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  • 6+ Seasons Of 20+ HR & 80+ RBI @ Age 30 Or Older Since 1982

    Posted by on January 27th, 2012 · Comments (2)

    Here’s the list -

    Rk   Yrs From To Age  
    1 Rafael Palmeiro 10 1995 2004 30-39 Ind. Seasons
    2 Barry Bonds 10 1995 2004 30-39 Ind. Seasons
    3 Jeff Kent 8 1998 2005 30-37 Ind. Seasons
    4 Edgar Martinez 8 1995 2003 32-40 Ind. Seasons
    5 Fred McGriff 8 1994 2002 30-38 Ind. Seasons
    6 Dave Winfield 8 1982 1992 30-40 Ind. Seasons
    7 Manny Ramirez 7 2002 2008 30-36 Ind. Seasons
    8 Raul Ibanez 7 2002 2011 30-39 Ind. Seasons
    9 Carlos Delgado 7 2002 2008 30-36 Ind. Seasons
    10 Jim Thome 7 2001 2008 30-37 Ind. Seasons
    11 Sammy Sosa 7 1999 2007 30-38 Ind. Seasons
    12 Gary Sheffield 7 1999 2005 30-36 Ind. Seasons
    13 Jeff Bagwell 7 1998 2004 30-36 Ind. Seasons
    14 Dante Bichette 7 1994 2000 30-36 Ind. Seasons
    15 Andres Galarraga 7 1993 2000 32-39 Ind. Seasons
    16 Joe Carter 7 1990 1997 30-37 Ind. Seasons
    17 David Ortiz 6 2006 2011 30-35 Ind. Seasons
    18 Jorge Posada 6 2002 2009 30-37 Ind. Seasons
    19 Jason Giambi 6 2001 2008 30-37 Ind. Seasons
    20 Jim Edmonds 6 2000 2005 30-35 Ind. Seasons
    21 Frank Thomas 6 1998 2007 30-39 Ind. Seasons
    22 Moises Alou 6 1997 2004 30-37 Ind. Seasons
    23 Steve Finley 6 1996 2004 31-39 Ind. Seasons
    24 Chili Davis 6 1991 1997 31-37 Ind. Seasons
    25 Eddie Murray 6 1987 1995 31-39 Ind. Seasons
    26 Mike Schmidt 6 1982 1987 32-37 Ind. Seasons
    27 Dwight Evans 6 1982 1989 30-37 Ind. Seasons
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 1/27/2012.

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    About a half-dozen guys could join the club in 2012.

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    1,706+ Career Games & Playing For Just One Team

    Posted by on January 26th, 2012 · Comments (5)

    It’s a gang of 55!

    Rk Player WAR/pos G   From To Age PA OPS Tm
    1 Stan Musial 127.8 3026 1 1941 1963 20-42 12712 .976 STL
    2 Ted Williams 125.3 2292 1 1939 1960 20-41 9791 1.116 BOS
    3 Mickey Mantle 120.2 2401 1 1951 1968 19-36 9909 .977 NYY
    4 Lou Gehrig 118.4 2164 1 1923 1939 20-36 9660 1.080 NYY
    5 Honus Wagner 116.5 2298 1 1901 1917 27-43 9640 .853 PIT
    6 Mel Ott 109.3 2730 1 1926 1947 17-38 11337 .947 NYG
    7 Mike Schmidt 108.3 2404 1 1972 1989 22-39 10062 .908 PHI
    8 Al Kaline 91.0 2834 1 1953 1974 18-39 11597 .855 DET
    9 Cal Ripken 89.9 3001 1 1981 2001 20-40 12883 .788 BAL
    10 Carl Yastrzemski 88.7 3308 1 1961 1983 21-43 13991 .841 BOS
    11 George Brett 85.0 2707 1 1973 1993 20-40 11624 .857 KCR
    12 Roberto Clemente 83.8 2433 1 1955 1972 20-37 10212 .834 PIT
    13 Joe DiMaggio 83.6 1736 1 1936 1951 21-36 7671 .977 NYY
    14 Chipper Jones 82.9 2387 1 1993 2011 21-39 10166 .935 ATL
    15 Charlie Gehringer 80.9 2323 1 1924 1942 21-39 10237 .884 DET
    16 Jeff Bagwell 79.9 2150 1 1991 2005 23-37 9431 .948 HOU
    17 Robin Yount 76.9 2856 1 1974 1993 18-37 12249 .772 MIL
    18 Johnny Bench 71.3 2158 1 1967 1983 19-35 8669 .817 CIN
    19 Derek Jeter 70.8 2426 1 1995 2011 21-37 11155 .832 NYY
    20 Lou Whitaker 69.7 2390 1 1977 1995 20-38 9967 .789 DET
    21 Luke Appling 69.3 2422 1 1930 1950 23-43 10243 .798 CHW
    22 Brooks Robinson 69.1 2896 1 1955 1977 18-40 11782 .723 BAL
    23 Barry Larkin 68.9 2180 1 1986 2004 22-40 9057 .815 CIN
    24 Tony Gwynn 68.4 2440 1 1982 2001 22-41 10232 .847 SDP
    25 Edgar Martinez 67.2 2055 1 1987 2004 24-41 8672 .933 SEA
    26 Alan Trammell 66.9 2293 1 1977 1996 19-38 9375 .767 DET
    27 Pee Wee Reese 66.7 2166 1 1940 1958 21-39 9470 .743 BRO-LAD
    28 Craig Biggio 66.2 2850 1 1988 2007 22-41 12503 .796 HOU
    29 Ernie Banks 64.4 2528 1 1953 1971 22-40 10395 .830 CHC
    30 Todd Helton 60.2 2054 1 1997 2011 23-37 8725 .971 COL
    31 Willie Stargell 57.5 2360 1 1962 1982 22-42 9026 .889 PIT
    32 Bill Terry 55.4 1720 1 1923 1936 24-37 7111 .899 NYG
    33 Stan Hack 54.8 1938 1 1932 1947 22-37 8506 .791 CHC
    34 Ichiro Suzuki 54.6 1749 1 2001 2011 27-37 8060 .791 SEA
    35 Bill Dickey 54.4 1789 1 1928 1946 21-39 7060 .868 NYY
    36 Bobby Doerr 47.7 1865 1 1937 1951 19-33 8028 .823 BOS
    37 Bernie Williams 47.3 2076 1 1991 2006 22-37 9053 .858 NYY
    38 Jorge Posada 44.9 1829 1 1995 2011 23-39 7150 .848 NYY
    39 Kirby Puckett 44.8 1783 1 1984 1995 24-35 7831 .837 MIN
    40 Roy White 44.5 1881 1 1965 1979 21-35 7735 .764 NYY
    41 Bill Freehan 43.3 1774 1 1961 1976 19-34 6899 .752 DET
    42 Jim Rice 41.5 2089 1 1974 1989 21-36 9058 .854 BOS
    43 Don Mattingly 39.8 1785 1 1982 1995 21-34 7721 .830 NYY
    44 Jim Gilliam 39.1 1956 1 1953 1966 24-37 8321 .715 BRO-LAD
    45 Pie Traynor 37.1 1941 1 1920 1937 21-38 8293 .797 PIT
    46 Kent Hrbek 35.3 1747 1 1981 1994 21-34 7137 .848 MIN
    47 Carl Furillo 35.0 1806 1 1946 1960 24-38 7022 .813 BRO-LAD
    48 Clyde Milan 34.3 1982 1 1907 1922 20-35 8312 .706 WSH
    49 Dave Concepcion 33.6 2488 1 1970 1988 22-40 9640 .679 CIN
    50 Frank White 26.9 2324 1 1973 1990 22-39 8467 .675 KCR
    51 Bill Mazeroski 26.9 2163 1 1956 1972 19-35 8379 .667 PIT
    52 Bill Russell 24.9 2181 1 1969 1986 20-37 8020 .648 LAD
    53 Ossie Bluege 24.7 1867 1 1922 1939 21-38 7452 .707 WSH
    54 Jim Gantner 19.4 1801 1 1976 1992 23-39 6782 .671 MIL
    55 Ed Kranepool 4.4 1853 1 1962 1979 17-34 5997 .693 NYM
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 1/26/2012.

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    Icons, eh?

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    Teams Collecting Accomplished Batters

    Posted by on January 25th, 2012 · Comments (0)

    Since 1901, there are 189 players with 2,100+ career hits.  Which teams have had these players on their roster, at one time or another, the most?  Here is the list:

    Rk Year Tm Lg #Matching
    1   Los Angeles Dodgers   38
    2   Atlanta Braves   37
    3   New York Yankees   36
    4   Oakland Athletics   36
    5   Boston Red Sox   34
    6   San Francisco Giants   34
    7   Chicago White Sox   30
    8   Chicago Cubs   29
    9   Cleveland Indians   27
    10   Pittsburgh Pirates   27
    11   St. Louis Cardinals   27
    12   Baltimore Orioles   25
    13   Cincinnati Reds   25
    14   Minnesota Twins   23
    15   Detroit Tigers   22
    16   New York Mets   22
    17   Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim   20
    18   Philadelphia Phillies   20
    19   Houston Astros   18
    20   Texas Rangers   18
    21   Milwaukee Brewers   16
    22   San Diego Padres   16
    23   Washington Nationals   16
    24   Toronto Blue Jays   13
    25   Kansas City Royals   10
    26   Seattle Mariners   9
    27   Florida Marlins   8
    28   Colorado Rockies   6
    29   Tampa Bay Rays   5
    30   Arizona Diamondbacks   4
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 1/25/2012.

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    (more…)

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    Kim Jones Leaves Yankees YES Network

    Posted by on January 25th, 2012 · Comments (7)

    Here is the story.

    Don’t feel bad Yankees fans. Look at the Red Sox, they lost Heidi Watney. I’m sure that YES can find another field reporter who is willing to eat meat on a stick.

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    Prince Fielder To Tigers For 9 Years @ $214M

    Posted by on January 24th, 2012 · Comments (10)

    Well, he knows the town…since his father played there.

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    Hip, Hip…Good-Bye

    Posted by on January 24th, 2012 · Comments (5)

    Via Joey Nowak -

    [Jorge] Posada is one of five players in baseball history to record at least 1,500 hits, 350 doubles, 275 homers and 1,000 RBIs while playing at least half of his games behind the plate.

    Here’s the gang of five -

    Rk Player WAR/pos H 2B HR RBI From To Age G PA R BB SO BA OBP SLG
    1 Johnny Bench 71.3 2048 381 389 1376 1967 1983 19-35 2158 8669 1091 891 1278 .267 .342 .476
    2 Ivan Rodriguez 67.3 2844 572 311 1332 1991 2011 19-39 2543 10270 1354 513 1474 .296 .334 .464
    3 Carlton Fisk 67.3 2356 421 376 1330 1969 1993 21-45 2499 9853 1276 849 1386 .269 .341 .457
    4 Gary Carter 66.3 2092 371 324 1225 1974 1992 20-38 2295 9019 1025 848 997 .262 .335 .439
    5 Jorge Posada 44.9 1664 379 275 1065 1995 2011 23-39 1829 7150 900 936 1453 .273 .374 .474
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 1/24/2012.

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    Astros Consider Name Change?

    Posted by on January 24th, 2012 · Comments (3)

    Here is the story.

    From a baseball fan perspective, I totally get it. Why not go for the total reboot when they switch leagues? However, if I were a fan of the team, I think I would be upset over this possible change. They’ve been called the Astros for the last 47 years. That’s a lifetime for some fans. Granted, it’s not the greatest name ever for a baseball team. But, it’s been their name for almost a half-century. It’s hard to sweep that under the rug.

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    Prince Fielder & Edwin Jackson

    Posted by on January 23rd, 2012 · Comments (0)

    Casey Kotchman and Zach Duke say “Com’on, sign already!”

    Vladimir Guerrero and Jon Garland probably feel the same way.

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    5+ Post-Season Road Wins

    Posted by on January 23rd, 2012 · Comments (0)

    Here’s the list…of pitchers to do this:

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    I don’t think anyone is ever going to top Pettitte’s number here.

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    Tyler Clippard Vs. David Robertson, 2011

    Posted by on January 23rd, 2012 · Comments (6)

    It’s a tough call, eh?

    Player WAR G ERA Year Age Tm GF W L SV IP BB SO BA OBP SLG
    David Robertson 3.9 70 1.08 2011 26 NYY 8 4 0 1 66.2 35 100 .170 .280 .226
    Tyler Clippard 3.4 72 1.83 2011 26 WSN 8 3 0 0 88.1 26 104 .162 .228 .307
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 1/21/2012.

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    Superbowl Tynes Again!

    Posted by on January 22nd, 2012 · Comments (14)

    Gotta be in it, to win it, right?

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    The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2012

    Posted by on January 22nd, 2012 · Comments (0)

    Need a baseball fix to carry you over from Super Bowl madness to the start of Spring Training?   Or, are you always up for checking out a unique baseball book?  In either case, I recommend The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2012.

    First, this year’s edition is much more “handy” as they’ve gone from a “8 1/2 x 11” inch format to a “7 x 9” inch format. This makes the book much more portable. But, more so, the book is full of commentary, analysis and historical features.

    To be candid, some of the sabermetric stuff in the book is over my head. (O.K., most of it is over my head.)  But, that’s more of a reflection on me than the authors. Yet, you don’t need to understand the math – at least I don’t – to enjoy what’s in there. (I’m fine with leaving the egg-head confirmation and debate tasks to those who are more into that type of metric-exercise.)

    For example, in Michael A. Humphreys’ “Simple Fielding Runs Estimates” feature, in the sidebars, it lists the “Defensive Regression Analysis” (DRA) all-time leaders for each position. And, I don’t need to know how the math works on these to appreciate the fact that Paul Blair and Gary Pettis are listed as the 4th and 5th best center fielders, respectively, after Andruw Jones, Willie Mays and Tris Speaker. I saw Blair and Pettis and it’s great to see them get their due in a study. (Ditto seeing Roy White as the 4th best left fielder – per DRA – after Rickey Henderson, Willie Wilson and Barry Bonds.)

    Also, in Max Marchi’s “People Will Most Definitely Come” study, I don’t need to waste time trying to follow that the “adjusted R-squared is a statistical coefficient measuring the proportion of variability accounted for by the model” to enjoy that the results tell us that, from 1947, more people attended games when Nolan Ryan, Sandy Koufax, Tom Seaver or Vida Blue were pitching.

    There’s something for every baseball fan in The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2012. For the hardcore sabermetric crowd, there’s more than enough math in there to give their minds a rush. And, for those who just enjoy baseball commentary and or interesting revelations on baseball history, that’s there as well.

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    SS With 20+ WAR Before Their 28th Birthday

    Posted by on January 22nd, 2012 · Comments (0)

    Minimum 800 games at SS before turning 28:

    Rk Player WAR/pos G From To Age PA R HR RBI SB BA OBP SLG OPS
    1 Alex Rodriguez 61.0 1275 1994 2003 18-27 5687 1009 345 990 177 .308 .382 .581 .963
    2 Arky Vaughan 52.3 1149 1932 1939 20-27 5055 754 71 631 66 .329 .420 .476 .895
    3 Robin Yount 42.5 1389 1974 1983 18-27 5919 780 113 633 128 .284 .327 .425 .752
    4 Cal Ripken 41.8 1153 1981 1988 20-27 4968 713 183 651 16 .280 .351 .469 .821
    5 Travis Jackson 37.9 1160 1922 1931 18-27 4708 609 99 645 64 .301 .349 .452 .801
    6 Jim Fregosi 35.8 1164 1961 1969 19-27 4866 565 88 431 69 .270 .340 .401 .741
    7 Joe Cronin 35.6 990 1926 1934 19-27 4254 588 51 687 56 .303 .385 .451 .836
    8 Derek Jeter 31.3 936 1995 2001 21-27 4251 715 99 488 135 .320 .392 .470 .862
    9 Donie Bush 30.4 1077 1908 1915 20-27 4814 744 8 261 295 .248 .364 .304 .668
    10 Lou Boudreau 30.3 903 1938 1945 20-27 3981 501 30 416 39 .289 .377 .408 .785
    11 Hanley Ramirez 29.7 852 2005 2011 21-27 3757 617 134 434 216 .306 .380 .506 .886
    12 Alan Trammell 29.0 1138 1977 1985 19-27 4627 595 69 429 124 .281 .349 .394 .743
    13 Joe Sewell 28.1 944 1920 1926 21-27 4160 561 18 586 54 .324 .407 .432 .839
    14 Vern Stephens 26.9 999 1941 1948 20-27 4290 595 138 665 17 .288 .354 .455 .809
    15 Joe Tinker 26.5 969 1902 1908 21-27 3854 425 17 400 206 .250 .297 .330 .627
    16 Jose Reyes 23.4 924 2003 2010 20-27 4254 634 74 379 331 .286 .335 .434 .769
    17 Edgar Renteria 22.1 1296 1996 2004 19-27 5501 734 83 565 237 .289 .346 .400 .746
    18 Garry Templeton 21.8 980 1976 1983 20-27 4205 558 34 385 181 .292 .315 .399 .714
    19 Rabbit Maranville 21.3 913 1912 1919 20-27 3867 396 20 304 143 .249 .312 .333 .645
    20 Tony Fernandez 21.2 867 1983 1989 21-27 3600 426 36 338 112 .292 .336 .400 .736
    21 Jack Barry 20.7 850 1908 1914 21-27 3373 400 8 336 125 .252 .329 .318 .648
    22 Ron Hansen 20.1 857 1958 1965 20-27 3365 337 81 356 7 .239 .326 .369 .695
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 1/21/2012.

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    Jim Fregosi, today, reminds me of Oliver Reed – but, I don’t know why?

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    Righty Sluggers, Then & Now

    Posted by on January 21st, 2012 · Comments (2)

    It’s scary when you compare 1963 and 2011, isn’t it?

    Most career HR, RH-Batters, through 1963 -

    Rk Player HR From To Age G
    1 Jimmie Foxx 534 1925 1945 17-37 2316
    2 Willie Mays 406 1951 1963 20-32 1691
    3 Gil Hodges 370 1943 1963 19-39 2072
    4 Ralph Kiner 369 1946 1955 23-32 1472
    5 Joe DiMaggio 361 1936 1951 21-36 1736
    6 Ernie Banks 353 1953 1963 22-32 1500
    7 Hank Aaron 342 1954 1963 20-29 1511
    8 Hank Greenberg 331 1930 1947 19-36 1394
    9 Roy Sievers 310 1949 1963 22-36 1793
    10 Al Simmons 307 1924 1944 22-42 2215
    11 Rogers Hornsby 301 1915 1937 19-41 2259
    12 Del Ennis 288 1946 1959 21-34 1903
    13 Hank Sauer 288 1941 1959 24-42 1399
    14 Bob Johnson 288 1933 1945 27-39 1863
    15 Joe Adcock 283 1950 1963 22-35 1636
    16 Rudy York 277 1934 1948 20-34 1603
    17 Frank Thomas 272 1951 1963 22-34 1589
    18 Rocky Colavito 268 1955 1963 21-29 1166
    19 Bobby Thomson 264 1946 1960 22-36 1779
    20 Frank Robinson 262 1956 1963 20-27 1190
    21 Joe Gordon 253 1938 1950 23-35 1566
    22 Vern Stephens 247 1941 1955 20-34 1720
    23 Hack Wilson 244 1923 1934 23-34 1348
    24 Roy Campanella 242 1948 1957 26-35 1215
    25 Wally Berger 242 1930 1940 24-34 1350
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 1/21/2012.

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    Most career HR, RH-Batters, through 2011 -

    Rk Player HR From To Age G
    1 Hank Aaron 755 1954 1976 20-42 3298
    2 Willie Mays 660 1951 1973 20-42 2992
    3 Alex Rodriguez 629 1994 2011 18-35 2402
    4 Sammy Sosa 609 1989 2007 20-38 2354
    5 Frank Robinson 586 1956 1976 20-40 2808
    6 Mark McGwire 583 1986 2001 22-37 1874
    7 Harmon Killebrew 573 1954 1975 18-39 2435
    8 Manny Ramirez 555 1993 2011 21-39 2302
    9 Mike Schmidt 548 1972 1989 22-39 2404
    10 Jimmie Foxx 534 1925 1945 17-37 2316
    11 Frank Thomas 521 1990 2008 22-40 2322
    12 Ernie Banks 512 1953 1971 22-40 2528
    13 Gary Sheffield 509 1988 2009 19-40 2576
    14 Dave Winfield 465 1973 1995 21-43 2973
    15 Jose Canseco 462 1985 2001 20-36 1887
    16 Vladimir Guerrero 449 1996 2011 21-36 2147
    17 Jeff Bagwell 449 1991 2005 23-37 2150
    18 Albert Pujols 445 2001 2011 21-31 1705
    19 Dave Kingman 442 1971 1986 22-37 1941
    20 Andre Dawson 438 1976 1996 21-41 2627
    21 Juan Gonzalez 434 1989 2005 19-35 1689
    22 Cal Ripken 431 1981 2001 20-40 3001
    23 Mike Piazza 427 1992 2007 23-38 1912
    24 Andruw Jones 420 1996 2011 19-34 2102
    25 Andres Galarraga 399 1985 2004 24-43 2257
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 1/21/2012.

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    I wonder what the list will look like 50 years from now?

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    Best Of The 1,000 Hit Club

    Posted by on January 21st, 2012 · Comments (6)

    Of all the retired players, with stats since 1901, who have at least 1,000 career hits but less than 2,000 career hits, who were the best?  Here’s one take on it -

    Rk Player WAR/pos H From To Age G PA R HR RBI SB BA OBP SLG
    1 Jim Edmonds 67.9 1949 1993 2010 23-40 2011 7980 1251 393 1199 67 .284 .376 .527
    2 Bobby Grich 67.6 1833 1970 1986 21-37 2008 8220 1033 224 864 104 .266 .371 .424
    3 Home Run Baker 63.7 1838 1908 1922 22-36 1575 6660 887 96 987 235 .307 .363 .442
    4 Jackie Robinson 63.2 1518 1947 1956 28-37 1382 5802 947 137 734 197 .311 .409 .474
    5 Mark McGwire 63.1 1626 1986 2001 22-37 1874 7660 1167 583 1414 12 .263 .394 .588
    6 Shoeless Joe Jackson 62.9 1772 1908 1920 20-32 1332 5690 873 54 785 202 .356 .423 .517
    7 Dick Allen 61.2 1848 1963 1977 21-35 1749 7314 1099 351 1119 133 .292 .378 .534
    8 Sal Bando 60.6 1790 1966 1981 22-37 2019 8288 982 242 1039 75 .254 .352 .408
    9 Jim Wynn 59.8 1665 1963 1977 21-35 1920 8010 1105 291 964 225 .250 .366 .436
    10 Bobby Bonds 57.0 1886 1968 1981 22-35 1849 8090 1258 332 1024 461 .268 .353 .471
    11 Hank Greenberg 56.8 1628 1930 1947 19-36 1394 6096 1051 331 1276 58 .313 .412 .605
    12 Lou Boudreau 56.0 1779 1938 1952 20-34 1646 7023 861 68 789 51 .295 .380 .415
    13 Robin Ventura 55.5 1885 1989 2004 21-36 2079 8271 1006 294 1182 24 .267 .362 .444
    14 Jack Clark 55.0 1826 1975 1992 19-36 1994 8225 1118 340 1180 77 .267 .379 .476
    15 Joe Gordon 54.9 1530 1938 1950 23-35 1566 6536 914 253 975 89 .268 .357 .466
    16 Bill Dickey 54.4 1969 1928 1946 21-39 1789 7060 930 202 1209 36 .313 .382 .486
    17 Norm Cash 52.9 1820 1958 1974 23-39 2089 7910 1046 377 1103 43 .271 .374 .488
    18 Minnie Minoso 52.8 1963 1949 1980 23-54 1835 7710 1136 186 1023 205 .298 .389 .459
    19 Ron Cey 52.0 1868 1971 1987 23-39 2073 8344 977 316 1139 24 .261 .354 .445
    20 Mickey Cochrane 51.2 1652 1925 1937 22-34 1482 6206 1041 119 832 64 .320 .419 .478
    21 Gabby Hartnett 50.3 1912 1922 1941 21-40 1991 7297 867 236 1179 28 .297 .370 .489
    22 Fred Clarke 50.3 1528 1901 1915 28-42 1373 5902 931 30 590 240 .301 .380 .420
    23 Chet Lemon 49.9 1875 1975 1990 20-35 1988 7872 973 215 884 58 .273 .355 .442
    24 Tommy Leach 49.5 1991 1901 1918 23-40 1996 8401 1260 57 737 334 .270 .341 .372
    25 Joe Tinker 49.2 1690 1902 1916 21-35 1806 7152 774 31 783 336 .262 .308 .353
    26 Gene Tenace 48.7 1060 1969 1983 22-36 1555 5525 653 201 674 36 .241 .388 .429
    27 Johnny Evers 48.4 1659 1902 1929 20-47 1784 7210 919 12 538 324 .270 .356 .334
    28 Tony Lazzeri 48.3 1840 1926 1939 22-35 1740 7303 986 178 1191 148 .292 .380 .467
    29 Larry Doby 47.4 1515 1947 1959 23-35 1533 6302 960 253 970 47 .283 .386 .490
    30 Fred Lynn 47.3 1960 1974 1990 22-38 1969 7923 1063 306 1111 72 .283 .360 .484
    31 Larry Doyle 47.2 1887 1907 1920 20-33 1766 7382 960 74 793 298 .290 .357 .408
    32 Toby Harrah 47.1 1954 1969 1986 20-37 2155 8766 1115 195 918 238 .264 .365 .395
    33 Rocky Colavito 46.4 1730 1955 1968 21-34 1841 7559 971 374 1159 19 .266 .359 .489
    34 Heinie Groh 46.4 1774 1912 1927 22-37 1676 7035 918 26 566 180 .292 .373 .384
    35 Bobby Wallace 46.3 1618 1901 1918 27-44 1743 6902 681 10 704 154 .262 .325 .336
    36 Jim Fregosi 46.1 1726 1961 1978 19-36 1902 7402 844 151 706 76 .265 .338 .398
    37 Frank Chance 46.1 1134 1901 1914 24-37 1115 4541 703 18 547 378 .298 .397 .396
    38 Ralph Kiner 45.9 1451 1946 1955 23-32 1472 6256 971 369 1015 22 .279 .398 .548
    39 Earle Combs 44.7 1866 1924 1935 25-36 1456 6507 1186 58 632 98 .325 .397 .462
    40 Jimmy Sheckard 44.6 1717 1901 1913 22-34 1772 7657 1055 45 621 345 .271 .374 .372
    41 Gil Hodges 44.6 1921 1943 1963 19-39 2072 8104 1105 370 1274 63 .273 .359 .487
    42 Roy White 44.5 1803 1965 1979 21-35 1881 7735 964 160 758 233 .271 .360 .404
    43 Augie Galan 44.0 1706 1934 1949 22-37 1742 7003 1004 100 830 123 .287 .390 .419
    44 Matt Williams 43.9 1878 1987 2003 21-37 1866 7595 997 378 1218 53 .268 .317 .489
    45 Wally Schang 43.8 1506 1913 1931 23-41 1841 6423 769 59 710 121 .284 .393 .401
    46 Vern Stephens 43.5 1859 1941 1955 20-34 1720 7240 1001 247 1174 25 .286 .355 .460
    47 Thurman Munson 43.4 1558 1969 1979 22-32 1423 5903 696 113 701 48 .292 .346 .410
    48 Charlie Keller 43.4 1085 1939 1952 22-35 1170 4604 725 189 760 45 .286 .410 .518
    49 Bill Freehan 43.3 1591 1961 1976 19-34 1774 6899 706 200 758 24 .262 .340 .412
    50 Travis Jackson 43.3 1768 1922 1936 18-32 1657 6679 833 135 929 71 .291 .337 .433
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 1/21/2012.

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    Now, here’s the guys from the above list who are not in the Hall of Fame (yet) -

    Rk Player WAR/pos
    1 Jim Edmonds 67.9
    2 Bobby Grich 67.6
    3 Mark McGwire 63.1
    4 Shoeless Joe Jackson 62.9
    5 Dick Allen 61.2
    6 Sal Bando 60.6
    7 Jim Wynn 59.8
    8 Bobby Bonds 57.0
    9 Robin Ventura 55.5
    10 Jack Clark 55.0
    11 Norm Cash 52.9
    12 Minnie Minoso 52.8
    13 Ron Cey 52.0
    14 Chet Lemon 49.9
    15 Tommy Leach 49.5
    16 Gene Tenace 48.7
    17 Fred Lynn 47.3
    18 Larry Doyle 47.2
    19 Toby Harrah 47.1
    20 Rocky Colavito 46.4
    21 Heinie Groh 46.4
    22 Jim Fregosi 46.1
    23 Jimmy Sheckard 44.6
    24 Gil Hodges 44.6
    25 Roy White 44.5
    26 Augie Galan 44.0
    27 Matt Williams 43.9
    28 Wally Schang 43.8
    29 Vern Stephens 43.5
    30 Thurman Munson 43.4
    31 Charlie Keller 43.4
    32 Bill Freehan 43.3
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 1/21/2012.

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    If not for that stupid air conditioner, Grich may have been in the Hall by now.

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    Brewers Fan-Tastic 40

    Posted by on January 20th, 2012 · Comments (0)

    Now, this is a great idea.  Every major league team should do something like it.

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    Big Daddy Magrane

    Posted by on January 20th, 2012 · Comments (1)

    He really looks unhappy here.  Then again, I would probably have the same reaction.

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    Young Power & Eyes

    Posted by on January 19th, 2012 · Comments (3)

    From 1901 to 2011, players with the most seasons where they had 35+ HR, 100+ BB and BB>SO and they were age 27 or younger:

    Rk   Yrs From To Age  
    1 Frank Thomas 3 1993 1995 25-27 Ind. Seasons
    2 Mickey Mantle 3 1955 1958 23-26 Ind. Seasons
    3 Ralph Kiner 3 1948 1950 25-27 Ind. Seasons
    4 Ted Williams 3 1941 1946 22-27 Ind. Seasons
    5 Jimmie Foxx 3 1932 1935 24-27 Ind. Seasons
    6 Lou Gehrig 3 1927 1930 24-27 Ind. Seasons
    7 Norm Cash 2 1961 1962 26-27 Ind. Seasons
    8 Eddie Mathews 2 1954 1955 22-23 Ind. Seasons
    9 Hank Greenberg 2 1937 1938 26-27 Ind. Seasons
    10 Mel Ott 2 1929 1932 20-23 Ind. Seasons
    11 Babe Ruth 2 1920 1921 25-26 Ind. Seasons
    12 Prince Fielder 1 2011 2011 27-27 Ind. Seasons
    13 Adrian Gonzalez 1 2009 2009 27-27 Ind. Seasons
    14 Todd Helton 1 2000 2000 26-26 Ind. Seasons
    15 Chipper Jones 1 1999 1999 27-27 Ind. Seasons
    16 Gary Sheffield 1 1996 1996 27-27 Ind. Seasons
    17 Darrell Evans 1 1973 1973 26-26 Ind. Seasons
    18 Johnny Bench 1 1972 1972 24-24 Ind. Seasons
    19 Rocky Colavito 1 1961 1961 27-27 Ind. Seasons
    20 Al Rosen 1 1950 1950 26-26 Ind. Seasons
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 1/19/2012.

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    Mel Ott was really something.  Shame that he died so young.

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    Danny Garcia

    Posted by on January 19th, 2012 · Comments (9)

    Bernie’s only boy to make the big leagues. I wonder if he played his home games at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center? (That’s where I was told they played…back in the day.)

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    Ah, The Baker Bowl…

    Posted by on January 18th, 2012 · Comments (0)

    Teams since 1919 to lose 4+ games (of 9 innings or less) in a season where they scored 10+ runs in the contest -

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    Must have been fun to watch a game in that Philly band-box.

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    Must See TV!

    Posted by on January 18th, 2012 · Comments (0)

    Sean Forman will be on Clubhouse Confidential on the MLB Network. He is taping this afternoon and is pretty sure it will be broadcast tonight. The show typically airs 5:30pm and 7:30pm ET. Check it out!

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    The Bill James Handbook 2012

    Posted by on January 17th, 2012 · Comments (2)

    I’ve mentioned in the past that I’m a raving fan of the Bill James Handbook which is produced annually by the good folks at Baseball Info Solutions and Acta Sports.

    That said, I was wondering if I would like The Bill James Handbook 2012 - since good things sometimes lose their luster through the years.

    Well, I can now share that I still love this book!  As in the past, it contains the following along with the career stats of every current big league player:

    • The Fielding Bible Awards
    • Runs Saved and Plus/Minus Leaders
    • Pitcher Projections
    • Hitter Projections
    • Baserunning Analysis
    • Manufactured Runs
    • Team Efficiency Summary
    • Player Win-Shares
    • 2011 Leader Boards
    • Manager’s Records
    • Instant Replay Records
    • Hall of Fame Monitor

    However, new, this year, it also includes a (1) Pitch Repertoire Section detailing pitch type breakdowns for all pitchers in baseball and (2) Rotation vs. Bullpen team charts showcasing the strengths and weaknesses of each team’s pitching staff.

    My favorite part of having this book? Thumbing through the pages and landing, at random, at a player’s career stats or some leader board or another part of the book. And, then using what you find to get your baseball thoughts going – where you then look up something else that the data forces into your head…and you keep doing it over and over from there. You can get lost for an hour, easy, each day, doing that with The Bill James Handbook 2012.  It’s a wonderful off-season baseball fan companion.  And, it’s handy to refer to during the season too.

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    A Very Mike’d Up Christmas

    Posted by on January 17th, 2012 · Comments (0)

    This is very funny.  The end – after the credits – is pure LOL stuff.

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    Johnny Damon & Roberto Alomar

    Posted by on January 17th, 2012 · Comments (6)

    Looking at this club, see how close Damon and Alomar are:

    Player WAR/pos H HR SB From To Age G PA R 2B RBI BA OBP SLG
    Roberto Alomar 63.5 2724 210 474 1988 2004 20-36 2379 10400 1508 504 1134 .300 .371 .443
    Johnny Damon 51.9 2723 231 404 1995 2011 21-37 2426 10693 1643 516 1120 .286 .353 .435
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 1/17/2012.

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    If Damon was a middle infielder, he would have been a lock for Cooperstown, no?

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    Worst Of The 2,000 Hit Club

    Posted by on January 16th, 2012 · Comments (2)

    Of all the players with at least 2,000 hits – but less than 3,000 – in their career, which were the worst players (in that club)?  Here’s one list -

    Rk Player WAR/pos H From To G PA R 2B 3B HR RBI SB BA OBP SLG
    1 Doc Cramer 5.4 2705 1929 1948 2238 9933 1357 396 109 37 842 62 .296 .340 .375
    2 Charlie Grimm 9.5 2299 1916 1936 2166 8745 908 394 108 79 1077 57 .290 .341 .397
    3 Bill Buckner 12.1 2715 1969 1990 2517 10033 1077 498 49 174 1208 183 .289 .321 .408
    4 Ruben Sierra 13.6 2152 1986 2006 2186 8782 1084 428 59 306 1322 142 .268 .315 .450
    5 Juan Pierre 13.7 2020 2000 2011 1751 7509 980 234 86 16 484 554 .296 .345 .363
    6 Todd Zeile 15.3 2004 1989 2004 2158 8649 986 397 23 253 1110 53 .265 .346 .423
    7 Patsy Donovan 16.1 2256 1890 1907 1824 8172 1321 208 75 16 738 518 .301 .348 .355
    8 Tony Taylor 16.5 2007 1958 1976 2195 8501 1005 298 86 75 598 234 .261 .321 .352
    9 Joe Carter 16.5 2184 1983 1998 2189 9154 1170 432 53 396 1445 231 .259 .306 .464
    10 Larry Bowa 17.2 2191 1970 1985 2247 9103 987 262 99 15 525 318 .260 .300 .320
    11 Tommy Davis 18.3 2121 1959 1976 1999 7739 811 272 35 153 1052 136 .294 .329 .405
    12 Orlando Cabrera 18.4 2055 1997 2011 1985 8255 985 459 32 123 854 216 .272 .317 .390
    13 Tommy Corcoran 20.0 2256 1890 1907 2202 9387 1188 289 155 34 1135 387 .256 .290 .336
    14 Hal Chase 22.6 2158 1905 1919 1919 7939 980 322 124 57 941 363 .291 .319 .391
    15 Lee May 22.7 2031 1965 1982 2071 8219 959 340 31 354 1244 39 .267 .313 .459
    16 Joe Kuhel 23.8 2212 1930 1947 2104 9095 1236 412 111 131 1049 178 .277 .359 .406
    17 Carlos Lee 24.2 2128 1999 2011 1952 8171 1072 442 18 349 1286 122 .286 .339 .491
    18 Lloyd Waner 24.3 2459 1927 1945 1993 8326 1201 281 118 27 598 67 .316 .353 .393
    19 Harvey Kuenn 24.3 2092 1952 1966 1833 7618 951 356 56 87 671 68 .303 .357 .408
    20 Mark Grudzielanek 24.3 2040 1995 2010 1802 7603 946 391 36 90 640 133 .289 .332 .393
    21 Chris Chambliss 24.4 2109 1971 1988 2175 8305 912 392 42 185 972 40 .279 .334 .415
    22 Garry Templeton 25.2 2096 1976 1991 2079 8208 893 329 106 70 728 242 .271 .304 .369
    23 Marquis Grissom 25.6 2251 1989 2005 2165 8959 1187 386 56 227 967 429 .272 .318 .415
    24 Paul Konerko 25.8 2024 1997 2011 1998 8163 1040 364 8 396 1261 9 .282 .358 .500
    25 Hal McRae 26.2 2091 1968 1987 2084 8058 940 484 66 191 1097 109 .290 .351 .454
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 1/16/2012.

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    Any surprises here?

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    Eli!

    Posted by on January 15th, 2012 · Comments (3)

    Better than A-Rod!

    Maybe the Packers can use the time off now to go get some haircuts?

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    Michael Pineda & Cal Koonce

    Posted by on January 15th, 2012 · Comments (1)

    Are they a match? Well, if you use: Pitchers post-1900, From Age 21 to 23, During first season, Throws RH, with 28+ GS, 170-220 IP, and 100-110 ERA+, then they are a match:

    Rk Player WAR GS IP ERA+ Year Age Tm G W L BB SO ERA
    1 Cal Koonce 3.4 30 190.2 105 1962 21 CHC 35 10 10 86 84 3.97
    2 Michael Pineda 2.8 28 171.0 103 2011 22 SEA 28 9 10 55 173 3.74
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 1/15/2012.

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    Of course, Pineda is much more of a swing and miss pitcher.  But, is in interesting that both were acquired by a New York team in their somewhat early 20′s.  Betcha the Yankees hope Pineda turns out to be more like this guy.

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    Paul Konerko & Eddie Murray Thru Age 35

    Posted by on January 14th, 2012 · Comments (17)

    It’s pretty close -

    Rk Player HR 5 From To Age G PA RBI SO BA OBP SLG
    1 Paul Konerko 396 1997 2011 21-35 1998 8163 1261 1183 .282 .358 .500
    2 Eddie Murray 398 1977 1991 21-35 2288 9764 1469 1150 .292 .369 .488
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 1/14/2012.

    .
    Of course, there’s the difference in the eras in which they both played…

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    Busy Day In Yankeeland

    Posted by on January 13th, 2012 · Comments (54)

    Funny, just this morning, I read this in a Richard Justice column regarding the Yankees off-season plans and their prospect Jesus Montero -

    “First and foremost, people say it’s the quietest winter the Yankees have had,” [Yankees G.M. Brian Cashman] said. “Remember last winter was quiet, too. We tried to do something with Cliff Lee, and once that passed, the old Yankee way would have been to do something.”

    Cashman runs down a list of players — Dave LaPoint, Andy Hawkins, Danny Tartabull — signed, in part, as a reaction to moves made by other teams in years past.

    “I’ve tried to condition the Yankees to be proactive and smart, and not react,” he said. “It doesn’t mean we’re smart. We just want to play smart. We missed on Cliff Lee. It wasn’t for lack of effort or money. He made a decision he felt was right for him.

    “The Red Sox had an incredible winter last year [Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez], and there was a lot of media pressure for us to do something. We held our ground, said no, resisted the temptation. At the Trade Deadline, people said we had to get Ubaldo Jimenez. We didn’t like the price tag.”

    “People thought we were taking a step back on [Jesus] Montero when we got Russell Martin. We did the same thing with [Jorge] Posada. It was three or four years until we fully handed it over to him. When people saw Montero at the end of last year, they said, ‘Holy cow, that’s a middle-of-the-lineup bat.’

    And, now, we have these two pieces of news -

    New York has finally made its move for a pitcher, agreeing to trade for right-hander Michael Pineda from the Mariners in exchange for top prospect Jesus Montero, CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman reports. The Mariners will also get right-hander Hector Noesi, while right-hander Jose Campos goes the Yankees, Heyman reports. The deal is pending physicals.

    Big night for the Yankees. They have agreed to a 1-year deal with [Hiroki] Kuroda, pending a physical. Deal will be between $10 and $11 million.

    So, the Yankees add two starting pitchers. Does this mean that A.J. Burnett is on his way out? And, why would the M’s give up Michael Pineda for a player who’s best position is D.H.?

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    Johnson & Johnson

    Posted by on January 13th, 2012 · Comments (0)

    Pitchers, since 1901, with 3+ seasons of an ERA+ of 170 or better where they qualified for the ERA title:

    Rk   Yrs From To Age  
    1 Randy Johnson 7 1995 2004 31-40 Ind. Seasons
    2 Walter Johnson 7 1910 1919 22-31 Ind. Seasons
    3 Roger Clemens 6 1990 2005 27-42 Ind. Seasons
    4 Pedro Martinez 5 1997 2003 25-31 Ind. Seasons
    5 Greg Maddux 5 1993 1998 27-32 Ind. Seasons
    6 Lefty Grove 5 1930 1939 30-39 Ind. Seasons
    7 Dazzy Vance 3 1924 1930 33-39 Ind. Seasons
    8 Eddie Cicotte 3 1913 1919 29-35 Ind. Seasons
    9 Mordecai Brown 3 1906 1909 29-32 Ind. Seasons
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 1/13/2012.

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    King Felix could join the list some day…he’s knocking on the door with two.

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