote of the Month: "I, myself, deeply regret what happened between me and President Clinton. Let me say it again: I. Myself. Deeply. Regret. What. Happened."


-Monica Lewinsky
Stupid Quote of the Month: "i guess there are some out there who dont like to think that a holocaust survivor had a leg up over a black/brown person due to skin color."


-Oliver Willis
"Basically, I was against all white people."


-Michael Jordan on growing up
"Thirty days in the hospital? And when she reappears, she's wearing glasses that are only for people who have traumatic brain injury? We need to know what's up with that."


-Karl Rove on Hillary Clinton
"What has he done, big Magic Johnson, what has he done?" -


-Donald Sterling
"We must lead."


-Chris Christie on American foreign policy
"I will not stand for it."


-Barack Obama on the VA Scandal
"If there’s ever been evidence that a government-run system of health care is a disaster, it’s here. It’s rationing. It’s waitlists and corruption and laziness, as you get when people are salaried rather than working in the free market."

Charles Krauthammer on the VA


"I mean, is that how we're now setting the strategy of the United States of America in a war zone, where so many have died and so much treasure and blood has been spent, so a president can leave office looking good?"


-Charles Krauthammer
"It is absolutely true that in the 21st century, American isolationism is not an option."


-Barack Obama