Category / Baseball

by admin

Looking Ahead To 2021

For reasons that I don’t entirely understand, Major League Baseball released their tentative 2021 schedule late last week, 3 weeks before the 2020 season begins. The local squads should have common goals in mind for 2021: competing for a title.  Assuming, of course, that the 2020 season goes off as planned and the pandemic winds down enough for 2021 to proceed as planned.  So, for one day, at least, let’s turn our attention to next summer for both teams.

The White Sox open their season against the Angels in (Los Angeles, California, Anaheim), the first time that has happened since 1993.  Which, I guess, is a decent sign if one’s looking for omens towards a division title.  They return home a week later, facing the Royals for the home opener.

The interleague schedule pits the White Sox against the NL Central, with trips to Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Milwaukee and home series against the Reds, Cardinals, and the Pirates. The rivalry with their north side foes continues with a series at Wrigley at the beginning of August and a follow-up at Guaranteed Rate Field at the end of the month.

The season ends with a 5 game homestand against the Reds and Tigers.

On the north side, the Cubs open their season up at home against the Pirates, which seems to be a familiar Opening Day foe.

The interleague schedule pits the Cubs against the AL Central, with trips to Cleveland, Detroit, and Minnesota and home series against the Indians, Royals, and the Twins.

The Cubs end the year with a 12 of their final 14 games against the NL Central, with 9 of those coming against the Brewers and the Cardinals, who are likely to challenge them for the NL Central crown.

by admin

Twins All Time Leaders – Through 2019

Minnesota-TwinsWith baseball now officially on its way back after the corona virus, I thought it would be an interesting time to look back at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. We continue things today with the Minnesota Twins.

The Twins originated in 1901 as the Washington Senators, one of the charter members of the American League.  When Minneapolis was given an expansion team to begin play in 1961, owner Calvin Griffith requested to move the Senators to Minnesota, becoming the Twins, and to have the expansion franchise take over the Senators name in Washington.  I’ve seen them play 59 times at 3 different stadiums, including the division-title deciding game 163 in 2008.

Home Runs

Name Total
Oswaldo Arcia 6
Jason Kubel 4
Brian Dozier 4
Torii Hunter 4

Hits

Name Total
Joe Mauer 43
Justin Morneau 25
Trevor Plouffe 23

Runs

Name Total
Joe Mauer 19
Brian Dozier 13
Trevor Plouffe 11

RBI

Name Total
Justin Morneau 15
Oswaldo Arcia 14
Torii Hunter 11

Doubles

Name Total
Trevor Plouffe 6
Justin Morneau 5
Oswaldo Arcia 5
Joe Mauer 5
Brian Dozier 5

Triples Continue reading →

by jim

Opting Out

The White Sox announced tonight that pitcher Michael Kopech, who had yet to report to camp due to personal issues, has decided to opt out of the 2020 season.  Kopech, who missed the 2019 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, will not accrue service time and will not be paid for the season.  Assuming the 2021 season starts on time, opening day will be 939 days since his last outing in September of 2018,

Kopech becomes the first Chicago player to opt out and the first major league player to opt out for whom the missed service time would make a discernible difference.  I doubt he will be the last.

by admin

Active Batting Leaders – Through 2019

baseballs2Way back in February, we looked at the overall leaders on both sides of the ball from all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2019.  After a months long pandemic due to the corona virus and weeks spent fighting between the powers that be and the MLBA, Opening Day is finally right around the corner.  Let’s take another look at those numbers, limiting it to players that are still active heading in to the delayed 2020 season.  A few notable retirements will be hardly noticeable on these lists from last year.

Home Runs

Name Total
Jose Abreu 36
Tim Anderson 16
Avisail Garcia 15
Gordon Beckham 15
Melky Cabrera 14

Hits

Name Total
Jose Abreu 193
Gordon Beckham 146
Melky Cabrera 132
Tim Anderson 113
Adam Eaton 105

Runs

Name Total
Jose Abreu 89
Gordon Beckham 85
Tim Anderson 62
Avisail Garcia 58
Adam Eaton 52

RBI

Name Total
Jose Abreu 106
Gordon Beckham 71
Melky Cabrera Continue reading →
by admin

Royals All Time Leaders – Through 2019

royalsWith baseball now officially on its way back after the corona virus, I thought it would be an interesting time to look back at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. We continue today with the Kansas City Royals.

The Royals began life in 1969, joining the American League following the abandonment of the Kansas City market by the A’s following the 1967 season.  I’ve seen them play 55 times, first in 1985 at old Comiskey Park where Willie Wilson took a throw to second base off the noggin, to last April, where I saw them in an early season series at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Home Runs

Name Total
Alex Gordon 6
Eric Hosmer 5
Salvador Perez 5

Hits

Name Total
Eric Hosmer 31
Billy Butler 30
Alcides Escobar 30

Runs

Name Total
Alex Gordon 17
Alcides Escobar 15
Billy Butler 13

RBI

Name Total
Whit Merrifield 17
Billy Butler 16
Salvador Perez 15

Doubles

Name Total
Alcides Escobar 10
Billy Butler 6
Alex Gordon 6

Triples Continue reading →

by admin

Book 11 (of 52) – Stuck On The Sox

Stuck On The Sox – Rich Lindberg

This rather light-hearted history of the White Sox, focused primarily from the early 50s until its publication in 1978, comes from noted Chicago historian Rich Lindberg.  I was intrigued when I saw the cover in a Twitter post by one of the NBCSN flunkies, so I ran out to Amazon and found a used copy for a reasonable price.

Truth be told, this really wasn’t worth it.  Aside from 1977, the mid-to-late 70s was not really a great time in White Sox history, and, because of my age, it isn’t a time that I really relate to.  Yeah, there were some names in there, but, for the most part, my life isn’t improved by having read this book.  That said, it was less than 200 pages, so if you happen across it, why not give it a shot?

 

by admin

Tigers All Time Leaders – Through 2019

tigersWith baseball now officially on its way back after the corona virus, I thought it would be an interesting time to look back at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. We continue today with the Detroit Tigers.

The Tigers began life in 1894 as part of the Western League and became a charter franchise of the American League in 1901, making them the oldest one city, one name franchise in the American League.  I’ve seen them play 55 times, including the second game ever, and my first game, at the new Comiskey Park.

Home Runs

Name Total
Miguel Cabrera 8
Nick Castellanos 4
Ryan Raburn 3
Jhonny Peralta 3

Hits

Name Total
Miguel Cabrera 26
Nick Castellanos 19
Ryan Raburn 19

Runs

Name Total
Miguel Cabrera 17
Ian Kinsler 11
Nick Castellanos 10
Austin Jackson 10

RBI

Name Total
Miguel Cabrera 20
Ryan Raburn 13
Nick Castellanos 11

Doubles

Name Total
Jose Iglesias 5
Miguel Cabrera 4
Ian Kinsler 4
Alex Avila 4

Triples Continue reading →

by admin

Changes In The Radio Booth

Now that the start of the baseball season is set, WGN and the White Sox have announced that Andy Masur would replace Ed Farmer in the radio booth for the 2020 season.  Masur, who was the pre-game host and had filled in for Farmer last season and was planned to fill in again when Farmer stepped away in spring training before the sport shut down because of the corona virus pandemic, spent 8 years at WGN, starting in 1999, before leaving to become the voice of the Padres in 2007.  He returned to the station in 2014 and started working with the White Sox when they moved to WGN in 2018.  He will join the returning Darrin Jackson, who has been the color man in the booth since 2009.

Farmer, who had spent 28 years in the White Sox radio booth and was the main play-by-play man since 2006, passed away following a long illness on April 2nd.

by admin

Indians All Time Leaders – Through 2019

With baseball shut down because of the corona virus, I thought it would be an interesting time to look back at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. We continue today with the Cleveland Indians.

The Indians, then known as the Bluebirds, were one of the charter members of the American League in 1901.  After a few name changes, they settled on the Indians name in 1915.  I’ve seen them play 52 times, including games 4 and 5 of the 2016 World Series and 2 games against the White Sox in their home stadium last September.

Home Runs

Name Total
Victor Martinez 6
Jason Kipnis 5
Travis Hafner 4

Hits

Name Total
Victor Martinez 24
Jason Kipnis 21
Michael Brantley 20
Carlos Santana 20

Runs

Name Total
Grady Sizemore 14
Shin-Soo Choo 13
Jhonny Peralta 13

RBI

Name Total
Victor Martinez 16
Carlos Santana 14
Jason Kipnis 14

Doubles

Name Total
Victor Martinez 4
Jhonny Peralta 4
Jamey Carroll 4
Carlos Santana 4
Michael Brantley 4

Triples Continue reading →

by admin

Play Ball Part II

More details have come out regarding the upcoming truncated 2020 baseball season.  Players will report for a second “spring” training by July 1, with most teams holding the camps at their home ballparks. One exception may be the Blue Jays, who are still looking for travel exceptions for players and opposing teams to be allowed into Canada.  Most teams will kick off their 60-game schedule on July 24, with a handful of teams scheduled for national telecasts the day before.

To limit the amount of travel for each team, the reconfigured schedule would include 10 games against each team’s four divisional opponents, along with 20 interleague games against the corresponding division.

Several rule changes will be implemented during the season as part of the league’s health and safety protocols.  The designated hitter will be used in both leagues, while team roster sizes will fluctuate from 30, when the season opens, to 26, after 4 weeks.  The trade deadline will be August 31, while players must be on the major league roster by September 15 to be eligible for post-season play.  Extra-inning games will see each half-inning begin with a runner on second base.  In addition to the 40 man roster. teams will be allowed a taxi squad of 20 players, kept at an alternate site, to facilitate roster moves.

High risk players will be allowed to sit out the season while still getting paid and accruing service time.  Players with high risk dependents will also be allowed to sit out, though their service time and payments will be on a case by case basis.  Players on the 20-man taxi squad will not accrue service time, unless they are added to the major league roster.  Also, a team of free agents may be set up in Nashville to keep in baseball shape should the need arise.

All in all, this will be the strangest season of baseball in my lifetime, and, possibly, of all time.  Some of these rule changes will likely stick around, like the universal DH.  Some, like the extra inning runner, are hopefully never seen again.  Hopefully the season goes off without a hitch, avoiding a major outbreak of the corona virus that would shut down the season for a second time, and we can all get back to whatever passes for normal in 2021.