To paraphrase from a famous movie, the one constant through all the years has been baseball. With the start of the 2026 season coming next week, we start to wind down our look at the all-time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. Today, we take a deeper dive into the Chicago Cubs.
The Cubs, dating back to 1870, were charter members of the National League in 1876. I’ve seen 544 players wearing a Cub uniform in the 463 of their games that I’ve attended live at nine different stadiums across seven cities, with the earliest identified game at Wrigley Field on August 4, 1984 against the Mets, through their NLDS appearance against the Brewers last fall.
Welcome to the first installment of what should become a recurring feature, taking a look back at some occurrence in the world, mostly sports, and trying to ascertain what the outcome would have been if just one thing, a decision or an outcome, went a different way. We start in October 2003, with game six of the NLCS where one particular play, debated for years, may have turned the tide.
On October 14, 2003, the Cubs were five outs away from winning their first National League pennant since 1945. Mark Prior was on the mound for the Cubs and had retired eight straight batters into the eighth inning when Juan Pierre doubled, bringing Luis Castillo to the plate. On the eighth pitch of the at bat, Castillo hit a high foul ball down the left field line, heading towards the stands. Moises Alou tracked the ball and reached, when the ball was touched by a fan. A visibly upset Alou, along with Prior and Cub manager Dusty Baker, pleaded for a call of fan interference, but the umpires ruled that the ball had left the field of play. Castillo returned to the plate and, on the next pitch, walked on a wild pitch, allowing Pierre to advance to third.
Ivan Rodriguez then hit an 0-2 pitch for a single, knocking in Pierre and making the score 3-1. When the next batter, Miguel Cabrera, hit a shard ground ball to shortstop Alex Gonzalez, it looked like the rally was over, but, instead of turning the ready-made double play, Gonzalez booted the ball, loading the bases. Derrek Lee then drilled the next pitch for a double, knocking in Castillo and Rodriguez and tying the score 3-3. At this point, Baker emerged from the Cub dugout to remove Prior, but the damage had been done. The Marlins scored five more times, winning the game 8-3 and forcing a Game 7.
The following night, the Marlins completed the unlikely comeback, beating the Cubs 9-6 and going on the face the Yankees in the World Series. They would wind up winning that as well, defeating the Yankees in six games to take home their second title.
But what if Alou had made that catch? How would the rest of history play out? Let’s take a trip through the multiverse to see what the outcome would have been.
OK, so Alou makes the catch for the second out of the inning. Let us assume Rodriguez still singles, scoring the speedy Pierre from second to make it a 3-1 game. Let us also assume Cabrera hits the same grounder to Alex Gonzalez, but, without the pressure of trying to make up for the missed out, he fields it cleanly, retiring Cabrera and ending the inning. Continue reading →
Our Throwback Thursday feature concludes, as we take one final trip in the wayback machine, going back to the 2000s, finally putting our focus on the defensive leaders of that decade. As a reminder, I’ve identified 518 games that I attended during this time period, when I would have been ages 25 through 34.
In the past, we’ve looked at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. This offseason, we will take our first ever look at those leaders against all 30 clubs. We continue today with the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Brewers began life in 1969, joining the American League as the Seattle Pilots. After one year, they moved to Milwaukee and were re-christened the Brewers. In 1998, the Brewers became the first team to switch leagues when they moved to the National League as the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays joined the American League. I’ve seen them play 41 times, first in 1993 battling the White Sox at their old home of Milwaukee County Stadium and most recently in July of 2019, battling the Cubs at Miller Park.
In the past, we’ve looked at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. This offseason, we will take our first ever look at those leaders against all 30 clubs. We continue today with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Phillies began life in 1883, and are the oldest continuous franchise that hasn’t moved cities or changed names. I’ve seen them play 20 times, including three times in the city of San Francisco.
In the past, we’ve looked at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. This offseason, we will take our first ever look at those leaders against all 30 clubs. We continue today with the Miami Marlins.
The Marlins began life in 1993, joining the National League along with the Rockies. In 2012, they rebranded as the Miami Marlins in conjunction with the opening of their new, tax payer funded stadium in the city of Miami. I’ve seen them play 25 times, including 3 victories during their unlikely triumph in the 2003 NLCS against the Cubs and once, as the home team against the Expos, at US Cellular Field in 2004, but not since 2013.
In the past, we’ve looked at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. This offseason, we will take our first ever look at those leaders against all 30 clubs. We continue today with the Houston Astros.
The Astros began life in 1962 as the Colt 45’s, joining the National League along with the Mets, and became the Astros 3 years later. In 2013, they moved to the American League, becoming just the second team to switch leagues. I’ve seen them play 47 times, including game 2 of the 2005 World Series and games 3 and 4 of the 2021 ALDS.
In the past, we’ve looked at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. This offseason, we will take our first ever look at those leaders against all 30 clubs. We continue today with the San Diego Padres.
The Padres began life in 1969, joining the National League along with the Montreal Expos. I’ve seen them play 21 times (would have been 24 if my trip to San Diego in May of 2020 hadn’t been wiped out by the corona virus) at 5 different ballparks, first in 1985 at Wrigley Field and, most recently, this past June.
With a full year of baseball on tap after last year’s troubles due to a combination of the corona virus and needless labor squabbles, I thought it would be interesting to look at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for each month in games that I have attended.
As we move into the summer months, I’m sure the nicer weather has played a part in my attending 160 games during the month of June. I’ve managed to see a game on every day of the month, with 9 games on the 25th leading the way and 2 games on the 16th bringing up the rear.
All eyes turned towards the small hamlet of Cooperstown, New York last Tuesday, as the votes were tallied and, for the first time since 2013, the 2021 Hall of Fame class was found to have no members. Curt Schilling led all vote getters with 71.1% of the vote, 3.9% shy of the 75% required for induction.
Three others tallied greater than 50% of the vote, led by Barry Bonds, who saw a slight increase up to 61.8%. Roger Clemens was right behind him at 61.6% and, with only one more go around each, it seems unlikely that either will make it via the BBWAA. Scott Rolen saw a big jump, rising to 52.9% and looks like he’s on track to eventually make it.
Omar Vizquel, who was on the upswing and looked to be on a good trajectory, dropped back down under 50% after allegations of spousal abuse popped up last year.
Mark Buehrle scored the highest amongst the newcomers, with 11%. Torii Hunter and Tim Hudson are the other two newcomers who live to fight another day, surpassing the 5% cutoff. Of the local contingent, former White Sox outfielder Andruw Jones jumped up to 33.9% while Manny Ramirez finished with the same 28.2% as last year. Cub outcast Sammy Sosa garnered 17.0%, while his former teammates Aramis Ramirez and LaTroy Hawkins pulled in 1% and 0.5% respectively. Former White Sox outfielder Nick Swisher got no votes, which seems about right.
Schilling, in an effort to prove that he is the garbage human being that he shows to the world on social media, released a letter after the vote was announced asking to no longer be considered for the Hall. “I’ll defer to the veterans committee and men whose opinions actually matter and who are in a position to actually judge a player,” he wrote, denigrating the BBWAA and the entire election process. Personally, I hope they leave him on the ballot and that nobody votes for him.
While there is no class of 2021, there will still be an election ceremony this summer, as the class of 2020, Derek Jeter, Larry Walker, Ted Simmons, and Marvin Miller, get their day in the sun, corona virus willing, on Sunday, July 25.
