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Mike Mussina once was a dominant pitcher, but never was he more masterful than on the night of Sept. 2, 2001 against the Boston Red Sox, when he came within one strike of pitching the fourth perfect game in Yankees’ history.

Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre noted, as he watched Mussina warm up in the bullpen before the game, that he was taken aback by the sharp drop on Mussina’s curve ball.

“It looked the same as David Wells’ curve ball on May 17, 1998.”

Mussina and David Cone Were in a Scoreless Game

By the sixth inning, Mussina had 11 strikeouts and had retired the first 18 batters on 70 pitches, but Red Sox pitcher David Cone, who had pitched a perfect game on Joe Torre’s birthday in 1999, was pitching his best game of the season.

It was a scoreless game and remained that way until the Yankees’ ninth inning.

The Yankees Score in the Ninth Inning

Tino Martinez led off with a single, but Jorge Posada flied out to left.

Paul O’Neill hit a double-play grounder to second base, but Lou Merloni couldn’t handle the hard shot. The ball went into right field as Martinez advanced to third.

Clay Bellinger ran for Martinez and scored the game’s only run when Enrique Wilson grounded out to first.

Mussina Had Come Close to a Perfect Game Twice Before

Mussina went out to the mound for the ninth.

Shea Hillenbrand hit a hard ground ball that appeared headed for right field, but Bellinger, who was playing first base after having run for Martinez, made a great diving stop to his right and threw to Mussina, covering first, for the out.

Mussina, who had retired the first 25 Cleveland Indians in 1997 before Sandy Alomar singled in the ninth, and who had retired the first 23 Detroit Tigers in 1998 before Frank Catalanatto doubled, thought that after Bellinger’s great play this would be the time.

Carl Everett’s Pinch Hit

Mussina struck out Merloni for the second out, bringing up Carl Everett, pinch hitting for Joe Oliver. Mussina had faced Everett on May 24 and struck him out four times on fast balls.

Mussina got ahead, 0-2 and then missed with a high fast ball.

The former Baltimore Orioles’ right-hander paused, stared at the ground, and took Posada’s sign. The crowd was eerily silent.

Mussina fired another high fast ball.

Everett ended the perfect game with a clean hit to left field.

Trot Nixon grounded to second to end the game.

It Felt As If We Lost

“I’m disappointed, obviously. I’m still disappointed. I’m going to think about that pitch until I retire. I guess it wasn’t meant to be,” Mussina said.

Torre, who had been in the stands for Don Larsen’s World Series perfect game in 1956, poignantly stated,

“It was supposed to happen.”

But Bellinger summed it up best. “It felt as if we lost the game.”

References:

Olney, Buster. “Mussina Misses Yankees’ 4th Perfect Game by One Pitch.” New York Times. 3 September 2001, p. A1

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The New York Yankees’ last World Championship was in 2009.

For many Yankees’ fans, the eight years between World Championships seemed like an eternity of defeats, despite the team being in the playoffs seven times.

Some Yankees’ fans, and of course, Mr. George Steinbrenner, consider the only successful season one in which the Yankees win the final game of the World Series.

It is a position that is frowned upon by most in the politically correct media as well as by most fans. Mr. Steinbrenner and the minority of individuals that agree with him are right, and those who disagree are wrong.

There is Nothing Wrong in Wanting to Win

Americans have always pursued excellence and appreciated those who achieve it. The American ethic has always been, “Be all you can be.”

The Yankees have won more than twice as many World Championships as their nearest competitors. There is nothing wrong in wanting to win and there is nothing right in the willingness to accept defeat.

As Vince Lombardi said more than once, “Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser.”

There is Only One Winner

Over the last few decades, cut-throat sports competition has become less and less acceptable to many because we have been told that Americans must be nice to each other.

Yes, we must be nice to each other but that doesn’t mean we should be satisfied with less than the best. There is only one winner.

Competing Hard is Part of the Game

Playing or watching baseball may be fun, but for the players and some fans, the only goal is to win.

When a pitcher brushes back a batter, the pitcher is sending a message that the batter had better not lean in too close or get too comfortable. In most instances, the pitcher is not trying to hurt anyone, but if the batter is hit, it is part of the game.

If the batter wants revenge and bunts down the first base line in order to force the pitcher to field the ball or cover first base so that the batter can run into him, it is part of the game.

When a runner racing towards home bowls over the catcher, it is part of the game, just as the catcher, with all his equipment, must block the plate and get ready for a collision.

Nothing is More Addictive than Winning

Winning is addictive. Oh, the media tell us that winning breeds winning, and it does, but winning is an addictive drug.

Once one tastes victory, one wants more and more, often without regard to its costs.

Winning produces a euphoria that cannot be explained-it can only be experienced.

During competition, there is total concentration on what must be accomplished. Everything is else is blocked out.

Nothing distracts the involved player or the vicariously involved fan. Reality is repressed and only the game is in one‘s consciousness.

The Tension Release is Indescribable

The tension is almost unbearable but must be overcome.

Time slows down and it seems as if the game or the Series or the season will never end.

The thought of losing must not be allowed. Losing cannot occur, just as thinking of the rewards of winning must not be allowed. One must concentrate only on the task at hand.

When victory finally comes, the tension release is fantastic. The ecstasy of victory is worth whatever the price, no matter how high.

It is the greatest drug in the world and for many, there is no addiction greater than the addiction to winning.

The Fear of Losing Drives Winners

A major component of winning is the fear of losing. There is nothing worse than losing. Nothing.

Tennis great Jimmy Connors: “I hate to lose more than I love to win.”

Basketball player Bill Bradley: “The taste of defeat has a richness of experience all its own. It is a distasteful experience.”

But one of the greatest winners of all time expressed it best.

“The fear of losing is what makes competitors so great. Show me a gracious loser and I’ll show you a permanent loser.”

O.J. Simpson is one of America’s greatest winners.

Reference.

Think-Exist Quotes

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The Chicago White Sox won the World Series in 2005 for the first time since 1917.

The 1917 White Sox won 100 games and defeated the New York Giants to become World Champions, but with the passage of time, the Pale Hose have become an afterthought.

A major reason is that many associated with baseball prefer that the 1919 World Series, which was fixed, be mentioned as little as possible. Bad memories should be repressed.

Many players on the 1917 World Champion White Sox were members of the 1919 American League Champion White Sox.

Charles Comiskey owned the White Stockings in 1901 when they became a charter member of the upstart American League. They became the first American League pennant winners.

To accommodate the newspapers, the team’s name was changed from the White Stockings to the White Sox to better fit the headlines.

Baseball in 1917 was quite different from baseball in today.

Pitching, defense, speed, bunting, and playing for one run at a time were emphasized. There weren’t many home run hitters.

Happy Felsch led the 1917 White Sox with six home runs, Wally Pipp led the American League with nine  home runs, and Ty Cobb won the batting title with a .383 batting average. 

The 1917 White Sox led the majors in runs scored (656), stolen bases (219), on base average (.323) and ERA (2.16).

Three Hall of Famers

The 1917 White Sox had a few great stars and some important role players.

Catcher Ray Schalk, second baseman Eddie Collins, and pitcher Red Faber became Hall of Famers. Outfielder Joe Jackson, one of the greatest players in the history of the game, made a mistake and has paid for it even after death.

Eddie Cicotte and Lefty Williams were outstanding starting pitchers on an outstanding pitching staff.

The Sox offense had extra base power and could break open games with adept hit and run plays, hitting behind the runner, moving runners along, and stealing bases.

The defense, especially the outfield defense in spacious Comiskey Park, helped the pitchers immensely. Joe Jackson and Happy Felsch were among the best defensive outfielders to ever have played the game.

The White Sox Beat New York in the World Series

The World Series was a “pick-‘em” affair.

New York fans thought the Giants had greater drive and desire than the Sox, but the White Sox won the first two games in Chicago by scores of 2-1 and 7-2.

When the Series shifted to New York, Al Benton and Ferdie Schupp each shut out the White Sox, but the Sox won the next two games for the championship.

The Only White Sox Team to Win 100 Games

The only White Sox team to ever win 100 games in a season, the 1917 Sox were a colorful, well-balanced unit.

They failed to repeat as champions in the war-shortened 1918 season as the great Boston Red Sox won the World Series, but the White Sox won the 1919 pennant and became the Black Sox.

It is interesting that the Red Sox’ won World Championships in 1918 and 2004, and the White Sox’ last two championships were 1917 and 2005. Just like a pair of bookends with so many Yankees in between.

Reference:

1917 Chicago White Sox at Baseball Bullpen

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On May 6, 1953, in his first major league start, the St. Louis Browns’ Alva “Bobo” Holloman pitched a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Athletics.

The 27-year-old Holloman struck out three, walked five, and helped himself offensively by batting in three of the Browns’ runs with a pair of singles in the Browns’ 6-0 victory.

Since 1901, only Bobo had tossed a no-no in his first start.

The Browns Paid $10,000 for Holloman’s Contract

Bobo Holloman had pitched since 1946, but he wasn’t a very good pitcher.

St. Louis Browns’ owner Bill Veeck, one of the great innovators in the history of baseball, sent $10,000 and pitcher Duke Markell to the Syracuse Chiefs in exchange for Holloman.

If Bobo remained on the Browns’ roster, Veeck would have to send the Chiefs another $25,000. If he didn’t, they could return Bobo and absorb the $10,000.

On May 6, 1953, a rainy night in St. Louis, manager Marty Marion, with the blessing of Veeck, relented to Holloman’s claims that he was a starter, not a reliever.

After four relief appearances in which he compiled an 0-1 record with an ERA of about 9.00, Bobo Holloman started the only major league game that he would ever complete.

A Poorly Pitched Game

The game proved that a no-hitter can be a poorly pitched game.

The Athletics hit line drives all over the place, but there was always a Brownie in the right place at the right time to make the play.

The game was delayed a number of times by rain, which allowed Holloman, who was not used to starting, to get some much-needed rest.

In the eighth inning, when all of the 2,473 in attendance were well-aware that the A’s still did not have a hit, shortstop Billy Hunter, a great fielder, made a fantastic play on a Joe Astroth ground ball up the middle.

Going into short center field to field the ground ball and then making a strong throw to get the slow footed catcher, Hunter preserved Holloman’s “classic.”

Eddie Robinson Made the Last Out

It was fortuitous that Bobo had a six-run lead.

Elmer Valo led off the A’s ninth with a walk, and Eddie Joost followed with another, but Dave Philley hit into a double play. Holloman promptly walked Loren Babe, bringing up the dangerous Eddie Robinson.

Holloman got his no-hitter when Robinson hit a fly ball to right field to end the game.

Veeck Wanted to Send Bobo Back to Syracuse

Bill Veeck realized how lucky Holloman had been and wanted to send him back to Syracuse, but Veeck was a great businessman.

“I don’t think it’s really wise to send a man back to the minor leagues right after he’s become immortal.  It looks as if you’re punishing him for throwing a no-hitter.”

Holloman won two more games in the majors, beating the Cleveland Indians and then the Boston Red Sox, but he was again relegated to the bullpen in July. 

Bobo made his final major league appearance on July 19, after which Veeck sold Bobo’s services to Toronto of the International League.

According to Bill James, Bobo Holloman’s no-hitter was the second least likely in history. The most unlikely was tossed by a pitcher named Charley Jones in the 19th century.

References:

“Rookie Baffles Athletics, 6 to 0 in his Debut as St. Louis Starter.” New York Times . 7 May 1953, p.40.

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Barry Bonds has set some remarkable records. What is notable is not the fact that he set them, but that he broke the old marks by such a wide margin.

Babe Ruth was the most feared batter in baseball history until Bonds, late in his career, discovered how he could become even more frightening to pitchers than the Ruth.

Pitchers wanted to face Barry Bonds as much as a pudgy kid wants to face a naked salad. 

In 2004, Bonds walked 232 times, shattering the record of 198 that he had set in 2002, after having already broken Babe Ruth’s long-standing record of 170 walks in a season when he walked 177 times in 2001.

Barry’s new standard exceeded Ruth’s mark set in 1923, by 62 walks. 

How many batters walk 62 times in a season?

Record for Intentional Walks

When Barry walked 232 times, 120 of the free passes were intentional. 

Mickey Mantle has gained stature thanks to the realization that walks increased his on-base-average substantially, but the most intentional walks Mickey received was 23. 

The most intentional walks Ted Williams ever received was 33, the most Albert Pujols has received is 37, and the most Henry Aaron received was 23.  Ruth’s high is not known.

On Base Average and Slugging Records

In 2004, Barry batted .362 with a .609 on base average.

The latter is a single-season record, which broke Barry’s .582 set in 2002, which broke Ted Williams’ .553 set in 1941.

Babe Ruth’s highest on base average was .545, while Henry Aaron’s was .410.

Bonds’ set a new single season slugging average in 2001 with a mark of .863, eclipsing Ruth’s .849 set in 1920.  Does greatness have no bounds?

Barry’s 73 Will Stand Forever

Of course, Barry’s 73 home runs is a record that, for reasons obvious to many, will never be broken.

Roger Maris’ 61 beat Ruth’s 60, and then Mark McGwire, who for some reason isn’t in the Hall of Fame, broke Roger’s record with 70.

That same season, 1998, Sammy Sosa also topped Roger’s record when he hit 66.

Isn’t it, as Mr. Spock might say, fascinating, that an increasing number of fans consider Roger Maris’ 61 a higher number than Barry’s 73? 

Do those fans know something?

More than Twice As Many MVP’s as Joe DiMaggio

But the most significant of all of Barry’s records is one that depended on those who don’t play the game.

Barry Bonds has won the National League Most Valuable Player Award seven times.

The most MVP awards ever won had been three, first accomplished by Jimmy Foxx and later equaled by Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, and Mike Schmidt.

Barry Bonds has won more than twice as many MVP awards as Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial or Mickey Mantle.

Corporate America is Ignoring Barry

Barry Bonds set his records playing in his home area of San Francisco.

He has set single season and career home run records, is the son of another great Giants’ player, Bobby, and his godfather is Willie Mays, the greatest player to ever play for the Giants, but corporate American does not want to take advantage of Barry’s accomplishments.

Why has corporate America chosen to virtually ignore Barry Bonds?

A spokesperson for a cereal that graces its boxes with pictures of great athletes announced a few years ago, “We simply have no plans at this point to work with Bonds.”

It seems that a possible federal indictment for tax evasion and perjury, marital infidelity rumors, links to alleged supplement use, and a combative attitude have made large corporations, the bastions of morality and fairness, shy away from Bonds. 

Not even a bank too big too fail has made an offer to Barry.

It is comforting to know that if the government doesn’t protect the youth of America from immoral behaviors, corporations will.

References

Baseball Reference

Barry Bonds and Corporate America

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The New York Yankees have had two Hall of Fame catchers. 

Bill Dickey played during the 1930s and early 1940s. Yogi Berra replaced Dickey and played from the late 1940s until the early 1960s. 

How does Jorge Posada compare to Dickey and Yogi?

Jorge Posada had the best season of his career in 2007. He batted a robust .338, hit 20 home runs, slugged .543, batted in 90 runs, and produced a Mickey Mantle-like .426 on base average.

Prior to 2007, Jorge’s best season was 2000, when he hit .287, with 28 home runs, had a .417 on base average, batted in 86 runs, and slugged .527.

Dickey Was the Best Defensively

It is difficult to compare catchers’ defense statistically.

Handling a pitching staff, blocking pitches in the dirt, stopping potential base-stealers, pouncing on bunts, trying to pick off runners, calling a game, and hiding signs are all involved.

One must rely on one’s own judgement, as well as that of managers, players, and, yes, even baseball “experts,” usually called “baseball writers.”

Bill Dickey is considered the best defensive catcher among the three, with Yogi a close second. After all, wasn’t it Bill Dickey who taught Yogi his experience?

Comparative Data

Dickey batted .313 and averaged 18 home runs, a .382 on base average, and a .486 slugging average over 17 seasons, which is misleading because he played in fewer than 100 games in four of those seasons.

Yogi hit .285 and averaged 27 home runs, a .348 on base average, and slugged .482 over sixteen seasons.

Posada has hit .278 and averaged 25 home runs, a .379 on base average, and a .482 slugging average during his 14 seasons (not counting one game in 1995 and 8 in 1996).

Dickey and Jorge Played in Offensive Eras

The numbers are close, especially between Jorge and Dickey, except for batting average.

Both played the bulk of their careers in offensive eras. Dickey played from 1928-1946 with two years out to defend freedom. During his career, the league batting average was .280 or 33 points less than Dickey’s.

During Posada’s career, the league batting average, with a DH, has been .269, or only nine points less than Jorge’s.

Yogi joined the Yankees in 1946, but his first full season was 1947, when he caught and played the outfield, something he did again when his career was ending. During Yogi’s career, the league batted .263 or 22 points less than Yogi batted.

From 1929-1939, Bill Dickey hit .320, with a high of .362.

Yogi’s highest average was .322, and Jorge’s was .338.

The most home runs Dickey ever hit was 29.  Yogi hit 30 in two different seasons.  Jorge’s high is 28.

So Many Variables

It is difficult, if not impossible, to compare players from different eras because so many variables cannot be controlled. Statistical adjustments do not control variables. They are helpful, but they are not definitive.

Those who saw Dickey play, and that number is shrinking, generally consider him the best of all Yankees’ catchers.  Most who saw Berra, but never saw Dickey, choose Yogi.

While some young fans might pick Jorge, most that saw Yogi rank him ahead of Posada.

Dickey had a good offensive season when he was 36-years-old. At that age, in 1943, Dickey hit .351, but he caught only 71 games and hit only four home runs.

When Yogi was 36, he hit .271 with 22 home runs, but he caught only 15 games.

Two other great catchers played for the Yankees. 

Elston Howard had some great seasons and replaced Yogi.  Thurman Munson’s career was cut short or else he might have ranked higher, but Yankees’ fans must still be grateful.

On some teams, Jake Gibbs might be in contention as the greatest catcher in team history.

Reference:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/

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Enos “Country” Slaughter replaced Phil Rizzuto on the New York Yankees’ roster on Aug. 25, 1956. 

The move was announced on Old Timers’ Day, and effectively ended the career of the second greatest shortstop in Yankees’ history.

The Yankees needed help, which they hoped Slaughter could provide, but they were insensitive with respect to the timing of Rizzuto’s release.

Phil often talked about the unusual circumstances.

General manager “Lonesome” George Weiss invited Phil to meet with the front office to discuss the World Series roster, assuming the Yankees would win the pennant.

Weiss gave Phil a list of players and asked him which ones might be released to make room for Slaughter.  Whenever Phil mentioned a player, Weiss explained why the Yankees needed that player. 

Rizzuto was no dummy.  He quickly realized that he was being released.

The usually calm Rizzuto was livid, but he was also sensible. 

Phil called up George Stirnweiss, who had played for the Yankees during the 1940s.  Stirnweiss told Phil not the blast the Yankees because it might cost him a job with the organization in the not-too-distant future.

Rizzuto heeded the advice, later saying that listening to Stirnweiss was one of the best moves he ever made. 

The Yankees’ broadcast crew consisted of Mel Allen, Red Barber, and Jim Woods.  Following the 1956 season, Rizzuto, who was a golfing buddy of one of the Yankees’ television sponsors, replaced Woods in the broadcast booth.

Manager Casey Stengel wanted Enos Slaughter.

“I wanted Slaughter back. Sure, I was thinking World Series, but I was also thinking about winning the pennant at the time. We were in bad shape then. He’s been great for me. All I know is that he’s an old pro.”

It was the second time that the Yankees obtained Slaughter. In 1954, they sent Bill Virdon and two other minor leaguers to the Cardinals in exchange for Enos, who had spent his entire career with the Redbirds.

When informed that he was leaving the Cardinals, Slaughter wept.

Appearing in only 69 games for the Yankees in 1954, Slaughter hit .248 with one home run. On May 1955, he was sent to Kansas City, where he batted .322.  The fans selected him the most popular Kansas City player.

The Yankees won the pennant, Mickey won the Triple Crown, Whitey Ford won 19 games, and defending World Champion Brooklyn repeated as National League Champions.

The 1956 World Series was another death match between Brooklyn and the Bronx.  If not for Slaughter, Brooklyn would have won.

In the first game, Sal Maglie beat Whitey Ford.  The Yankees jumped out to a six-run lead against Don Newcombe, but Don Larsen couldn’t hold any of it as Brooklyn won, 13-8,

Whitey Ford, who had lasted only three innings in the first game, started on two days rest against Roger Craig.

Slaughter, who had three hits in the first game and two hits in the second, was again playing left field.

With Brooklyn leading 2-1 in the sixth inning, Hank Bauer was on third and Yogi Berra was on first with two outs.

Slaughter ran the count to 3-1 and then hit the next pitch into the right field seats for a three-run home run.  Ford hung on as the Yankees won 5-3.

After the game, Yankees’ manager Casey Stengel said about Slaughter, “He has been my best hitter. Like Ted Williams, if he likes a pitch, he swings, if he doesn’t, he looks.”

No team has ever lost the first three games of a World Series and come back to win.  If Slaughter had not hit his home run, the Yankees likely would have lost both the third game and the World Series. 

For whom do you think Phil Rizzuto was rooting that year?

References:

“Yanks Drop Rizzuto and Get Slaughter.” New York Times . 26 August 1956, p.S1.

Drebinger, John. “Ford Goes Route; Tops Brooks for Yanks as Slaughter Stars with 3-Run Homer.” New York Times . 7 October 1956, p.201.

Effratt, Louis. “Ford Says He Pitched Well Enough to Win in Stadium, but not at Ebbets Field.” New York Times . 7 October 1956, p.202.

Retrosheet

Phil Rizzuto at Wikipedia

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It started innocently enough, and it wasn’t even reported in the newspapers.

On Sunday, June 20, 1965, in the second game of a twin bill against the Minnesota Twins, Roger Maris, sliding into home plate, jammed his right hand against the home plate umpire’s shin guard. 

No one, not even Roger, realized the seriousness of the injury.

Roger was in the Yankees’ lineup the next few games, but in the nightcap of a double-header against the Kansas City Athletics, he was forced to leave the game.

Roger did not return until August 18 as a pinch hitter. He missed 49 games.

A Bone Chip

1965 was not a good year for Roger Maris. The injuries started early, limiting him to only 40 games started.

During the third week of the season, Maris pulled a hamstring and missed 26 games. Then came the wrist injury sliding into home plate on June 20.

Roger didn’t start another game after June 28. It was eventually discovered that a bone chip was causing the problem. Rest did not help, forcing surgery at the end of September.

Two Healthy Seasons

In 1960, Roger’s first year with the Yankees, he slid hard into second base during a game near the end of the season, bruising his ribs. It cost him 15 games.

The next two seasons, 1961 and 1962, were Roger’s only healthy ones as a Yankee.

In 1963, he missed almost the entire second half of the season with back problems, playing only 90 games. He missed 20 games in 1964 with leg injuries.

In 1966, Roger complained that his hand was sore as he struggled at the plate, batting only .233 with 13 home runs and 43 RBI. The Yankees questioned Roger for complaining.

It Was Over Between the Yankees and Roger

In Dec. 1966, the Yankees traded the player who still holds the American League single-season home run record to the St. Louis Cardinals for a nondescript third baseman with the equally nondescript name of Charlie Smith.

It was an insult to Roger, who left New York a very angry individual.

After the trade, it was discovered that Roger had played most of 1966 with a broken hand that the members of the medical community responsible for his well-being had not properly diagnosed.

Roger Maris was a fine baseball player, but not a great one.

He could run, throw, field, and hit, but for one season, he was a great player.

“Everything clicked for me. My swing was in a perfect groove. If I had hit under the ball a fraction of an inch more, a lot of those homers would have been pop-ups. If I’d hit a fraction of an inch higher, a lot would have been grounders or gone into fielders’ gloves. Instead, I was hitting the ball perfectly.”

Mickey

Roger’s good friend, Mickey Mantle, has become synonymous with injuries and what might have been.

Roger Maris and 61 home runs have also become synonymous, but fans and the media rarely remember how often Roger was injured.

Mention 1963 and Mickey Mantle to baseball fans. The response is usually, “Oh, yes, Mickey caught his foot in the outfield fence in Baltimore and missed most of the season.”

Bring up 1963 and Roger Maris, and invariably the response is that Roger had a bad season, which he did. He hit the same .269 in 1963 that he hit in 1961, but with only 23 home runs because his playing time and efficiency were limited by injuries.

Roger Maris has become much more of a fan favorite in recent years. His record is appreciated more today than a few short years ago for obvious reasons that do not need elaboration.

References

Daley, Arthur. “Sports of the Times: Man With an Asterisk.” The New York Times. 12 December 1966, p. 73.
 
Durso, Joseph. “Angels’ 4 in 8th Down Yanks, 7-3; Maris Pinch-Hits in Return.” The New York Times. 19 August 1965, p. 25.

Koppett, Leonard. “Maris, Starter in Only 40 Games Last Year, Retains $75,000 Yankee Salary.” The New York Times. 7 January 1966, p. 22.

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You and I are starting an all-time Fantasy Baseball Hall of Fame team. We must select one Hall of Fame player at each starting position.

I get the first pick because this is my article, but you can have the second and third picks, after which we alternate selections.

My first pick is Sandy Koufax. I want to prevent you from scoring, and no one can stop a team from scoring better than Koufax, unless it is Pedro Martinez.

Now that you are thinking about the best of the best, I will tell you that my second baseman will be Bill Mazeroski.

Are you surprised? Did you expect me to select Rogers Hornsby (.358), Nap Lajoie (.339), Eddie Collins (.333), Rod Carew (.328), Frankie Frisch (.316), or Jackie Robinson (.311)?

Am I that obsessed with defense that I would select Mazeroski (.260) over the others)? Could he prevent more runs than any one of the others could produce?

Mazeroski was a fine second baseman whom many rate as the best defensive second baseman of all time. He turned the double play better than anyone, but that credential alone should not be enough to elect him to the Hall of Fame.

A Hall of Fame member must be outstanding in many facets of the game.

Mazeroski did not hit for a high average, did not hit with power (except twice during the 1960 World Series), or have great speed.

He was not a threat to get on base (lifetime on base percentage an amazingly low .302), or to steal a base (only 27 lifetime stolen bases).  He certainly did not drive in many runs.

The Rules for Election to the Hall of Fame state that “voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.”

Despite the lack of specific criteria, one does not require a cook book recipe to determine if a player belongs in the Hall of Fame.

Does anyone question the credentials of Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, or Stan Musial?

No one doubts that Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera, and Trevor Hoffman are future Hall of Famers.

Bill Mazeroski is not alone.

One must question the credentials of Rabbit Maranville (.258, 631 career errors, and a lifetime .956 fielding average), Joe Tinker (.262, 648 career errors, and a lifetime .938 fielding average), and Jim Bunning (224-184, 114 ERA+), but that does not justify Mazeroski’s inclusion.

Adding Mazeroski lowers the level of excellence needed to be a Hall of Famer.

Baseball Reference lists batters similar to Mazeroski. Included are Kansas City second baseman Frank White, Cincinnati shortstop Leo Cardenas, Los Angeles shortstop Bill Russell, and Oakland and Pittsburgh second baseman Phil Garner.

All were solid players, but none has been even remotely considered for election to the Hall of Fame.

A Hall of Famer must be the top of the top. There should be little controversy associated with determining if a player is deserving of being elected to the Hall of Fame because the presence of doubt indicates a lack of certainty and a decreased level of excellence.

Mazeroski was a fine baseball player. He was great defensively and had a great World Series in 1960.

He never received more than 42.3 percent of the vote.  The Veteran’s Committee selected him in 2001.

References:

Baseball Reference

Hall of Fame Criteria

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There is nothing worse than a strikeout.

A strikeout is not just another out, it is an out that is a completely wasted at-bat for the offensive team.

Almost nothing positive occurs when a batter strikes out, and the few good things that can happen are so rare in today’s game that they can usually be discounted.

A batter can reach base after striking out if, with fewer than two outs and first base is unoccupied or with two outs and first base occupied, the catcher misses the third strike and the batter beats the throw to first.

There is an instance in which a strikeout can be as good as a base on balls.

When the batter has two strikes and the next pitch is clearly going to get by the catcher, an alert batter can intentionally swing at the pitch, knowing he will strike out, but also realizing that he will stand an excellent chance of reaching first base.

Almost none of today’s players ever attempt such a play. The reason players give is that it will break their rhythm for future plate appearances.

When a batter strikes out, runners do not advance and runs do not score. A strikeout eats up an out. That’s it.

Even a double play can be better than a strikeout, and depending on the situation, can actually be productive.

It is recognized when the first batter of an inning is retired, it doesn’t matter if he strikes out or hits a 400-ft drive that is caught, but the not-so-subtle difference is that the pitcher might gain more confidence in the latter instance.

With two outs, it usually doesn’t matter how the defense gets the third out.

In 1962, the Yankees and Giants split the first six games of the World Series. The seventh game at Candlestick Park was a scoreless pitching duel between the Yankees’ Ralph Terry and the Giants’ Jack Sanford until the Yankees batted in the top of the fifth inning.

Bill Skowron singled, Clete Boyer singled, and pitcher Ralph Terry drew a base on balls.

It was a great opportunity for the Yankees to break the game open, but leadoff man Tony Kubek grounded into a double play, scoring Skowron. That was it.

The only run of the game, the run that was the margin of victory for the Yankees to win the World Series, scored as the result of a double play.

Double plays kill rallies, but at least the ball is in play.

Kubek made contact and hit the ball well, but it was hit to a fielder. A batter can’t direct the flight of the ball. But striking out is failure because contact is not made.

In the early days of game, striking out was a disgrace. Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, Nap Lajoie, Honus Wagner, and Eddie Collins rarely were strike out victims. They took great pains to avoid such humiliation.

Cobb struck out only 357 times in more than 11,000 official plate appearances, and the four other greats had similar statistics.

Things changed when Babe Ruth popularized the home run, but even the free swingers in those years had some discipline.

Ruth never struck out 100 times in a season.

His highest total was 93 in 1923, but he batted .393, hit 41 home runs, and had an incredible on base average of .545. Still, striking out was shameful and Ruth was criticized for it.

Jimmy Foxx struck out more than 100 times in a season only twice, Hank Greenberg only once, and Ralph Kiner only once, which was his rookie year.

Joe DiMaggio struck out only 369 times in his entire career, which was remarkable for a power hitter.

Great home run hitters do not have to strike out more than 100 times a season, but they do— again and again.

In his first full season, which was 1952, Mickey Mantle batted .311 with 23 home runs. In the World Series against the Dodgers, Mantle hit .345 with two home runs, including a grand slam.

It was an excellent season that foreshadowed a great career, yet that winter, baseball periodicals and yearbooks did not emphasize Mantle’s batting average or home runs. They criticized Mantle’s 111 strikeouts and lamented that he would never become a truly great player unless he drastically reduced his strikeouts.

Over a 162-game schedule, Mickey averaged 36 home runs and 115 strikeouts,

Willie Mays averaged 36 home runs and 83 strikeouts.

Henry Aaron averaged 37 home runs and 68 strikeouts.

Today, it is a different game. Sportscasters and former baseball players have stated that “an out is an out” and a strikeout is simply another way of a batter being retired.

No one illustrates that view more than Mark Reynolds. 

The Arizona Diamondbacks’ third baseman averages 35 home runs and an incredible 215 strikeouts over a 162-game season. Mark is considered one of the game’s top hitters.

Many players subscribe to the false belief that a strikeout is no worse than any other type of out. Do they really believe that a strikeout is just as good as a fly ball to the outfield when there is one out and a runner on third?

Would the arbitrator at a salary hearing agree with the concept that “an out is an out?”

For the modern hitter, there is little disgrace or humiliation associated with striking out, especially among those who lead the league in strikeouts but hit for power. The obligatory “I have to cut down on my strikeouts” is ever present in sound bites, but little is done to remedy the problem.

A few seasons ago, Tom Seaver and Gary Thorne discussed whether or not Mark McGwire, with all the strikeouts, was helping St. Louis.

Thorne felt that McGwire was a detriment because if he didn’t hit a home run, he would do nothing to start a rally, continue a rally, or move a runner along. His strikeouts had killed many rallies.

Seaver agreed, but put in the disclaimer that McGwire’s home runs helped the team, and he concluded that McGwire was more of a positive than a negative. Home runs are good.

Implicit in the discussion was the fact that no out is worse than a strikeout.

Reference:

Baseball Reference

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