The Captain's Blog

Valentine’s Day MLB Style: From Slim Love to Jim Ray Hart

February 14, 2011 by William Juliano

Thanks to its long history, baseball is the perfect sport to commemorate any Holliday, or even Halladay for that matter.

In February, everyone has their mind on Valentine’s Day. Just ask Bobby, Corky, Ellis, Fred, Joe, or John. After all, you don’t have to be Cupid Childs to appreciate a day dedicated to Love. Just about anyone can join in such a celebration, regardless of whether they are Chubby or Slim. You don’t even need to speak English, at least according to Vicente and Sammy, who but for one more vowel would be the epitome of the day’s affection.

Of course, every holiday requires a gift. Some people like to give Flowers, especially Ben, Dickie, Jake, Tyler and Wes. Still others fashion themselves as a Candy Man, particularly those with last names like Cummings, Harris, LaChance, Maldonado, Nelson and Sierra. However, the most generous give Rings. Just ask Royce and Jimmy. Just becareful though. Giving one is the fastest way to become a Groom. That’s what happened to Bob and Buddy.

Unfortunately, some people can’t find it in their Hart to embrace the holiday, but that’s not true of all three Bills, not to mention Bo, Burt, Corey, Hub, James, Jason, Jim Ray, John, Kevin, Mike and Tom. So whether you say Happy Valentine’s Day or Feliz Día del Amor y la Amistad, make sure you do it with a smile on your face, just like Pedro and Neftali.

MLB Valentine’s Day Roster

Player	From	To	Player	From	To
Vicente Amor	1955	1957	James Hart	1885	1889
Sandy Amoros	1952	1960	Jason Hart	2002	2002
Cupid Childs	1888	1901	Jim Ray Hart	1963	1974
Candy Cummings	1872	1877	John Hart	1885	1889
Candy Harris	1967	1967	Kevin Hart	2007	2009
Cand LaChance	1893	1905	Mike Hart	1980	1980
Candy Maldonado	1981	1995	Mike Hart	1984	1987
Candy Nelson	1872	1890	Tom Hart	1891	1891
Candy Sierra	1988	1988	Roy Halladay	1998	2010
Ben Flowers	1951	1956	Bug Holliday	1889	1898
Dickie Flowers	1871	1872	Matt Holliday	2004	2010
Jake Flowers	1923	1934	Slim Love	1913	1920
Tyler Flowers	2009	2010	Jimmy Ring	1917	1928
Wes Flowers	1940	1944	Royce Ring	2005	2010
Bob Groom	1909	1918	Bob Valentine	1876	1876
Buddy Groom	1992	2005	Bobby Valentine	1969	1979
Bill Hart	1886	1901	Corky Valentine	1954	1955
Bill Hart	1943	1945	Ellis Valentine	1975	1985
Billy Hart	1890	1890	Fred Valentine	1959	1968
Bo Hart	2003	2004	Joe Valentine	2003	2005
Burt Hart	1901	1901	John Valentine	1883	1883
Corey Hart	2004	2010	John “Candy Man” Candelaria	1975	1993
Hub Hart	1905	1907	Alfred Lovell “Chubby” Dean	1936	1943

Source: Baseball-reference.com

Posted in Baseball, Humor, MLB | Tagged Valentine’s Day | 1 Comment »

Managing Expectations: A (Baseball Card) Pictorial History of Dashed Hopes and Broken Dreams

February 14, 2011 by William Juliano

(In addition to appearing at The Captain’s Blog, this post is also being syndicated at TheYankeeAnalysts).

Although every manager comes to Spring Training with at least a little bit of hope that they’ll be able to lead their team to glory, the landscape of postseason baseball is littered with many of their broken dreams. To illustrate this sad reality, a baseball card collage of the last manager to win a championship with each major league franchise is provided below (except for Ozzie Guillen, 2004 Topps traded set, and Bobby Cox, 1990 Topps, all cards are from the year of the last World Series victory).

If the card of your favorite team’s manager makes you nostalgic for another era, well, needless to say, it’s been awhile since celebrating a World Series title. At least that’s better than not even having a card about which to reminisce. That is unless your favorite team’s manager card is in black and white, which, of course, means you’re a Cubs fan.

Regardless of past history, Spring Training is always a time for new hope. After all, before Bruce Bochy added his picture to the head of the class of reigning champions, the Giants hadn’t won the World Series since 1954.

Another reason many teams (and their fans) enter Spring Training with new found expectations is because a new managers has been brought on board. Adding star players is always a boon for optimism, but there is something special about having a new sheriff in town that seems to bring hope to an organization.

This year, eight new skippers will be donning their team’s uniform for the first time, while four interim/new managers from 2010 will have the chance to conduct their first training camp. Not surprisingly, nearly all 12 of these new managers will be piloting some of baseball’s longest suffering franchises, at least in terms of how long it has been since last winning a World Series. On average, the 12 new managers will be seeking to erase almost 30 years of championship futility (23 years excluding the Cubs’ 102 year drought). So, optimism will certainly have to be at a premium.

Will one of these new leaders add their baseball card to the roll call of champions? Only time will tell, but at least in February, they all have a chance.

New Managers in 2011

Team	New Manager	Years Since World Series
Arizona Diamondbacks	Kirk Gibson*	9
Atlanta Braves	Fredi Gonzalez	15
Baltimore Orioles	Buck Showalter*	27
Chicago Cubs	Mike Quade*	102
Florida Marlins	Edwin Rodríguez*	7
Kansas City Royals	Ned Yost	25
Los Angeles Dodgers	Don Mattingly	22
Milwaukee Brewers	Ron Roenicke	41
New York Mets	Terry Collins	24
Pittsburgh Pirates	Clint Hurdle	31
Seattle Mariners	Eric Wedge	33
Toronto Blue Jays	John Farrell	17

*Managers hired during the 2010 season.

Posted in Baseball, Baseball History, MLB, Yankees | Tagged Spring Training | 2 Comments »

Best Known for Managing 1979 Champs, Perseverance Is What Really Defined Chuck Tanner’s Long Baseball Career

February 12, 2011 by William Juliano

Chuck Tanner’s place in baseball history will forever be as the patriarch of the 1979 “We Are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates, who overcame a 3-1 deficit in the World Series to upset Earl Weaver’s Baltimore Orioles. However, it doesn’t seem fair to boil down an over 50-year baseball career to just one moment.

Tanner’s baseball journey began as a 16-year old prospect when he was signed by the Boston Braves in 1946. After nine long seasons in the minors, he finally made his major league debut in 1955 for the now Milwaukee Braves. Apparently, not wanting to make a return trip to the bushes, Tanner didn’t waste any time in his first at bat, a pinch hit appearance for the great Warren Spahn in the eighth inning of the Braves’ opener on April 12. With his team trailing 2-1, Tanner swung at the first pitch from the Reds’ Gerry Staley and sent it sailing into the grandstand for a game tying homerun. The Braves tacked on two more runs in the eighth and then held on to the win, but the story after the game was Tanner’s dramatic blast, which at the time made him only the seventh player to hit a round tripper on the first pitch faced in the majors.

Players Who Homered on the First Pitch of Their First At Bat

Name	Date	Team	Position	Career HR
J.P. Arencibia	8/7/2010	Toronto	C	2
Daniel Nava	6/12/2010	Boston	OF	1
Mark Saccomanno	9/8/2008	Houston	PH	1
Kevin Kouzmanoff	9/2/2006	Cleveland	DH	78
Adam Wainwright	5/24/2006	St. Louis	P	5
Andy Phillips	9/26/2004	New York	PH-3B	14
Kaz Matsui	4/6/2004	New York	SS	32
Marcus Thames	6/10/2002	New York	OF	113
Gene Stechschulte	4/17/2001	St. Louis	P	1
Chris Richard	7/17/2000	St. Louis	1B	34
Esteban Yan	6/4/2000	Tampa Bay	P	1
Jay Gainer	5/14/1993	Colorado	1B	3
Jim Bullinger	6/8/1992	Chicago	P	4
Junior Felix	5/4/1989	Toronto	OF	55
Jay Bell	9/29/1986	Cleveland	2B	195
Al Woods	4/7/1977	Toronto	OF	35
Don Rose	5/24/1972	California	P	1
Brant Alyea	9/12/1965	Washington	1B	38
Bert Campaneris	7/23/1964	Kansas City	SS	79
Chuck Tanner	4/12/1955	Milwaukee	OF	21
George Vico	4/20/1948	Detroit	1B	12
Clyde Vollmer	5/31/1942	Cincinnati	OF	69
Bill LeFebvre	6/10/1938	Boston	P	1
Eddie Morgan	4/14/1936	St. Louis	OF	1
Clise Dudley	4/27/1929	Brooklyn	P	3
Walter Mueller	5/7/1922	Pittsburgh	OF	2

Source: Baseball-almanac.com

There’ll never be a thrill to beat this one. That includes the World Series, anything else that’s happened or still to come. This it.” – Chuck Tanner, quoted in The Milwaukee Sentinel, April 13, 1955

Tanner was right, at least with regard to his playing career. Although the newspapers had fun portraying the blast as a “rags to riches” story, the journeyman minor leaguer would really never make much more of an impact as a player. Over the next eight seasons, the outfielder bounced around the league as well as back and forth between the minors and the majors before finally retiring in 1962 as a member of the Los Angeles Angels.

Although he didn’t really make much of an impression as a player, Tanner did build a reputation as a smart baseball man. So, when his playing days were over, the Angels hired him to manage their Quad Cities affiliate in the Midwest League. After spending parts of 14 seasons in the minors as a player, Tanner embarked on another long journey in the minors as he gradually managed his way up through the Angels’ farm system. Following a stint in Quad Cities, Tanner moved on to the El Paso Sun Kings (Texas League), the Seattle Angels (Pacific Coast League), back to El Paso, and then finally to the Hawaii Islanders (PCL).

Posted in Baseball, Baseball History, Minors, MLB, Yankees | Tagged Chuck Tanner, Goose Gossage, Pittsburgh Pirates | 2 Comments »

Chavez Seeks to Resurrect Career with Yankees Dynasty he Once Declared Dead

February 11, 2011 by William Juliano

(In addition to appearing at The Captain’s Blog, this post is also being syndicated at TheYankeeU.)

This morning, a clean cut Eric Chavez trotted out to third base at the Yankees’ spring training complex in Tampa and began taking ground balls. Eager to embark on a second career, Chavez told the assembled group of beat writers that he has “a new heartbeat over here”, referring to his new team and anticipated role as a backup player.

Eric Chavez talks to reporters after working out at the Yankees’ minor league complex (Photo: @BryanHoch)

Already an “old man” in baseball circles, thanks mostly to debilitating back and shoulder injuries that robbed him of a once promising career, it’s hard to remember that Chavez was once part of the heart and soul of a young Athletics team that made the playoffs in the first four seasons of the last decade. During the first year of the string, Chavez was a standout in the 2000 ALDS, batting .333 and knocking in four runs against the Yankees. However, during that series, Chavez made more noise with his mouth than his bat.

After losing game 4 in an 11-1 route, the older Yankee team had to fly across country to play a fifth and deciding game the very next day. While warming up on the field before the game, a larger than life image of Chavez appeared on the Oakland Coliseum scoreboard. The segment was a pre-game interview with the confident third baseman, who had gone 2-5 with two RBIs in the previous game. When asked about the prospect of ending the Yankees’ dynasty, Chavez’ response was very matter of fact and dripping with an air of inevitability. “I don’t mind at all. I mean, they’ve won enough times,” Chavez’ voice boomed throughout the stadium. “It’s time for some other people to have some glory here. But, no, they had a great run.”

According to reports at the time, the Yankees took immediate notice of Chavez’ proclamation, especially one word: “had”. Although the team probably didn’t need the extra motivation, the brash eulogy proved to be premature. Not only did the Yankees go on to beat the A’s 7-5 in the deciding fifth game, but Chavez made the last out that sent the Yankees onward toward another championship. What’s more, the Yankees knocked the Athletics out of the playoffs in 2001 for good measure. Over the rest of his time in Oakland, Chavez and the Athletics would only win one postseason series. Meanwhile, the Yankees would win two more championships and four A.L. pennants. So much for ending the dynasty.

I think it’s fitting that the last out was from the guy who insinuated that we were over the hill. It’s my understanding that we’re not done yet.” – Bernie Williams, quoted in The New York Times, October 9, 2000

The Yankees never did pass the torch to the Athletics. Eventually, the big three pitching staff of Tim Hudson, Barry Zito and Mark Mulder as well as offensive standouts like Jason Giambi, and Miguel Tejada all moved on from the cost conscious A’s. Amid all the movement, however, Chavez remained. In March 2004, the Athletics signed their talented young third baseman to a six-year/$66 million extension.

Toward the end of his time in Oakland, Chavez spent more time in the trainer’s room than on the field.

At the time, the contract extension seemed like a shrewd move by the Athletics. Only 25 at the time, Chavez was not only a potent hitter, but also a bona fide Gold Glover at third (an earlier generation’s Evan Longoria), making him one of the game’s best all-around players. Almost immediately after signing the extension, however, Chavez began to suffer from a string of injuries. First, a broken hand in 2004 caused him to miss over 30 games in what was shaping up to be his best season. Then, a series of shoulder and back injuries gradually reduced him to a shell of his former self. Over the final three years of his contract, Chavez earned $35 million but only played in 64 games.

Posted in Baseball, MLB, Yankees | Tagged Eric Chavez, Oakland Athletics | 1 Comment »

With Cuomo, Do Mets Have a Friend in Need?

February 11, 2011 by William Juliano

The appointment of former New York governor and one-time presidential hopeful Mario Cuomo as a mediator in Sterling Equities’ dispute with Madoff trustee Irving Picard was the first bit of good news for Fred Wilpon in months. On the surface, this move by the bankruptcy court seems to suggest a reigning in of the overzealous Picard, who some reports suggested was looking to claw back over $1 billion from Wilpon and his partners. If a settlement is reached, Sterling will likely escape the process with a bill well below that nuclear figure, thereby improving Wilpon’s chances of holding onto the Mets.

Statue of Jackie Robinson and PeeWee Reese that stands outside Keyspan Park in Brooklyn.

Another positive for Wilpon is Cuomo himself. As governor of New York, Cuomo frequently worked with Wilpon, then a co-owner of the Mets with Nelson Doubleday, on various projects, ranging from the ambitious building of an 80,000 seat municipal stadium (a precursor to CitiField) to the installation of a statue honoring former Brooklyn Dodgers Jackie Robinson and PeeWee Reese (initial plans called for placement in the old Parade Grounds near Prospect Park, but in 2005 the statue was located outside Keyspan Park, the home of the Mets’ single-A affiliate Brooklyn Cyclones). Wilpon may not literally have a friend in Cuomo, but at least he has someone who not only knows him personally, but also understands the complexity of the industries involved in the dispute.

Cuomo is also intimately familiar with baseball. In fact, before going onto a career in politics, the former governor played minor league baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1952, Cuomo was signed to a professional contract and played 81 games with the Brunswick Pirates of the Georgia-Florida League. During the season, however, Cuomo was hit in the head with a pitch and suffered a serious injury that effectively ended his pro career.

A Pirate scout, Ed McCarrick, reported that Cuomo ‘could go all the way if he improves his hitting to a respectable batting average’. He added that the young outfielder had ‘plus power,’ was graceful, was a ‘plus’ fielder and a ‘plus’ runner. All he needed was instruction and experience, McCarrick said.” – Joe Browne, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 18, 1984

Would Cuomo have made the majors if not for the beanball? It’s tough to say, but it’s worth noting that McCarrick was one of the first scouts to discover the likes of Sandy Koufax and Carl Yastrzemski, so he did have some understanding of major league talent. What’s more, Cuomo’s signing bonus was $2,000, or almost twice as much as the Yankees paid to Mickey Mantle only a couple of years earlier. Nonetheless, after only batting .244 in the very low minors at the age of 20, it’s hard to imagine he would have progressed to the majors (the only member of the Brunswick team to make the big leagues was Fred Green, who pitched in the 1960 World Series). Still, it’s fun to think about how the world of politics would have been changed if Cuomo went on to play for Pittsburgh instead of attending law school at St. John’s.

Cuomo (left) receives a baseball trophy.

Almost 60 years after ending his brief playing career, Cuomo has finally made the big leagues…at least as it pertains to the financial dealings of a major league baseball team. Meanwhile, his son Andrew now sits in the same governor’s mansion where he resided for 12 years. During that tenure (1983-1994), the Mets enjoyed their most successful run in franchise history, so maybe Cuomo’s presence as mediator will be the first step in helping the embattled franchise from Queens turn its fortunes around? First things first, however, and before that can happen, Wilpon has to hope he can avoid losing his.

Posted in Baseball, Mets, MLB | Tagged Fred Wilpon, Mario Cuomo | Leave a Comment »

What Price Liriano? Despite Need, Yanks Can’t Afford to Part with Blue Chips

February 10, 2011 by William Juliano

Is Francisco Liriano the offseason pitching acquisition for which Brain Cashman, and the Yankee fan base, has been patiently waiting?

Liriano would help round out the Yankees' rotation, but do health concerns make the rumored cost prohibitive?

According to a newspaper report out of Minnesota, the Twins’ recent inability to sign their talented young lefthander to a long-term deal has led some in the organization to consider trading him while his value is high. Not surprisingly, this news immediately prompted speculation about Liriano being traded to the Yankees. Over at IIATMS, Jason provided a nice rundown of various reactions to this rumor from throughout the Yankees’ blogosphere, but as always, the devil is in the details.

The Yankees’ farm system is brimming with highly regarded prospects, but most major deals involving the pinstripes always seem to center around two: Jesus Montero and Manny Banuelos. At this point, Montero, who some have compared to Frank Thomas and Mike Piazza, seems close to untouchable, but there has been no such indication regarding Banuelos. Although the TINSTAAPP (there is no such thing as a pitching prospect) concept is very popular in some circles, Banuelos’ scouting report suggests that he may be the exception that proves the rule. If the Yankees’ internal evaluations are as optimistic, trading this young lefty would seem to require an extreme level of prudence.

When healthy, Liriano has proven to be a terrific pitcher who excels at missing bats, which is usually a pre-requisite for dominance. However, the “when healthy” caveat can not be taken lightly. Although all pitchers are a risk, ones who have already exhibited a history of arm problems and undergone a Tommy John surgery carry with them an extra bright red flag.

The risk associated with Liriano’s injury history is further compounded by his impending free agency after the 2012 season. As a result, any team acquiring him would have two options: (1) sign Liriano to a long-term deal just one strong season removed from his recovery; or (2) wait until after 2012 and run the risk of having to give him a Cliff-Lee type contract. Even though money isn’t as much of a concern to the Yankees, sinking a pretty penny into an injury prone pitcher would probably make even the Steinbrenners swallow hard.

Posted in Baseball, MLB, Rumors, Yankees | Tagged Francisco Liriano | Leave a Comment »

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: The Final Moments of Yankees’ Legends

February 9, 2011 by William Juliano

Even before Andy Pettitte announced his retirement, there was a feeling of transition surrounding the Yankees. Maybe it was ushered in by Derek Jeter’s contentious contract negotiations or the decision to make Jorge Posada a permanent DH, but regardless, the Yankees’ blogosphere has been filled with sentimental retrospectives centered on the Core Four.

Before the current roster of legends, guys like Don Mattingly, Thurman Munson, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth were the icons for previous generations. However, as detailed in an earlier post, fans don’t always get the chance to say a proper goodbye. In most cases, a player’s final at bat or pitch passes by without any notice because the gravity of the moment is not yet understood.

Listed below are the final at bats/batters faced by the “best” players who have worn the pinstripes. With the exception of Ruth and Mike Mussina (and perhaps DiMaggio), there really was little reason to expect that the corresponding outcome would be the final snapshot in each player’s Yankee (or baseball) career. So, if there’s one lesson to be learned, it’s that fans should appreciate their favorite players while they can because many will be gone without warning.

Final AB of Yankees’ Top-20 Position Players, Ranked by WAR

		Last AB with Yankees
Player	WAR	Date	Team	Pitcher	Result
Babe Ruth^	149.6	9/30/1934	Senators	Tommy Thomas	Flyball to CF
Mickey Mantle	120.2	9/28/1968	Red Sox	Jim Lonborg	Pop fly to SS
Lou Gehrig	118.4	4/30/1939	Senators	Pete Appleton	Line out to CF
Joe DiMaggio	83.6	10/10/51⁺	Giants	Larry Jansen	Double to RF
Yogi Berra^	62.1	10/5/1963⁺	Dodgers	Don Drysdale	Line out to RF
Bill Dickey	54.4	9/8/1946	Senators	Sid Hudson	Single
Willie Randolph^	49.8	9/30/1988	Tigers	W.Hernandez	Flyball to RF
Bernie Williams	47.3	10/6/2006⁺	Tigers	Kenny Rogers	K swinging
Tony Lazzeri^	46.6	10/10/1937⁺	Giant	Don Brennan	Pop fly to SS
Earle Combs*	44.7	8/25/1935	ChiSox	J. Whitehead	Walk
Roy White	44.5	9/27/1979	Indians	Sid Monge	Sac Fly to LF
Thurman Munson	43.4	8/1/1979	ChiSox	Ken Kravec	K
Charlie Keller*	42.4	9/13/1952	ChiSox	Marv Grissom	K looking
Phil Rizzuto*	41.8	8/2/1956	Indians	Herb Score	Strikeout
Graig Nettles^	40.6	10/2/1983	Orioles	Tippy Martinez	Flyball to RF
Gil McDougald*	40	10/10/60⁺	Pirates	Roy Face	FC 6-4
Don Mattingly	39.8	10/8/1995⁺	Mariners	Randy Johnson	K looking
Tommy Henrich	37.6	10/1/1950	Red Sox	Harry Taylor	DP: 4-6-3
Joe Gordon^	36.3	9/18/1946	ChiSox	Earl Caldwell	Unknown out
Rickey Henderson^	30.1	6/20/1989	ChiSox	John Davis	RBI single CF

^Last at bat of career with another team.
⁺Postseason game
*Appeared as a pinch runner or defensive replacement after final at bat.
Source: Baseball-reference.com and newspaper archives

Final Batter Faced by Yankees’ Top-10 Pitchers, Ranked by WAR

		Last BF with Yankees
Player	WAR	Date	Team	Batter	Result
Whitey Ford	55.3	5/21/1967	Tigers	Jim Northrup	Groundout: 1u
Red Ruffing^	49.7	6/29/1946	Athletics	unknown	unknown
Ron Guidry	44.4	9/27/1988	Orioles	Rene Gonzales	Groundout: 6-3
Lefty Gomez^	43.2	8/14/1942	Athletics	Dick Siebert	unknown out
Andy Pettitte	42.7	10/18/2010⁺	Rangers	Bengie Molina	Groundout: 6-3
Mel Stottlemyre	37.9	8/4/1974	Red Sox	Juan Beniquez	Flyball to CF
Bob Shawkey	37.6	9/29/1927	Athletics	Goose Goslin	unknown out
Waite Hoyt^	31	5/27/1930	Senators	unknown	unknown
Mike Mussina	30.3	9/28/2008	Red Sox	Dustin Pedroia	DP: 4-6-3
Herb Pennock^	29.2	9/23/1933	Red Sox	unknown	unknown