Category / Baseball

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Hall Of Fame Batting Leaders



The Hall of Fame Class of 2023, former Phillie and Cardinal third baseman Scott Rolen and veterans committee choice Fred McGriff, get enshrined in Cooperstown today.  With two new hitters joining the list of Hall of Famers I’ve seen play live, let’s check back in with the leaders on the offensive side of the ball amongst Hall of Famers for all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2022.

Home Runs

Name Total
Jim Thome 35
Frank Thomas 15
Scott Rolen 7
David Ortiz 6
Vladimir Guerrero 6

Hits

Name Total
Jim Thome 110
Frank Thomas 54
Ken Griffey Jr 32
Fred McGriff 28
Scott Rolen 25

Runs

Name Total
Jim Thome 82
Frank Thomas 42
David Ortiz 16
Scott Rolen 14
Ken Griffey Jr. 12

RBI

Name Total
Jim Thome 84
Frank Thomas 38
Fred McGriff 23
David Ortiz 19
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Looking Ahead To 2024

Using the extra off day in the All-Star break, Major League Baseball released their tentative 2024 schedule on Thursday.  For the second year in a row, MLB is keeping with a balanced schedule, playing 52 games against division opponents, 64 games against non-division opponents in the same league, and 46 interleague games, with series against every team in the opposite league.  With the White Sox entering an uncertain second half of 2023 following a disappointing year and a half during what should have been the prime of their contention window, and the Cubs looking to take the next step forward in their rebuild, the 2024 season looks to be an interesting time in the city of Chicago.  So, for one day, at least, let’s turn our attention to next summer for both teams.

The White Sox open their season on March 28 against the Tigers, kicking off a six-game homestand that also features the Braves.

Aside from the Braves, the new interleague schedule sees the Pirates, Reds, Dodgers, Braves, Mets, Rockies, and Nationals travelling to Chicago, while the White Sox will go on the road to face the Phillies, Marlins, Cardinals, Brewers, Diamondbacks, and Padres. The rivalry with their north side foes continues with a two-game series at Wrigley Field in early June followed by a mid-August tilt at Guaranteed Rate Field that leaves both teams the rare Sunday off-day.

After a west coast trip in mid-September, the season wraps up with a mid-week home battle against the Angels followed by a trip to Detroit to finish up the year.

On the north side, the Cubs also open their season on March 28, heading out on the road for the first time in five years to battle the Rangers.  After a three-game series, they open the home portion of the schedule against the Rockies.

Aside from the Rangers, the Cubs will head out on the road to face the Mariners, Orioles, Guardians, Red Sox, and Royals, while the A’s, Twins, Angels, Yankees, Blue Jays, and Tigers will be coming to Wrigley.

Only six of their 26 games in September are against their NL Central rivals, which could make a difference if the Cubs find themselves in contention.  They end the year with a three-game tilt at home against the Reds.

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2023 All Star Break Pitching Leaders

The second half of the season kicks off tomorrow, so let’s finish off our look back at the 24 games I attended in the first half with the leaders on the defensive side, beginning with everyone’s favorite pitching stat:

Wins

Name Total
Aaron Bummer 2
Marcus Stroman 2
Taijuan Walker 2
18 tied with 1

Losses

Name Total
Kendall Graveman 2
22 tied with 1

ERA (> 6 IP)

Name Total
Gregory Santos 0.00
Jose Berrios 0.00
Marcus Stroman 1.29
Michael Lorenzen 1.29
Taijuan Walker 2.19

Strikeouts

Name Total
Lucas Giolito 28
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2023 All Star Break Batting Leaders

With the All-Star Game in the books and a few days of rest before the second half kicks off, let’s take a look at the first half offensive leaders for the 24 games I attended at three different stadiums, starting with:

Home Runs

Name Total
Luis Robert 8
Jake Burger 5
Andrew Vaughn 4
7 tied with 2

Hits

Name Total
Andrew Benintendi 26
Luis Robert 18
Jake Burger 15
Elvis Andrus 14
Andrew Vaughn 14

Runs

Name Total
Luis Robert 13
Andrew Benintendi 12
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2023 All Star Break Standings

For the first time since 2001, the Midsummer Classic returns to Seattle and T-Mobile Park.  As the stars of the baseball world gather in the Pacific Northwest for tonight’s showdown, it’s time to take a look at the team records for the 24 games, featuring 60% of the teams in the league, that I attended in the first half of the baseball season, a disappointing one on both sides of town.

2023 Team Records

Team Name Won Loss Winning Pctg
Philadelphia Phillies 2 0 1.000
Toronto Blue Jays 2 0 1.000
Miami Marlins 1 0 1.000
San Francisco Giants 1 0 1.000
Cleveland Guardians 1 0 1.000
Chicago Cubs 3 1 0.750
Chicago White Sox 10 10 0.500
Tampa Bay Rays 1 1 0.500
St. Louis Cardinals 1 1 0.500
Seattle Mariners 1 1 0.500
Baltimore Orioles 1 1 0.500
Detroit Tigers 0 1 0.000
Houston Astros 0 1 0.000
Milwaukee Brewers 0 1 0.000
New York Mets 0 1 0.000
Pittsburgh Pirates 0 1 0.000
Boston Red Sox 0 2 0.000
Kansas City Royals 0 2 0.000
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Hey Now, You’re An All Star

With just one week left before the All-Star break, the reserve rosters were announced today for both leagues.  The Cubs scored three All Stars, with shortstop Dansby Swanson and pitcher Marcus Stroman both making the team for the second time in their careers while pitcher Justin Steele makes it for the first time.  For the disappointing White Sox, center fielder Luis Robert Jr. earns his first All Star nod.  The four will be heading to Seattle for next Tuesday’s festivities.

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Get Your Bets In (Well, Not Quite Yet)

Back in 2001, the Cubs received approval to build a two-story, 22,350-square-foot structure at the corner of Sheffield and Addison, which would be home to a DraftKings Sportsbook at Wrigley Field.  This week, that sportsbook took a big step closer to becoming a reality, opening to the public as a sports bar while waiting for approval from the Illinois Gaming Board.  To align with Major League Baseball rules, the building is open to anyone 21 and over, with no ticket to that day’s game necessary.  At the present time, there is no way to cross from the sportsbook into Wrigley Field itself.

I’m sure at some point I will make a visit, even if it is just to sample the menu, provided by Levy.  The place appeared to be packed following last night’s Cubs game as I walked past on my way to the El, which bodes well for both DraftKings and the Cubs.

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A Win Off The Field

The Cubs scored a victory in court last week as a federal judge ruled that the billion-dollar renovation of Wrigley Field did not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The decision follows an April trial that came nearly six years after a Chicago attorney filed suit against the team on behalf of his son, who is confined to a wheelchair due to muscular dystrophy, claiming that the extensive renovations did not provide enough accessible seating to comply with the ADA.

With a listed capacity of 39,510, Wrigley Field would be required to have at least 209 accessible seats to meet ADA standards.  In his ruling, the judge notes that there at least 210 accessible seats (the Cubs claim there are 225) and that an April site visit “impressed upon the Court the variety of locations and views on offer for patrons who require accessible seating, as well as that ‘friendly confines’ feeling that is unique to Wrigley Field.”

In a statement, Cubs spokesperson Julian Green said that the team was “grateful for today’s decision and its validation of our belief we followed accessibility guidelines throughout the 1060 Project.”  The team is not out of the woods completely, though, as last July, the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago filed a separate lawsuit against the Cubs, claiming the renovations at Wrigley Field violated federal law by failing to make the park “appropriately accessible” to fans with disabilities.  That lawsuit is ongoing.

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It Hasn’t Been A While

Coming in to the 2023 season, I had seen every team since the pandemic-stricken 2020 season save two: the Pirates, who I had last seen in 2019, and the Marlins, who I hadn’t seen in person since 2013.  This week, I knocked both of those teams off the list, with the Marlins coming through Guaranteed Rate Field this past weekend and the Pirates in town at Wrigley Field this week.

Less than halfway through the 2023 season, I’ve already seen fourteen of the 30 clubs, just under half.  That number jumps to 25 when we turn the clock back to 2022.  That’s 83% of the league that I’ve seen in less than a season and a half.  The remaining five I saw in 2021, and I’m sure at least two or three will make an appearance in the second half of 2023.  Anyway, here’s a look at each team and the last time I saw them play.

Most Recent Game By Team

Team Name Date
Washington Nationals 5/19/2021
St. Louis Cardinals 5/26/2021
San Diego Padres 6/1/2021
Boston Red Sox 9/11/2021
Cincinnati Reds 9/28/2021
Seattle Mariners 4/12/2022
Los Angeles Angels 4/30/2022
New York Yankees 5/15/2022
Los Angeles Dodgers 6/8/2022
Texas Rangers 6/12/2022
Atlanta Braves 6/18/2022
Toronto Blue Jays 6/20/2022
Colorado Rockies 7/27/2022
Oakland Athletics 7/30/2022
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Orange Haze

Last night’s contest between the White Sox and the Yankees in the Bronx was postponed after wildfires in Canada caused “clearly hazardous air quality” at Yankee Stadium.  Tuesday night’s game was played under a lesser haze, but conditions worsened during the day on Wednesday, leading to cancellations across sports in both New York and Philadelphia.  The game is currently scheduled to be made up today as part of a straight doubleheader, assuming the skies clear up some.

This is not the first time the White Sox have had a game cancelled in New York for non-weather-related reasons.  The White Sox were scheduled to start a series against the Yankees in New York on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, before certain events in the city caused the game to be delayed.