Apropos of Nothing - vBaseball

[seawolf17]

Bill Pulsipher's son will be pitching for Stony Brook:

[RealityChuck]

The Mets have a minor league pitcher with the delightful name of Nelmerson Xavier Mariano Silvano Angela. No Cal Mclish, but still...

[MFS62]

John Kruk "is leaving" ESPN.
https://www.yahoo.com/tv/mlb-analyst-john-kruk-exits-espn-015031443.html

Later

[batmagadanleadoff]

Each team's last MVP award winner:

2015 Nationals/Expos - Bryce Harper
2015 Blue Jays - Josh Donaldson
2014 Dodgers - Clayton Kershaw
2014 Angels - Mike Trout
2013 Pirates - Andrew McCutchen
2013 Tigers - Miguel Cabrera
2012 Giants - Buster Posey
2011 Brewers/Pilots - Ryan Braun
2010 Reds - Joey Votto
2010 Rangers/Senators - Josh Hamilton
2009 Cardinals - Albert Pujols
2009 Twins/Senators - Joe Mauer
2008 Red Sox - Dustin Pedroia
2007 Phillies - Jimmy Rollins
2007 Yankees - Alex Rodriguez
2002 Athletics - Miguel Tejada
2001 Mariners - Ichiro Suzuki
1999 Braves - Chipper Jones
1998 Cubs - Sammy Sosa
1998* Devil Rays/Rays - No Devil Ray/Ray has ever won an MVP award
1998* Diamondbacks - No Diamondback has ever won an MVP award
1997 Rockies - Larry Walker
1996 Padres - Ken Caminiti
1994 Astros - Jeff Bagwell
1994 White Sox - Frank Thomas
1993* Marlins - No Marlin has ever won an MVP award
1991 Orioles/Browns - Cal Ripken
1980 Royals - George Brett
1962* Mets - No Met has ever won an MVP award
1953 Indians - Al Rosen

* Inaugural season

[batmagadanleadoff]

One of my all-time favorite Mets-themed apparel -- soiled forever:

[Benjamin Grimm]

You really shouldn't let Chris Christie soil your laundry!

[Frayed Knot]

Not to mention how much he'll stretch it out.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

I enjoyed meeting him when he came to Michigan in 2014 to campaign. We had an event at an orchard and he arrived early, shook hands and posed for photos with everyone who wanted to meet him. His wife was very nice, too. Flew in and out on a crazy day just to show his support.

It's different when you get to meet these guys and work with them a little. You see them a little differently.

I'd probably say nicer things about Eric Campbell if I actually met him....

[Zvon]

G'bye silly hill!

[fimg=500:2y2izpso]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cug1yMkVMAAu5As.jpg[/fimg:2y2izpso]

[Edgy MD]

BOOOOOoooooOOO!

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'm definitely in favor of the removal of the hill.

[Centerfield]

Me too. And I'm surprised that it didn't take a torn ACL to bring that change about.

Now I wonder if they'll move the flagpole (or move the fence) before we see a concussion.

[Edgy MD]

More hills in the outfield! And sand pits, while we're at it! And inflatable lawn ornaments! And water hazards!

Ice slicks! Oil spills! The possibilities are endless!

[Centerfield]

Speaking of politics and baseball, I wonder how MFY fans, who adored Giuliani during this terms as mayor, feel about him now.

I just wish he was wearing an MFY hat when he claims men just talk like that sometimes.

[MFS62]

Centerfield wrote: Speaking of politics and baseball, I wonder how MFY fans, who adored Giuliani during this terms as mayor, feel about him now. I just wish he was wearing an MFY hat when he claims men just talk like that sometimes.

He wears a virtual MFY hat no matter where he is.
And fans of that team probably still love him.
You can't underestimate the intelligence of the lower phyla.

Later

[Guest themetfairy]

Zvon wrote: G'bye silly hill! [fimg=500]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cug1yMkVMAAu5As.jpg[/fimg]

Thank goodness! I always thought that the stupid hill would one day ruin someone's career!

[Ceetar]

my pizza place. I gotta stop right?

[batmagadanleadoff]

Each team's last World Series title:

2015 Royals
2014 Giants
2013 Red Sox
2011 Cardinals
2009 Yankees
2008 Phillies
2005 White Sox
2005* Nationals - Never won a World Series. Or a pennant.
2003 Marlins
2002 Angels
2001 Diamondbacks
1998* Devil Rays/Rays - Never won a World Series.
1995 Braves
1993 Blue Jays
1993* Rockies - Never won a World Series.
1991 Twins
1990 Reds
1989 Athletics
1988 Dodgers
1986 Mets
1984 Tigers
1983 Orioles
1979 Pirates
1977* Mariners - Never won a World Series. Or a pennant.
1969* Padres - Never won a World Series.
1969* Pilots/Brewers - Never won a World Series.

1962* Astros - - Never won a World Series.
1961* Senators/Rangers - Never won a World Series.

1948 Indians
1908 Cubs

*Inaugural season

[Frayed Knot]

The NATIONALS should be listed as NATIONALS/EXPOS and be shifted back to 1969


Only three franchises have not at least played in a league championship series during the last 20 years and all, oddly, are in the NL: Nats/Expos, Reds, Pirates.
Every AL team has at least reached baseball's 'Final Four' during that time although the Astros did so as an NL team.

The Cubs making it to the series means that the last 20 World Series have involved 20 different teams (Indians had been there in 1997 so them making it doesn't further change the count).
The ten teams NOT making a WS from 1997-2016: Obviously the aforementioned Reds/Pirates/Nats, and also the Brewers, Dodgers, Blue Jays, Orioles, Twins, A's, and Mariners -- five from each league.



That 27 of 30 'Final Four' rate in MLB, btw, is higher than what it is in other sports despite claims that 'parity' in sports is impossible without a hard salary cap.
Only 23 (of 32) NFL teams have reached an AFC or NFC title game over that same time. And while I'm too lazy to go through the NBA records to see exactly what the numbers show there, I know that even with a couple of first-time champions in their last two seasons basketball still has had something like their last 35-40 championships swept up by the same ten teams, usually at the expense of each other while the bottom feeders for the most part stay bottom feeders.

[Centerfield]

It's funny how the '84 Tigers, '86 Mets and '89 A's were thought to be the start of dynasties.

[Frayed Knot]

The other thing the Cubs making this year's Series does is moves them into a tie with the Tigers for 7th place for most WS appearances with 11 -- 1906, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1918, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1938, 1945, 2016.

It merely seems like that franchise has been devoid of success due to the minor fact that they hadn't been there since, as Steve Goodman once sang, 'the year we dropped the bomb on Japan'.

6HTRxAHfwPY

I wonder what Keith Moreland is doing these days? They should bring him back to drop a routine fly as part of the pre-game festivities during one of the games at Wrigley.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Each team's most recent Cy Young Award winner:

2015 Cubs Jake Arrieta
2015 Astros Dallas Keuchel
2014 Dodgers Clayton Kershaw
2014 Indians Corey Kluber
2013 Tigers Max Scherzer
2012 Mets R.A. Dickey
2012 Rays David Price
2010 Phillies Roy Halladay
2010 Mariners Felix Hernandez
2009 Giants Tim Lincecum
2009 Royals Zack Greinke
2007 Padres Jake Peavy
2006 D'Backs Brandon Webb
2006 Twins Johan Santana
2005 Cardinals Chris Carpenter
2005 Angels Bartolo Colon
2003 Blue Jays Roy Halladay
2002 Athletics Barry Zito
2001 Yankees Roger Clemens
2000 Red Sox Pedro Martinez
1998 Braves Tom Glavine
1993 White Sox Jack McDowell
1993* Rockies None
1993* Marlins None
1990 Pirates Doug Drabek
1982 Brewers Pete Vuckovich
1980 Orioles Steve Stone
1969* Expos/Nationals None
1961* Senators/Rangers -- None
1956+ Reds -- None

* Inaugural Season
+ First year of Cy Young Award

[Edgy MD]

José Rijo probably deserved more Cy Young consideration than he got in coming in fourth in 1991 and fifth in 1993, both times behind Atlanta Brave winners.

In 1993, baseball-reference has him leading the league in Pitcher WAR behind his strikeout crown, and it's not even close.

Not a lot of Reds have been serious contenders. Cueto came close in 2012 and 2014. Jack Billingham did good in 1973 and 1974, but that was behind an all-World offense.

Tom Seaver, of course, was totally jobbed by Fernandomania in 1981.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Edgy MD wrote: José Rijo probably deserved more Cy Young consideration than he got in coming in fourth in 1991 and fifth in 1993, both times behind Atlanta Brave winners. In 1993, baseball-reference has him leading the league in Pitcher WAR behind his strikeout crown, and it's not even close. Not a lot of Reds have been serious contenders. Cueto came close in 2012 and 2014. Jack Billingham did good in 1973 and 1974, but that was behind an all-World offense. Tom Seaver, of course, was totally jobbed by Fernandomania in 1981.

And then there was Mario Soto, who might have been the best NL pitcher during the era of the Joe Torre led bad two-button pullover Mets, but never had that one brilliant season where he was without doubt, the best of them all.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Edgy MD wrote: Tom Seaver, of course, was totally jobbed by Fernandomania in 1981.

And by Ferguson Jenkins ten years earlier.

I think Seaver named his cat "Ferguson Jenkins" as a result of Jenkins beating him out for the 1971 Cy Young Award.

[Edgy MD]

Sure, but that was with the Mets. Seaver may have debatably gotten jobbed in 1971, but the Reds didn't.

On the Jenkins side of the ledger, he pitched 30 complete games that season. THIRTY!

[Frayed Knot]

As the result of a side issue in Tuesday's voting another 1990s era ballpark will go by the wayside.
Voters is Tarrant County Texas approved an approximate $500 million commitment (half-cent sales tax, hotel fees, yadda yadda) to go towards a new baseball stadium for the Rangers replacing the current one that was new in 1994.
Add this one with the moth-balling (and soon to be destructed) Olympic/Ted Turner stadium in Atlanta, that's now two stadiums from the 1990s that were/will be used for a combined 46 years.

Voters in San Diego, on the other hand, rejected a spending plan for a new football stadium almost certainly signaling the exit of the Chargers from that city. ... #Chexit?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'm reading "The Wrong Season" by Joel Oppenheimer. It's basically a memoir of a fan following the 1972 Mets season.

I thought I'd share this paragraph. (Oppenheimer, like metsmarathon, writes entirely in lower case.)

everybody at shea that day who was of the female persuasion was wearing the straw bonnets the management had given away, it being mother's day, despite the rain. i'm curious as to how well they held up but there have been no reports. these are the same bonnets about which bob murphy, shilling the game the other night before they knew they'd have willie to fill the place, had said: if mom likes to work in the yard or piddle in the garden...

Oppenheimer says a couple of derisive things about Bob Murphy. In 1972 I guess he was still just a guy broadcasting Mets games, and third on the depth chart at that. Few then could have known what a beloved legend Murphy would become.

[HahnSolo]

My Grandpops, who I watched a lot of Sunday afternoon games with in the early to mid '70s, HATED Bob Murphy. I never understood why.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Each team's last MVP award winner: 2015 Nationals/Expos - Bryce Harper 2015 Blue Jays - Josh Donaldson 2014 Dodgers - Clayton Kershaw 2014 Angels - Mike Trout 2013 Pirates - Andrew McCutchen 2013 Tigers - Miguel Cabrera 2012 Giants - Buster Posey 2011 Brewers/Pilots - Ryan Braun 2010 Reds - Joey Votto 2010 Rangers/Senators - Josh Hamilton 2009 Cardinals - Albert Pujols 2009 Twins/Senators - Joe Mauer 2008 Red Sox - Dustin Pedroia 2007 Phillies - Jimmy Rollins 2007 Yankees - Alex Rodriguez 2002 Athletics - Miguel Tejada 2001 Mariners - Ichiro Suzuki 1999 Braves - Chipper Jones 1998 Cubs - Sammy Sosa 1998* Devil Rays/Rays - No Devil Ray/Ray has ever won an MVP award 1998* Diamondbacks - No Diamondback has ever won an MVP award 1997 Rockies - Larry Walker 1996 Padres - Ken Caminiti 1994 Astros - Jeff Bagwell 1994 White Sox - Frank Thomas 1993* Marlins - No Marlin has ever won an MVP award 1991 Orioles/Browns - Cal Ripken 1980 Royals - George Brett 1962* Mets - No Met has ever won an MVP award 1953 Indians - Al Rosen * Inaugural season

2016 Cubs - Kris Bryant
2016 Angels - Mike Trout
2015 Nationals/Expos - Bryce Harper
2015 Blue Jays - Josh Donaldson
2014 Dodgers - Clayton Kershaw
[crossout]2014 Angels - Mike Trout[/crossout]
2013 Pirates - Andrew McCutchen
2013 Tigers - Miguel Cabrera
2012 Giants - Buster Posey
2011 Brewers/Pilots - Ryan Braun
2010 Reds - Joey Votto
2010 Rangers/Senators - Josh Hamilton
2009 Cardinals - Albert Pujols
2009 Twins/Senators - Joe Mauer
2008 Red Sox - Dustin Pedroia
2007 Phillies - Jimmy Rollins
2007 Yankees - Alex Rodriguez
2002 Athletics - Miguel Tejada
2001 Mariners - Ichiro Suzuki
1999 Braves - Chipper Jones
[crossout]1998 Cubs - Sammy Sosa[/crossout]
1998* Devil Rays/Rays - None
1998* Diamondbacks - None
1997 Rockies - Larry Walker
1996 Padres - Ken Caminiti
1994 Astros - Jeff Bagwell
1994 White Sox - Frank Thomas
1993* Marlins - None
1991 Orioles/Browns - Cal Ripken
1980 Royals - George Brett
1962* Mets - None
1953 Indians - Al Rosen

* Inaugural season