Tag / Ken Griffey Jr.

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2017 Hall Of Fame Ballot – The Holdovers

baseballhofThe BBWAA released their ballot for the Hall of Fame class of 2017 on Monday. The results of the vote are due to be revealed on January 18th, with induction taking place next July. After Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza were elected in last year’s voting, the new ballot contains 15 holdovers along with 19 newcomers, which may continue the logjam caused by the current BBWAA rules which limit the number of votes on one ballot to 10 and the ongoing refusal by some writers to vote for players tainted by PEDs, leaving too many qualified candidates fighting for limited spots.

Let’s take a look at the returning candidates today before moving on to the newcomers.

Jeff Bagwell
Years on ballot: 6
2015 Percentage: 71.6

Bagwell was less than 4% away from induction last year and seems guaranteed to get elected this time around.

Barry Bonds
Years on ballot: 4
2015 Percentage: 44.3

The all time home run champion saw his vote percentage rise for the second straight time last year, so the PED bias holding him back may be subsiding.  Whether he has enough time to get up to 75% remains to be seen.

Roger Clemens
Years on ballot: 4
2015 Percentage: 45.2

Roger Clemens, he of the 354 career victories and 7 Cy Young awards, also found himself with a second consecutive rise after his fourth run through the voting process.  For some odd reason, perhaps by having played for more teams, Clemens continues to get marginally more support than his fellow PED poster child Barry Bonds.

Trevor Hoffman
Years on ballot: 1
2015 Percentage: 67.3

One of only 2 pitchers with over 600 saves, Hoffman came close to election on his first time on the ballot.  I would expect his to break through either this year or next.

Jeff Kent
Years on ballot: 3
2015 Percentage: 14.0

The 2000 NL MVP earned the exact same percentage of the vote as he did the previous year, meaning the future does not look good for him.

Edgar Martinez
Years on ballot: 7
2015 Percentage: 43.4

The longtime DH for the Mariners saw a big jump last year, but may not have enough time left on the ballot to build up to the necessary 75%.  His long career as a DH in the Pacific Northwest may be holding him back.

Fred McGriff
Years on ballot: 7
2015 Percentage: 20.9 Continue reading →

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Hall Of Fame Batting Leaders

baseballhofgriffeyToday, former White Sox outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. takes his place in Cooperstown, alongside Mike Piazza.  It has been 2 years since we last looked at the overall leaders amongst Hall of Famers, so let’s check back in with the inclusion of 2 classes worth of Hall of Famers on both sides of the ball for all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2016, starting with the offense.

Home Runs

Name Total
Frank Thomas 15
Carlton Fisk 2
Craig Biggio 2
Mike Piazza 2
Ken Griffey Jr 2
Eddie Murray 2

Hits

Name Total
Frank Thomas 54
Ken Griffey Jr 32
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#99 – Brian Anderson

Name: Brian Anderson

Rank: 99

Position: CF

Years With White Sox: 2005-2009

Brian Anderson joined the White Sox organization as the 15th overall pick in the 2003 draft.  He made his major league debut on August 16, 2005, going 2-7 in a 9-4 loss to the Twins at US Cellular Field.  He appeared in only 13 games for the big league club in 2005, as the White Sox battle for the division crown went down to the final weekend.  Anderson was left off the playoff roster, but still spent the time with the team, joining Aaron Rowand in doubting the walk-off home run Scott Podsednik hit in Game 2 of the World Series.

When Rowand was traded to the Phillies prior to the 2006 season, Anderson became the new starting center fielder.  Unfortunately, he was unable to reproduce his minor league success at the major league level, eventually losing playing time to Rob Mackowiak.  He finished the year with a .225 average, striking out 90 times in only 365 at bats.

2007 turned in to a lost season for Anderson, as he lost his starting job to Darin Erstad and appeared in only 13 games, with an anemic .118 average, before being sent back to Triple A Charlotte.  He managed to boost his average back up in the minors, but an injury ended his season early.

Anderson returned to the big leagues in 2008 with a renewed focus, but it did not translate to better results in the field.  He spent most of the year as a backup and as a late inning defensive replacement for Ken Griffey Jr.  The highlight of his season was the diving catch he made to end the tiebreaker game 163 that sent the White Sox to the playoffs.  This time, Anderson made the playoff roster, but he went hitless in 5 at bats across 3 games in the White Sox loss to the Rays in the ALDS.

Anderson found himself in the same position in 2009, until the trade deadline approached, when he was traded to the Red Sox for Mark Kotsay.

Anderson returned to the White Sox organization on January 15, 2015, signing a minor league deal, but he was released on April 2nd, ending his professional career.

Anderson’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:

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#101 – Dewayne Wise

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Name: Dewayne Wise

Rank: 101

Position: OF

Years With White Sox: 2008-2009, 2012-2013

Dewayne Wise signed with the White Sox organization on March 5, 2008.  He started the year at Triple A, but was recalled to the big leagues in May when Juan Uribe landed on the disabled list.  He returned for good in late July when Paul Konerko got hurt, becoming a defensive replacement for the newly acquired Ken Griffey Jr. and gaining additional playing time when Carlos Quentin broke his wrist in early September.  The high point of his season came on September 14, when, with the White Sox battling the Twins for the Central division title, he answered a grand slam in the top of the 8th by Marcus Thames with one of his own in the bottom of the inning, pushing the Sox to an 11-7 victory over the Tigers and retaining their first place standing.

Wise returned to the White Sox in 2009, earning the Opening Day nod in center field.  A separated shoulder 7 games into the season put him on the shelf until early June.  He made the play of his career on July 23, when he entered the game against the Rays as a defensive replacement in the 9th inning.  The first hitter, Gabe Kapler, hit a deep fly ball to center field which Wise first leaped to keep in the ballpark, then juggled the ball as he fell to the ground, finally grasping it with his bare hand.  The catch preserved Mark Buehrle’s perfect game, which he wrapped up two batters later.

wise-catchThe remainder of 2009 was uneventful, as the White Sox fell from contention.  Wise finished the year with a .225 average, and became a free agent following the season.

Wise returned to the White Sox in 2012, signing a minor league deal on August 3rd.  Barely a week later, he was called up to the majors when Paul Konerko landed on the 7 day concussion DL.  Wise appeared in 45 games over the final two months of the season, hitting .258 as the White Sox blew their division lead over the last few weeks of September.

Wise re-upped with the White Sox for the 2013 season, but was used sparingly.  He appeared in only 30 games, hitting .234, before being released on August 3rd, which drew his major league career to an end.

Wise’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:

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Reds All Time Leaders – Through 2015

redsWith 3 months until baseball in Chicago returns, I thought it would be interesting to look at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. We continue today with the Cincinnati Reds.

The Reds began life in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association, joining the National League in 1890.  I’ve seen them play 38 times, at 4 separate stadiums across 2 states.

Home Runs

Name Total
Adam Dunn 12
Austin Kearns 3
Edwin Encarnacion 3

Hits

Name Total
Adam Dunn 24
Ken Griffey Jr. 19
Sean Casey 18

Runs

Name Total
Adam Dunn 22
Sean Casey 12
Brandon Phillips 9

RBI

Name Total
Adam Dunn 27
Ken Griffey Jr. 12
Austin Kearns 10

Doubles

Name Total
Jason LaRue 5
Adam Dunn 4
Austin Kearns 4

Triples Continue reading →

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HOF Election Thoughts

baseballhofAll eyes turned towards Cooperstown yesterday as the votes were tallied and two new members were announced as the Hall of Fame class of 2016: Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza.  Griffey, in his first year of eligibility, set the all time record by being named on 99.3% of the ballots, eclipsing Tom Seaver’s mark of 98.8% in 1992.  Piazza earned 83% of the vote in his 4th year of eligibility, an increase 13.1 point increase from last year.

Four others tallied greater than 50% of the vote, led by Jeff Bagwell, who fell a mere 15 votes shy of election.  Next was Tim Raines, who only has one more chance to boost his total from 69.8% to the required 75%.  Trevor Hoffman had a surprisingly strong showing in his first year, garnering 67.3% of the vote.  Finally, Curt Schilling showed a big improvement in his 4th year on the ballot, going from 39.2% to 52.3%.

The news continued to be bleak for the alleged PED users, as Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa still failed to gain entry.  McGwire, in his 10th year of eligibility, now falls off the ballot, as does former Tigers shortstop Alan Trammel.  13 others failed to reach 5% and will also fall off the ballot.

As for the newest Hall of Famers, I’ve seen Griffey play 37 times, mostly during his stint with the White Sox in 2008, including the ALDS against the Rays. I only saw Piazza play 7 times over the course of his career.

Ken Griffey Jr’s numbers in games I attended were:

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2016 Hall Of Fame Ballot – The Newcomers

baseballhof

The BBWAA released their ballot for the Hall of Fame class of 2016 last Monday.  The results of the vote are due to be revealed on January 6th, with induction taking place next July. After Craig Biggio, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and John Smoltz were elected in last year’s voting, the new ballot contains 17 holdovers along with 15 newcomers, which may start to cause a bit of a problem.  The current BBWAA rules continue to limit the number of votes on one ballot to 10, and there may be more than 10 deserving candidates, so there will be too many qualified candidates fighting for limited spots in a shorter amount of time.  Once again, the BBWAA and the Hall may find themselves with a mess on their hands.

Last Thursday, we looked at the returning candidates.  Today, it’s time to look at the newcomers and who will be thankful come January.

Garret Anderson

The long-time Angel had a proud career, but has no chance to stay on the ballot for another year, let alone earn election at some point.

Brad Ausmus

It should be a quick one and out for the current Tigers manager.

Luis Castillo

Again, a perfectly acceptable career, but will be lucky to get a sympathy vote from a hometown writer.

David Eckstein

Wow, this batch of newcomers is starting to look a little weak.

Jim Edmonds

The defensive whiz will likely get some support, but not enough to get elected in this, or any other, year.

Troy Glaus

Another long time Angel who has no chance of being elected.

griffeyKen Griffey Jr.

The former Mariner, Red, and White Sox outfielder is likely to be the only newcomer elected in his first year of eligibility.  630 career home runs, without a hint of PED suspicion, will let him easily surpass the 75% threshold.

Mark Grudzielanek

Yeah, that’s not going to happen.

Mike Hampton

The one-time poster child for bad long term contracts is unlikely to get much support in what should be his one HOF election.

Trevor Hoffman Continue reading →

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#152 – Ken Griffey Jr.

griffeyName: Ken Griffey Jr.

Rank: 152

Position: CF

Year With White Sox: 2008

As the White Sox made their run towards the World Series title in 2005, general manager Kenny Williams attempted to acquire Ken Griffey Jr. from the Reds, but was rebuked when Reds ownership decided to veto the deal.  3 years later, with the White Sox again looking to make a run at a division title, he was able to get the aging superstar, acquiring Griffey at the trade deadline in exchange for pitcher Nick Masset and second baseman Danny Richar.  At the time of the trade, the White Sox held a tenuous 1.5 game lead over the Twins.

Griffey, who had spent most of the previous few seasons in right field to lessen the strain on his body, moved back to center field for the White Sox, displacing the disappointing Nick Swisher.  Griffey appeared in 41 games for the White Sox, hitting a decent .260 with only 3 home runs and 18 RBI.  His most important contribution came defensively, during the tie-breaking game 163 between the White Sox and the Twins, when he gunned down Michael Cuddyer, who was trying to score on a fly out to center, preserving the shutout and helping the White Sox win the division and advance the playoffs.

In the ALDS, Griffey appeared in 3 games against the Rays, garnering only 2 hits as the White Sox fell 3 games to 1.  Following the season, the White Sox declined Griffey’s $16 million option for 2009, making him a free agent.

Griffey’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:

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Franchise Four – AL West

Major League Baseball is asking its fans to vote for the four most impactful players who best represent the history of each franchise.  The winners will be announced in July at the All Star Game in Cincinnati.  Today, I will give my Franchise Four picks for the American League West.

F4Astros

The Astros, around since 1962, have 2 obvious options, and both are from their World Series team in 2005: Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell.  After that, there is a bit of a drop off.  Nolan Ryan would seem to be a good pick for the third slot, having spent more years with the Astros than with any other team.  For the last slot, I’ll go with J. R. Richard, whose career was cut short due to a stroke, but still came to represent the franchise in the late 70s.

F4Angels

Despite existing since the 1961 season, the Angels have a complete lack of star power in their 8 nominees.  Garret Anderson?  Tim Salmon?  Brian Downing?  While fine players, none of them would be confused with an all time great.  Of the remaining 5, I will dump Jim Fregosi and take Chuck Finley, Nolan Ryan (again!), Vladamir Guerrero, and, despite being in only his 4th season, Mike Trout.

F4As

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#275 – Danny Richar

Richar

Name: Danny Richar

Rank: 275

Position: 2B

Year With White Sox: 2007

Danny Richar joined the White Sox organization via trade from the Diamondbacks for Aaron Cunningham.  After a brief stint in Triple A, he joined the White Sox after Tadahito Iguchi was traded to the Phillies and made his major league debut on July 28, going 2-3 in a White Sox victory against the Blue Jays.  Richar finished out the year for the disappointing White Sox squad, putting up a .230 batting average.

Richar returned to Triple A in 2008, and, with the White Sox in contention for the division title, Richar was packaged to the Reds, along with Nick Masset, for future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.

Richar’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:

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