I commented last week about the Pirates trading away Chris Young, who's become a star pitcher for the Padres, in exchange for Matt Herges, who didn't even make Pittsburgh's roster coming out of spring training.
Of course, hindsight ... well, you know how that goes. There have been plenty of trades throughout baseball history involving young players no one has heard of who later turn out to be stars, or old-timers who suddenly get a second wind with a new team. Before the advent of free agency, at least, trades were lopsided only in retrospect. Here are some more that didn't turn out so well for one of the parties involved:
• Dec. 15, 1900: Cincinnati Reds trade Christy Mathewson to New York Giants for Amos Rusie. The granddaddy of all one-sided trades involved two future Hall of Famers. The problem was that Mathewson had 372 wins ahead of him for the Giants, while Rusie failed to win a game for the Reds. Mathewson actually had pitched a few games for New York in 1900, but Cincinnati drafted him after he was sent back to the minors. Eager to reacquire Mathewson, the Giants offered Rusie, the dominant pitcher of the 1890s. Unfortunately, he'd sat out the previous two seasons in a contract dispute, and the layoff showed in 1901: In three games, Rusie posted an 0-1 record and 8.59 earned run average. Mathewson won 20 games as a rookie and became, posthumously, a charter member of baseball's Hall of Fame.
• Aug. 31, 1990: Boston Red Sox trade Jeff Bagwell to Houston Astros for Larry Andersen. Bagwell was a fairly good prospect in the Sox' organization, but Boston was looking to bolster its bullpen for the stretch drive. Although he was 37, Andersen was one of the best middle relievers in the game at the time, and pitched well during his month with the Sox, giving up only three runs in 15 appearances, before signing a lucrative free-agent contract with San Diego, retiring after two years there. Bagwell had some success in Houston, of course, setting a franchise record with 449 home runs during his 15-year career.
• Dec. 4, 1968: Houston Astros trade Mike Cuellar, Enzo Hernandez and Elijah Johnson to Baltimore Orioles for Curt Blefary and John Mason. This may have looked like a decent trade at the time. The Orioles had seen a number of talented young pitchers - among them Chuck Estrada, Wally Bunker and Steve Barber - go by the wayside with various arm injuries, and the team was unsure about Jim Palmer, who was nursing an ailment at the time. Houston, playing in the offense-challenged Astrodome, was looking for a bat to add to the lineup. Blefary, the American League Rookie of the Year in 1965, seemed to fit the bill, although he'd hit .200 in 1968. (In his defense, the AL as a whole hit .230 in the Year of the Pitcher.) Cuellar was a 31-year-old who'd gone 8-11 in '68, but the Orioles felt his veteran presence could help the staff. The O's went on the win 109 games in '69, with Cuellar tying with Denny McLain for the Cy Young Award, and Cuellar won at least 18 games each year through '74. Blefary, age 25, hit .253 with 12 home runs and 67 runs batted in during his only season in Houston.
• Nov. 29, 1971: San Francisco Giants trade Gaylord Perry and Frank Duffy to Cleveland Indians for Sam McDowell. At the time of the trade, "Sudden" Sam was averaging more than a strikeout per inning, a rarity in those days. After finishing third in the AL Cy Young balloting in 1970, McDowell went 13-17 the following season with an awful Indians team. Perry had won more than 20 games twice for the Giants, but was overshadowed on the staff by Juan Marichal. The change of pace was great for Gaylord, who won 24 games and the Cy Young in '72, joining Jim Perry as the only brothers to earn the award. McDowell, a Pittsburgh native who'd just turned 30, won only 19 games the rest of his career.
• April 5, 1975: Philadelphia Phillies trade Bill Robinson to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Wayne Simpson. Robinson, who'd been a bust for the post-dynasty Yankees of the late '60s, became a fan favorite after cracking 25 home runs for the '73 Phillies, not quite as common an occurrence in those days. He'd slumped considerably in 1974, and the Phillies, looking for pitching help, decided to take a chance on Simpson although he never pitched an inning for the Pirates. Phils general manager Paul Owens no doubt was remembering Simpson's work as a rookie in Cincinnati, where he went 14-3 before hurting his arm in 1970. His health problems persisted in Philadelphia, where he went 1-0 in seven games in '75. Robinson got off to a slow start in Pittsburgh, but batted in 104 runs in '77 and was an integral part of the '79 championship team.
• March 27, 1987: Philadelphia Phillies trade Gary Redus to Chicago White Sox for Joe Cowley. Redus was a serviceable player with some power and speed who ended up bouncing around the majors for 13 years, never really finding a full-time role. The Phillies thought they were getting some pitching help, as Cowley had shown flashes of brilliance: He'd pitched a no-hitter for the White Sox and set an AL record in another game by striking out the first seven batters he faced. Once he arrived in Philly, though, Cowley was just plain awful. In four starts during April, he gave up a total of 23 runs while starting 0-4. On May 3, Phillies manager John Felske called Cowley in to relieve Kevin Gross. In the fourth inning, Cowley got Ron Oester out before giving up a single to opposing pitcher Bill Gullickson, then walking Kal Daniels and Kurt Stilwell to load the bases. Cowley left the mound, his last appearance in the majors, and watched all the runners he put on base score when Eric Davis hit a grand slam. He left with a 15.43 ERA for the season.
• Dec. 9, 1982: New York Yankees trade Fred McGriff, Dave Collins, Mike Morgan (and cash) to Toronto Blue Jays for Dale Murray and Tom Dodd. Having missed the playoffs in '82 for only the second time in six years, the Yankees traded for Murray, a 32-year-old righthander who'd been the star of Toronto's bullpen, for what that was worth, in '82. Collins had distinguished himself by stealing 79 bases for the Reds in 1980, but had swiped only 13 while hitting .253 in his only season with the Yankees. Morgan was a phenom who debuted with Oakland at age 18 in '78, but was in the early stages of what would become his epic 12-team, quarter-century odyssey through the majors. As for McGriff ... he'd just turned 19 and was merely another outfielder in the Yankees' system. With the Blue Jays and later the Padres, McGriff became the first player since the Dead Ball Era to lead both leagues in home runs, on his way to barely missing 500 for his career.
• May 8, 1966: San Francisco Giants trade Orlando Cepeda to St. Louis Cardinals for Ray Sadecki. Cepeda was a monster his first seven seasons with the Giants, averaging better than .300 and 30 home runs, but suffered a major injury in 1965. San Francisco had been trying to work Cepeda and Willie McCovey, both first baseman, simultaneously into the lineup for years, and McCovey had stepped in nicely in '65, belting 39 home runs. His performance apparently made Cepeda expendable, and with Bill White having departed St. Louis, the Cardinals were looking for a quality first baseman. They offered Sadecki, a lefthander who'd won 20 games in the Cards' Series-winning season of '64 but slumped to 6-15 the following season. Sadecki was just 25 at the time of the trade, but never won more than a dozen games in a season again. Cepeda hit .303 the rest of the way for St. Louis in '66, then led the league in RBI the following year on his way to becoming the first unanimous choice for Most Valuable Player in National League history.
Trivia question 35: For which current major-league manager was Orlando Cepeda traded following the 1968 season?
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Thursday, May 31, 2007
It happens every time
When the Pittsburgh Pirates see Chris R. Young penciled in as the opposing starting pitcher, they get an ill feeling.
The Pirate batters feel sick because they can't solve Young whatsoever. Following his stellar performance last night, the San Diego rightthander has pitched 23 2/3 innings against Pittsburgh in his career, surrendering just seven hits and two runs while going 3-0. And those two runs came on a Joe Randa home run that broke up Young's no-hit bid in the ninth inning against the Bucs late last season.
The opposing Pirate pitcher feels none too well because he knows he'll receive no offensive support. That was the case for Paul Maholm yesterday. He'd given up only two runs entering the eighth inning, then watched Jonah Bayliss give up a grand slam to Khalil Greene to put the game totally out of reach. (Actually, it was out of reach as soon as the Padres scored their first run.)
But the most nauseous of all must be Pittsburgh general manager Dave Littlefield. He had Young in the Pirates' minor-league system in 2001-02, and Young had pitched well, compiling an overall 16-12 record for Class-A Hickory. In 2002, Young posted a 3.11 earned run average while striking out 136 batters in 144 innings.
When Littlefield had the opportunity to acquire journeyman reliever Matt Herges, though, he traded Young. That didn't work out so well for the Pirates, who released Herges the following spring training.
Young has to be happy, not only because he's pitching for a decent team. Given the history of pitchers in the Pirates organization, if he would have hung around, he'd probably be recovering from Tommy John surgery right around now.
The Pirate batters feel sick because they can't solve Young whatsoever. Following his stellar performance last night, the San Diego rightthander has pitched 23 2/3 innings against Pittsburgh in his career, surrendering just seven hits and two runs while going 3-0. And those two runs came on a Joe Randa home run that broke up Young's no-hit bid in the ninth inning against the Bucs late last season.
The opposing Pirate pitcher feels none too well because he knows he'll receive no offensive support. That was the case for Paul Maholm yesterday. He'd given up only two runs entering the eighth inning, then watched Jonah Bayliss give up a grand slam to Khalil Greene to put the game totally out of reach. (Actually, it was out of reach as soon as the Padres scored their first run.)
But the most nauseous of all must be Pittsburgh general manager Dave Littlefield. He had Young in the Pirates' minor-league system in 2001-02, and Young had pitched well, compiling an overall 16-12 record for Class-A Hickory. In 2002, Young posted a 3.11 earned run average while striking out 136 batters in 144 innings.
When Littlefield had the opportunity to acquire journeyman reliever Matt Herges, though, he traded Young. That didn't work out so well for the Pirates, who released Herges the following spring training.
Young has to be happy, not only because he's pitching for a decent team. Given the history of pitchers in the Pirates organization, if he would have hung around, he'd probably be recovering from Tommy John surgery right around now.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Philadelphia story
Today's standings show the Pittsburgh Pirates in the lofty position of second place, a ranking that has a lot more to do with the mediocrity of the National League Central than anything the Buccos are doing.
No matter where they show up in the final standings, the Pirates are on their way to a 15th consecutive losing season, which will be only one year away from tying the major-league record.
The Phillies went from 1933 to 1948 without ever seeing .500, but that's only part of the story of the suffering of Philadelphia baseball fans.
Our story starts with the final out of the 1914 World Series, with the Philadelphia Athletics being swept in four straight games by the Boston Braves, a team that had been in last place in the National League as of mid-July. According to legend, A's manager/owner Connie Mack was so humiliated by his team's performance that he sold off most of his star players. More likely, Mack was feeling financial pressure from the Federal League, the last "third" major league, the presence of which was driving up salaries throughout baseball. Earlier in 1914, Mack had passed on acquiring a lefthanded pitcher who was tearing it up for the minor-league Baltimore Orioles. If Mack hadn't already been planning to dump payroll, George Herman Ruth might have spent his early career in Philadelphia.
As it turned out, the A's went into a free-fall of epic proportions in 1915, blundering their way to a 43-109 record. It got worse in 1916, when the Athletics fielded a team that compiled a winning percentage that was lower than the '62 Mets. One member of the pitching staff, Jack Nabors, lost 20 games while posting only a single victory. The A's went on to finish last in the American League a record seven straight seasons.
Meanwhile, the situation was much better across town, where the Phillies won their first pennant in 1915, losing to the Red Sox in the World Series. With Grover Cleveland Alexander winning at least 30 games annually from 1915-17, the future didn't look so bad.
All that changed when the Phils, wary of Alexander's draft status during World War I, traded him to the Cubs prior to the 1918 season. Sure enough, Alexander went into military service, but Chicago had the last laugh, making it to the World Series without much of a contribution from him. The Phillies, meanwhile, won 33 fewer games than the previous year. They stayed below .500 for 14 straight seasons.
Meanwhile, Mack decided to spend some money again in the mid-'20, including doing substantial business with the Orioles. In fact, he paid a then-record price to obtain another left-handed pitcher, Robert Moses Grove. With several future Hall of Famers on the squad, the A's won three straight pennants, 1929-31.
Even though the Athletics fell short in 1932, it was a milestone year for Philadelphia baseball, one of only two seasons between 1913 and when the A's bolted for Kansas City during which both of the city's major-league teams finished above .500. The Phils finished at 78-76, with star outfielder Chuck Klein winning the MVP award and having the rare distinction of leading the National League in home runs and stolen bases. He won the Triple Crown in 1933, but the cash-strapped Phillies shipped him to the Cubs after the season.
Blaming the Depression this time, Mack started dismantling his team again, and by 1934 the A's were below .500 again.
Thus began the most horrible stretch of baseball a city has had to endure, which might help explained the ingrained bitterness of Philadelphia fans. For 13 straight seasons, neither the A's nor the Phillies came anywhere near cracking the .500 mark. The Phils finally moved out of the half-century-old ballpark known as the Baker Bowl in 1938, but it didn't help matters. The team lost more than 100 games five straight seasons, culminating with a wretched '42 club that finished 42-109 while finishing last in batting average, earned run average and fielding average.
The final year of World War II might have been the worst of all for Philadelphia. Both teams finished dead last, the Phillies at 46-108 the A's slightly better at 52-98.
Mack's team had a bit of a resurgence in the late '40s, winning more than it lost each year from 1947-49. But it was back to the basement in 1950, and after managing the franchise since the day it started operating in 1901, the 87-year-old Mack, who attended every game dressed in a shirt with starched collar instead of a uniform, finally called it quits.
The Phillies meanwhile started winning, too, after finally producing a decent crop of young players, including future Hall of Famers Richie Ashburn and Robin Roberts. The so-called Whiz Kids finally made it back to the World Series in 1950, although the celebration was short-lived, as they were swept by the Yankees.
So, Pittsburgh fans, it could be a lot worse for you. That's not to say it won't in the future ...
No matter where they show up in the final standings, the Pirates are on their way to a 15th consecutive losing season, which will be only one year away from tying the major-league record.
The Phillies went from 1933 to 1948 without ever seeing .500, but that's only part of the story of the suffering of Philadelphia baseball fans.
Our story starts with the final out of the 1914 World Series, with the Philadelphia Athletics being swept in four straight games by the Boston Braves, a team that had been in last place in the National League as of mid-July. According to legend, A's manager/owner Connie Mack was so humiliated by his team's performance that he sold off most of his star players. More likely, Mack was feeling financial pressure from the Federal League, the last "third" major league, the presence of which was driving up salaries throughout baseball. Earlier in 1914, Mack had passed on acquiring a lefthanded pitcher who was tearing it up for the minor-league Baltimore Orioles. If Mack hadn't already been planning to dump payroll, George Herman Ruth might have spent his early career in Philadelphia.
As it turned out, the A's went into a free-fall of epic proportions in 1915, blundering their way to a 43-109 record. It got worse in 1916, when the Athletics fielded a team that compiled a winning percentage that was lower than the '62 Mets. One member of the pitching staff, Jack Nabors, lost 20 games while posting only a single victory. The A's went on to finish last in the American League a record seven straight seasons.
Meanwhile, the situation was much better across town, where the Phillies won their first pennant in 1915, losing to the Red Sox in the World Series. With Grover Cleveland Alexander winning at least 30 games annually from 1915-17, the future didn't look so bad.
All that changed when the Phils, wary of Alexander's draft status during World War I, traded him to the Cubs prior to the 1918 season. Sure enough, Alexander went into military service, but Chicago had the last laugh, making it to the World Series without much of a contribution from him. The Phillies, meanwhile, won 33 fewer games than the previous year. They stayed below .500 for 14 straight seasons.
Meanwhile, Mack decided to spend some money again in the mid-'20, including doing substantial business with the Orioles. In fact, he paid a then-record price to obtain another left-handed pitcher, Robert Moses Grove. With several future Hall of Famers on the squad, the A's won three straight pennants, 1929-31.
Even though the Athletics fell short in 1932, it was a milestone year for Philadelphia baseball, one of only two seasons between 1913 and when the A's bolted for Kansas City during which both of the city's major-league teams finished above .500. The Phils finished at 78-76, with star outfielder Chuck Klein winning the MVP award and having the rare distinction of leading the National League in home runs and stolen bases. He won the Triple Crown in 1933, but the cash-strapped Phillies shipped him to the Cubs after the season.
Blaming the Depression this time, Mack started dismantling his team again, and by 1934 the A's were below .500 again.
Thus began the most horrible stretch of baseball a city has had to endure, which might help explained the ingrained bitterness of Philadelphia fans. For 13 straight seasons, neither the A's nor the Phillies came anywhere near cracking the .500 mark. The Phils finally moved out of the half-century-old ballpark known as the Baker Bowl in 1938, but it didn't help matters. The team lost more than 100 games five straight seasons, culminating with a wretched '42 club that finished 42-109 while finishing last in batting average, earned run average and fielding average.
The final year of World War II might have been the worst of all for Philadelphia. Both teams finished dead last, the Phillies at 46-108 the A's slightly better at 52-98.
Mack's team had a bit of a resurgence in the late '40s, winning more than it lost each year from 1947-49. But it was back to the basement in 1950, and after managing the franchise since the day it started operating in 1901, the 87-year-old Mack, who attended every game dressed in a shirt with starched collar instead of a uniform, finally called it quits.
The Phillies meanwhile started winning, too, after finally producing a decent crop of young players, including future Hall of Famers Richie Ashburn and Robin Roberts. The so-called Whiz Kids finally made it back to the World Series in 1950, although the celebration was short-lived, as they were swept by the Yankees.
So, Pittsburgh fans, it could be a lot worse for you. That's not to say it won't in the future ...
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Last time around
Red Sox fans will fondly remember Jim Lonborg as the pitcher who won the Cy Young Award during the Impossible Dream season of '67, pitching his team to the pennant, then throwing a one-hitter and three-hitter in consecutive World Series starts.
Unfortunately for Lonborg, his arm couldn't withstand one day of rest when he got the call to start the Series' seventh game. And his arm really couldn't withstand the shattering it took when he was involved in a skiing accident in the off-season.
By 1973, he was pitching for a bad Phillies team that was just about to turn the corner, and he put in quite a few solid seasons as the right-handed complement to Steve "Lefty" Carlton in the Philadelphia rotation. In the process, Lonborg became a fan favorite, his friendly demeanor serving as a counterpoint to his future-Hall-of-Fame staffmate.
The Phillies won three consecutive NL East titles from 1976-78, but by the last of the seasons Lonborg wasn't pitching effectively, compiling an 8-10 record and watching his earned run average balloon to 5.23.
His status definitely was in question going into the '79 season. He was about to turn 37, and the Phillies had acquired Nino Espinosa (RIP) from the Mets to fill out the rotation. Lonborg made the team, but appeared in just a few games of mop-up relief by the end of May.
When manager Danny Ozark (who would be fired before season's end) finally gave Lonborg a start on June 3, it was at Cincinnati, where the Big Red Machine was on its way to its final division title. As a Jim Lonborg fan, I tuned in to watch the game, even though I had a bad feeling about it. Sure enough, it looked like he was tossing batting practice. The Reds scored three runs in the second and three more in the third, including back-to-back home runs by George Foster and Dan Driessen. When John Bench singled, Ozark came out to the mound to get the ball, and Lonborg walked off mopping up tears with his glove. It was a sad end to a decent career (although I've since learned that Jim made one more relief appearance, giving up three runs in three innings, before the Phils said goodbye for good).
Speaking of sad endings, I remember listening to a Saturday afternoon broadcast of a game between Minnesota and Toronto early in the 1988 season. With the Twins already getting smoked by the Blue Jays, they brought in Carlton, now age 43, to pitch. The Jays had a decent lineup then, and Lefty was no match for the likes of George Bell (home run), Fred McGriff (double) and Lloyd Moseby (another double). Hearing them tee off on the formerly great pitcher was a painful experience.
Like Lonborg, Carlton got one more chance to start a game, but was pounded into submission by a mediocre Indians lineup. The last batter Lefty ever faced was Indians catcher Andy Allanson, who smacked a run-scoring double. The date was April 23, 1988.
Here are some more last stands by some of the great pitchers of the '70s/'80s:
• Nolan Ryan, Texas, Sept. 22, 1993. His last pitch was hit out of the park for a grand slam, no less, by Seattle's Dann Howitt. Who? The first baseman-outfielder hit a total of five home runs in parts of six major-league seasons, but he'll always be able to get mileage out of being the answer to a trivia question.
• Tom Seaver, Boston, Sept. 19, 1986. I remember Tom Terrific sitting on the bench during the Sox' postseason run, but he was injured and never appeared in a game again. In his final appearance, he started against and lost to Toronto, trailing 3-2 when Sammy Stewart relieved him and coughed up three more runs. Tony Fernandez, who flied out, was the last batter Seaver faced.
• Phil Niekro, Atlanta, Sept. 27, 1987. Baseball fans thought he might pitch forever, but the knuckleballer finally ran out of steam at age 48. After his release by Toronto, the Braves - the team that, when it still was in Milwaukee, first signed him back in 1958 - brought him back for one more start. He gave up six hits, five runs and walked six Giants before manager Chuck Tanner removed him in the fourth inning. Niekro's last pitch walked Kevin Mitchell with the bases loaded.
• Ferguson Jenkins, Chicago Cubs, Sept. 26, 1983. Jenkins' final appearance was an inning of relief against the Phillies, the team that originally signed him, then included him in an ill-advised trade with the Cubs. Jenkins immediately went on to win 20 or more games six straight season. He bounced around a bit before returning to Chicago for two final, forgettable seasons. In his finale, Jenkins gave up a single to Mike Schmidt and home run to Joe Lefebvre before retiring Garry Matthews and Greg Gross as the final two batters he faced.
• Tommy John, New York Yankees, May 25, 1989. John's career spanned seven presidencies, JFK through Bush I, and he actually pitched longer in the majors after having the surgery that is named after him. He made the Yankees, a lousy team at the time, coming out of spring training in '89, but his aged arm had lost all its zip. Although he had a 2-7 record, manager Dallas Green trotted John out one more time in a game against the Angels. Although New York won the game, Tommy didn't earn the victory, as his lead was blown by Dale Mohorcic. John's last pitch was hit for a single by Devon White.
Unfortunately for Lonborg, his arm couldn't withstand one day of rest when he got the call to start the Series' seventh game. And his arm really couldn't withstand the shattering it took when he was involved in a skiing accident in the off-season.
By 1973, he was pitching for a bad Phillies team that was just about to turn the corner, and he put in quite a few solid seasons as the right-handed complement to Steve "Lefty" Carlton in the Philadelphia rotation. In the process, Lonborg became a fan favorite, his friendly demeanor serving as a counterpoint to his future-Hall-of-Fame staffmate.
The Phillies won three consecutive NL East titles from 1976-78, but by the last of the seasons Lonborg wasn't pitching effectively, compiling an 8-10 record and watching his earned run average balloon to 5.23.
His status definitely was in question going into the '79 season. He was about to turn 37, and the Phillies had acquired Nino Espinosa (RIP) from the Mets to fill out the rotation. Lonborg made the team, but appeared in just a few games of mop-up relief by the end of May.
When manager Danny Ozark (who would be fired before season's end) finally gave Lonborg a start on June 3, it was at Cincinnati, where the Big Red Machine was on its way to its final division title. As a Jim Lonborg fan, I tuned in to watch the game, even though I had a bad feeling about it. Sure enough, it looked like he was tossing batting practice. The Reds scored three runs in the second and three more in the third, including back-to-back home runs by George Foster and Dan Driessen. When John Bench singled, Ozark came out to the mound to get the ball, and Lonborg walked off mopping up tears with his glove. It was a sad end to a decent career (although I've since learned that Jim made one more relief appearance, giving up three runs in three innings, before the Phils said goodbye for good).
Speaking of sad endings, I remember listening to a Saturday afternoon broadcast of a game between Minnesota and Toronto early in the 1988 season. With the Twins already getting smoked by the Blue Jays, they brought in Carlton, now age 43, to pitch. The Jays had a decent lineup then, and Lefty was no match for the likes of George Bell (home run), Fred McGriff (double) and Lloyd Moseby (another double). Hearing them tee off on the formerly great pitcher was a painful experience.
Like Lonborg, Carlton got one more chance to start a game, but was pounded into submission by a mediocre Indians lineup. The last batter Lefty ever faced was Indians catcher Andy Allanson, who smacked a run-scoring double. The date was April 23, 1988.
Here are some more last stands by some of the great pitchers of the '70s/'80s:
• Nolan Ryan, Texas, Sept. 22, 1993. His last pitch was hit out of the park for a grand slam, no less, by Seattle's Dann Howitt. Who? The first baseman-outfielder hit a total of five home runs in parts of six major-league seasons, but he'll always be able to get mileage out of being the answer to a trivia question.
• Tom Seaver, Boston, Sept. 19, 1986. I remember Tom Terrific sitting on the bench during the Sox' postseason run, but he was injured and never appeared in a game again. In his final appearance, he started against and lost to Toronto, trailing 3-2 when Sammy Stewart relieved him and coughed up three more runs. Tony Fernandez, who flied out, was the last batter Seaver faced.
• Phil Niekro, Atlanta, Sept. 27, 1987. Baseball fans thought he might pitch forever, but the knuckleballer finally ran out of steam at age 48. After his release by Toronto, the Braves - the team that, when it still was in Milwaukee, first signed him back in 1958 - brought him back for one more start. He gave up six hits, five runs and walked six Giants before manager Chuck Tanner removed him in the fourth inning. Niekro's last pitch walked Kevin Mitchell with the bases loaded.
• Ferguson Jenkins, Chicago Cubs, Sept. 26, 1983. Jenkins' final appearance was an inning of relief against the Phillies, the team that originally signed him, then included him in an ill-advised trade with the Cubs. Jenkins immediately went on to win 20 or more games six straight season. He bounced around a bit before returning to Chicago for two final, forgettable seasons. In his finale, Jenkins gave up a single to Mike Schmidt and home run to Joe Lefebvre before retiring Garry Matthews and Greg Gross as the final two batters he faced.
• Tommy John, New York Yankees, May 25, 1989. John's career spanned seven presidencies, JFK through Bush I, and he actually pitched longer in the majors after having the surgery that is named after him. He made the Yankees, a lousy team at the time, coming out of spring training in '89, but his aged arm had lost all its zip. Although he had a 2-7 record, manager Dallas Green trotted John out one more time in a game against the Angels. Although New York won the game, Tommy didn't earn the victory, as his lead was blown by Dale Mohorcic. John's last pitch was hit for a single by Devon White.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Home of the Braves
With John Smoltz winning his 200th career game last night by outdueling Tom Glavine, we're reminded of what may have been the top trio of starting pitchers in major-league history.
From 1993, when Greg Maddux joined the Atlanta staff, until 1999, the year before Smoltz took a season off because of injury (and later become a top-flight closer), the team's top three starters put together a seven-year run in which they combined for 340 wins, 166 losses, a 2.92 earned run average and five Cy Young Awards. No wonder the Braves were perennial division winners. The real surprise is that with such a stellar rotation, they couldn't advance further in the playoffs each year. History might not be kind to the '90s Braves because of their failure to climb all the way to the top all but one year, but who knows if we'll ever see such a steady nucleus of starters for such an extended period again.
For a look at how Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz fared each of those seasons, click here.
From 1993, when Greg Maddux joined the Atlanta staff, until 1999, the year before Smoltz took a season off because of injury (and later become a top-flight closer), the team's top three starters put together a seven-year run in which they combined for 340 wins, 166 losses, a 2.92 earned run average and five Cy Young Awards. No wonder the Braves were perennial division winners. The real surprise is that with such a stellar rotation, they couldn't advance further in the playoffs each year. History might not be kind to the '90s Braves because of their failure to climb all the way to the top all but one year, but who knows if we'll ever see such a steady nucleus of starters for such an extended period again.
For a look at how Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz fared each of those seasons, click here.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Ex-Pirates
Of the myriad sources of frustration for Pirates fans, one of the toughest to swallow is the success of players who couldn't cut it in Pittsburgh but flourish elsewhere.
This year, Exhibit A is Oliver Perez, the left-hander who sizzled in 2004, fizzled in '05 and pitched himself out of the Pirates' plans in '06. They shipped him to the Mets, with whom he hurled well enough in last fall's playoffs to raise hopes among New Yorkers that he could regain his form.
So far this season, he's looking like the Ollie of '04, if not better. Last night, Perez beat Atlanta, 3-0, his third win against the Braves this season. He pitched seven shutout innings, giving up four hits and walking just two, in improving his record to 6-3 and lowering his earned run average to 2.54.
Most people who follow the Pirates saw this coming. The Pittsburgh hierarchy had attempted to have Ollie change his pitching delivery, and he obviously didn't respond well. The culture of losing permeating PNC Park probably didn't help much, either. Now that he's on a team that looks as if it's bound for the postseason again, he seems to be back on track. And more good news for the Mets: He won't turn 27 until later this season.
(Maybe his resurgence will mean the autographed poster I have of him might be worth something someday ...)
As if Perez's success weren't enough, the Pirates suffered the humiliation of losing last night to former teammate Kip Wells. Having landed in St. Louis by way of his trade from Pittsburgh to Texas last season, Wells was off to a horrible start this year: 1-8, 6.75 ERA. Against the Pirates, he tossed seven innings and gave up one earned run.
Watching results like that, the big question around Pittsburgh is: When does Steelers training camp start?
Trivia question 34: Speaking of pitchers who stunk in Pittsburgh and went on to better things elsewhere ... who posted a 2-19 record for the Pirates and later led the league in strikeouts for St. Louis?
This year, Exhibit A is Oliver Perez, the left-hander who sizzled in 2004, fizzled in '05 and pitched himself out of the Pirates' plans in '06. They shipped him to the Mets, with whom he hurled well enough in last fall's playoffs to raise hopes among New Yorkers that he could regain his form.
So far this season, he's looking like the Ollie of '04, if not better. Last night, Perez beat Atlanta, 3-0, his third win against the Braves this season. He pitched seven shutout innings, giving up four hits and walking just two, in improving his record to 6-3 and lowering his earned run average to 2.54.
Most people who follow the Pirates saw this coming. The Pittsburgh hierarchy had attempted to have Ollie change his pitching delivery, and he obviously didn't respond well. The culture of losing permeating PNC Park probably didn't help much, either. Now that he's on a team that looks as if it's bound for the postseason again, he seems to be back on track. And more good news for the Mets: He won't turn 27 until later this season.
(Maybe his resurgence will mean the autographed poster I have of him might be worth something someday ...)
As if Perez's success weren't enough, the Pirates suffered the humiliation of losing last night to former teammate Kip Wells. Having landed in St. Louis by way of his trade from Pittsburgh to Texas last season, Wells was off to a horrible start this year: 1-8, 6.75 ERA. Against the Pirates, he tossed seven innings and gave up one earned run.
Watching results like that, the big question around Pittsburgh is: When does Steelers training camp start?
Trivia question 34: Speaking of pitchers who stunk in Pittsburgh and went on to better things elsewhere ... who posted a 2-19 record for the Pirates and later led the league in strikeouts for St. Louis?
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
As bad as it got
Each spring, I go into the garage with the intention of clearing away all the junk that's out there. I cam close this year, until my wife saw some of the stuff and insisted it go right back inside.
Of course, along with the masses of junk come little treasures, and I found one while rooting through an overstuffed cabinet.
Several years ago, I somehow found the time to collaborate with fellow SABR Forbes Field Chapter member Tom Baxter on a research project involving Pittsburgh's worst baseball team ever, the 1890 Alleghenys (aka Alleghenies, Innocents, Infants and Colts, but not yet the Pirates). And I found the file that chronicles, day by day, that miserable season when the team managed to lose 113 games while winning 23.
In other words, if you thought the Pirates teams of the past 15 years have been awful, think again.
The problem with the 1890 team is that it lost most of its better players to the Brotherhood, the first players' union, which decided to strike out on its own and form the Players League that year. The Alleghenys basically had to start from scratch, trying an endless series of unproven ballplayers who, as the season wore on, seemed to get worse and worse.
Just a few tidbits from the cover sheet of the project:
• Pittsburgh finished last in batting average (.239 vs. league average of .254), fielding percentage (.896, the last team ever to finish below .900) and earned run average (5.97). The last category is somewhat deceiving, as opponents scored more than nine runs per game. When your team commits 607 errors, many of those runs will be unearned.
• The Alleghenys drew a documented 16,064 fans. That's for the whole season. The low for one game was an officially announced 17, although I found information to the contrary published several decades later in the Baltimore Sun. A.G. Pratt, Pittsburgh's business manager in 1890, claimed: "The Sun's count of 17 spectators at that record-breaking game is absolutely correct, but I have some information that makes the attendance that day even more of a record. The paid admissions totaled only six. There were 17 persons at the game. J. Palmer O'Neil, Willis Orth and I were the only spectators in the boxes, there were six in the grandstand and eight in other parts of the park. Only the six in the grandstand paid to see the game, and I believe they were not Pittsburghers at that, but traveling men."
• Pittsburgh played the first (of three in major-league history) tripleheader, losing all three contests on Sept. 1 at Brooklyn, a team that obviously wanted to get in as many automatic wins as possible. Brooklyn went on to win the National League pennant.
Anyway, next time Pirates fans see their team play a sloppy, uninspired game like the one that took place last night in St. Louis, they can rest assured that the situation never is going to get as dire as it was in 1890.
At least, they can hope.
For the previously unpublished and unfinished (it goes only through Aug. 19) manuscript "Striking Bottom: The Terrible Season of 1890," click here. In the meantime, I'll see if I can find the account of what happened after Aug. 19.
Of course, along with the masses of junk come little treasures, and I found one while rooting through an overstuffed cabinet.
Several years ago, I somehow found the time to collaborate with fellow SABR Forbes Field Chapter member Tom Baxter on a research project involving Pittsburgh's worst baseball team ever, the 1890 Alleghenys (aka Alleghenies, Innocents, Infants and Colts, but not yet the Pirates). And I found the file that chronicles, day by day, that miserable season when the team managed to lose 113 games while winning 23.
In other words, if you thought the Pirates teams of the past 15 years have been awful, think again.
The problem with the 1890 team is that it lost most of its better players to the Brotherhood, the first players' union, which decided to strike out on its own and form the Players League that year. The Alleghenys basically had to start from scratch, trying an endless series of unproven ballplayers who, as the season wore on, seemed to get worse and worse.
Just a few tidbits from the cover sheet of the project:
• Pittsburgh finished last in batting average (.239 vs. league average of .254), fielding percentage (.896, the last team ever to finish below .900) and earned run average (5.97). The last category is somewhat deceiving, as opponents scored more than nine runs per game. When your team commits 607 errors, many of those runs will be unearned.
• The Alleghenys drew a documented 16,064 fans. That's for the whole season. The low for one game was an officially announced 17, although I found information to the contrary published several decades later in the Baltimore Sun. A.G. Pratt, Pittsburgh's business manager in 1890, claimed: "The Sun's count of 17 spectators at that record-breaking game is absolutely correct, but I have some information that makes the attendance that day even more of a record. The paid admissions totaled only six. There were 17 persons at the game. J. Palmer O'Neil, Willis Orth and I were the only spectators in the boxes, there were six in the grandstand and eight in other parts of the park. Only the six in the grandstand paid to see the game, and I believe they were not Pittsburghers at that, but traveling men."
• Pittsburgh played the first (of three in major-league history) tripleheader, losing all three contests on Sept. 1 at Brooklyn, a team that obviously wanted to get in as many automatic wins as possible. Brooklyn went on to win the National League pennant.
Anyway, next time Pirates fans see their team play a sloppy, uninspired game like the one that took place last night in St. Louis, they can rest assured that the situation never is going to get as dire as it was in 1890.
At least, they can hope.
For the previously unpublished and unfinished (it goes only through Aug. 19) manuscript "Striking Bottom: The Terrible Season of 1890," click here. In the meantime, I'll see if I can find the account of what happened after Aug. 19.
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