Frankly Ballpark

Baseballs Top Awards

2009-08-28T15:55:00.002-04:00

A walk through the top awards given out by Major League Baseball to those who make signicant contributions to the gme of Baseball. Each award will be presented with a short history, a description of thw award and some facts of interest. Enjoy.

Cy Young Award:

The Cy Young award was first introduced by Commissioner Ford Frick in 1956 to honor the best pitcher in all of baseball. The Baseball Writers Association of American has made the decision since the beginning since there were so many problems in the past when choosing the winner of the Chalmers Award.

From 1956 through 1966 the award was only given to one pitcher. After Ford Frick retired the rule was changed to award the best pitcher in both American and National League.

See Award Winners Here.

Ford Frick Award:

The Ford Frick Award is given out to recognize a boroadcasters contributions to baseball over the microphone. First given out in 1978, the Ford Frick Award recipient is selected by a commitee of baseball executives and media personel and is handed out during the annual Hall of Fame inductions.

See Award Winners Here.

Manager of the Year Award:

The Manager of the Year Award is given to the Manager who takes the talent given to him by the team and surpasses expectations. First given out in 1983, winner shave included the likes of World Series Winners to managers who have taken teams from the cellar and put them in the playoff hunt. Winner is chosen by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

See Award Winners Here.

Sportsman of the Year Award:

Not exactly a MLB Award but in 1954 Sports Illustrated began announcing there annual Sportsman of the Year awards. The editors at Sports Illustrated pick the slections, male and female, from every sport and judge them on their contributions to the game, their performance in their chosen sport and their off field activities.

You can see a list of baseball players who have won the Sportsman of the Year Award here.

Rookie of the Year Award (Jackie Robinson Award):

The Rookie of the Year Award was first introduced in 1947 and is given to the player who has the best rookie season pitching, hitting or fielding. In order to become eligible a rookie was formally defined in 1971 as follows; a player with less than 130 at-bats, a pitcher with less then 50 innings, or anyone with less than 45 days on a major league roster.

In 1947 and 1948 only one award was given out. From 1949 on two awards, one for each league, are given out respectively. Starting in 1980 the Baseball Writers Association of America began naming three players on a ballot. Points are awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place votes. Most points wins.

See Award Winners Here.

Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award:

The Relief Man of the Year is an award given to to top relief pitchers in both the American and National League. The winner is decided based on stats instead of votes. A save is worth 3 points; a win is worth 2 points; and a loss is worth -2 points. Starting in 1987, -2 points were given out for blown saves and in 2008 a point is given out for a "tough save". A "tough save" happens when a relief pitcher enters the game already having a tying run on base, and gets the save.

See Award Winners Here.

Roberto Clemente Man of the Year Award:

Starting in 1971, Major League Baseball has presented an award to recognize a player who combines outstanding skills on the field with devoted work in the community. In 1973, the award was named in honor of Clemente, who died on December 31, 1972 during a humanitarian mission to assist earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

During the season, each Major League club selects a local Roberto Clemente Award nominee. The local honoree is then eligible for the national Roberto Clemente Award, which is presented annually at the World Series. A panel including Commissioner Bud Selig, Vera Clemente, the wife of the late Roberto Clemente and David D'Alessandro, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of John Hancock Financial Services, selects the national winner of the Roberto Clemente Award presented by John Hancock from the 30 club nominees.

The national winner of the Roberto Clemente Award receives a trophy and a $25,000 donation in his name from John Hancock Financial Services to the charity of his choice. John Hancock also makes a $30,000 contribution in the name of the winner to Roberto Clemente Sports City in Puerto Rico.

See Award Winners Here.

Most Valuable Player Award:

The third installment of this award, simply known to us as the MVP Award but whose full name is the Baseball Writers Most Valuable Player Award. First given out in 1931, it symbolizes the top of a players personal achievements during any single season of play.

The first "MVP" award was named the Chalmers Award and was given out from 1911 to 1915. The League Award followed from 1922 to 1929.

See Award winners Here.

Tip O'Neil Award:

The Tip O'Neil award is presented to the Canadian baseball player who is seen to have excelled in individual achievement as well as team contribution while adhering to baseballs highest ideals. Award recipients are chosen by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

See Award Winners Here

All-Time Leaders in Hit By PItch

2009-08-25T18:40:00.000-04:00

Top 10 in Career Hit by Pitch

1. Walter Johnson 203

2. Eddie Plank 196

3. Randy Johnson 189

4. Joe McGinnity 182

5. Chick Fraser 177

6. Charlie Hough 174

7. Tim Wakefield 172

8. Cy Young 163

9. Jim Bunning 160

10. Roger Clemens 159

All-Time Leaders in Games Started

2009-08-25T16:45:00.000-04:00

Top 10 in Career Starts

1. Cy Young 815

2. Nolan Ryan 773

3. Don Sutton 756

4. Greg Maddux 740

5. Phil Niekro 716

6. Steve Carlton 709

7. Roger Clemens 707

8. Tommy John 700

9. Gaylord Perry 690

10. Pud Galvin 689

All-Time Leaders in Winning Percentage

2009-08-24T19:38:00.000-04:00

Top 10 in Career Winning Percentage

1. Al Spalding .796 (253-65)

2. Spud Chandler .717 (109-43)

3. Whitey Ford .6901 (236-106)

Dave Foutz .6901 (147-66)

5. Bob Caruthers .688 (218-99)

6. Pedro Martinez .6857 (216-99) +

7. Don Gullett .6855 (109-50)

8. Lefty Grove .680 (300-141)

9. Joe Wood .672 (117-57)

10. Babe Ruth .671 (94-46)

+ Indicates Active Player. Subject to Change. Stat accurate as of start to 2009 season.

All-Time Leaders in Extra Base Hits

2009-08-23T21:24:00.000-04:00

Top Ten in Career Extra Base Hits

1. Hank Aaron 1477

2. Barry Bonds 1440

3. Stan Musial 1377

4. Babe Ruth 1356

5. Willie Mays 1323

6. Rafael Palmeiro 1192

7. Lou Gehrig 1190

8. Frank Robinson 1186

9. Ken Griffey Jr. 1179 +

10. Carl Yastrzemski 1157

+ indicates active player. Stats as of start of 2009 season.

All-Time Leaders in Plate Appearances

2009-08-23T21:13:00.001-04:00

Top 10 in Career Plate Appearances

1. Pete Rose 15861

2. Carl Yastrzemski 13991

3. Hank Aaron 13940

4. Rickey Henderson 13346

5. Ty Cobb 13072

6. Call Ripken 12883

7. Eddie Murray 12817

8. Stan Musial 12712

9. Barry Bonds 12606

10. Craig Biggio 12503

All-Time Games Played (Pitchers)

2009-08-22T17:47:00.002-04:00

Top 10 in Career Games Played (Pitchers)

1. Jesse Orosco 1252
2. Mike Stanton 1178
3. John Franco 1119
4. Dennis Eckersley 1071
5. Hoyt Wilhelm 1070
6. Dan Plesac 1064
7. Mike Timlin 1058
8. Ken Tekulve 1050
9. Jose Mesa 1022
Lee Smith 1022

All-Time Slugging % Leaders

2009-08-22T17:36:00.002-04:00

Top 10 in Career Slugging %

1. Babe Ruth .6898
2. Ted Williams .6338
3. Lou Gehrig .6324
4. Albert Pujols .6273 +
5. Jimmie Foxx .6093
6. Barry Bonds .6069
7. Hank Greenberg .6050
8. Manny Ramirez .5924 +
9. Mark McGwire .5882
10. Joe DiMaggio .5788

+ Indicates active player
Stats as of start to 2009 season. Subjext to change.

All-Time Walks Leaders (Batters)

2009-08-22T17:21:00.002-04:00

Top 10 in Career Walks (Batters)

1. Barry Bonds 2558
2. Rickey Henderson 2190
3. Babe Ruth 2062

4. Ted Williams 2021

5. Joe Morgan 1865
6. Carl Yastrzemski 1845
7. Mickey Mantle 1733
8. Mel Ott 1708
9. Frank Thomas 1667
10. Jim Thome 1617 +

+ indicates active player.
Stats as of start of 2009 season.

All-Time Leaders in At-Bats

2009-08-20T21:22:00.003-04:00

Top 10 in Career At-Bats

1. Pete Rose 14053
2. Hank Aaron 12364
3. Carl Yastrzemski 11988
4. Cal Ripken 11551
5. Ty Cobb 11434
6. Eddie Murray 11336
7. Robin Yount 11008
8. Dave Winfield 11003
9. Stan Musial 10972
10. Rickey Henderson 10961

All-Time Leaders in Wild Pitches

2009-08-19T21:27:00.002-04:00

Top 10 in Career Wild Pitches

1. Nolan Ryan 277
2. Mickey Welch 274
3. Tim Keefe 233
4. Phil Niekro 226
5. Pud Galvin 223
6. Charley Radbourn 217
7. Jim Whitney 214
8. Jack Morris 206
9. Tommy John 187
10. Mark Baldwin 183
Steve Carlton 183

All-Time On Base Plus Slugging Leaders (OPS)

2009-08-19T21:14:00.002-04:00

Top 10 in Career OPS (on-base plus slugging)

1. Babe Ruth 1.1638
2. Ted Williams 1.1155
3. Lou Gerhig 1.0798
4. Albert Pujols 1.0547 +
5. Barry Bonds 1.0512
6. Jimmie Foxx 1.0376
7. Hank Greenberg 1.0169
8. Rogers Hornsby 1.0103
9. Manny Ramirez 1.0041 +
10. Todd Helton .9950 +

*All numbers accurate as of start of 2009 season. Subject to change.
+ indicates active players.

All-Time Leaders in On Base Percentage

2009-08-19T18:57:00.002-04:00

Top 10 in Career On Base %

1. Ted Williams .4817
2. Babe Ruth .4740
3. John McGraw .4657
4. Billy Hamilton .4552
5. Lou Gehrig .4474
6. Barry Bonds .4443
7. Bill Joyce .4349
8. Rogers Hornsby .4337
9. Ty Cobb .4330
10. Jimmie Foxx .4283

All-Time Innings Pitched

2009-08-18T21:28:00.002-04:00

Top 10 in Career Innings Pitched

1. Cy Young 7356
2. Pud Galvin 5941.1
3. Walter Johnson 5914.1
4. Phil Niekro 5404.1
5. Nolan Ryan 5386
6. Gaylord Perry 5350.1
7. Don Sutton 5282.1
8. Warren Spahn 5243.2
9. Steve Carlton 5217.1
10. Grover Alexander 5190

All-Time RBI Leaders

2009-08-18T21:18:00.002-04:00

Top 10 in Career RBI's

1. Hank Aaron 2297
2. Babe Ruth 2213
3. Barry Bonds 1996
4. Lou Gehrig 1995
5. Stan Musial 1951
6. Ty Cobb 1937
7. Jimmy Foxx 1922
8. Eddie Murray 1917
9. Willy Mays 1903
10. Cap Anson 1879

All-Time Leaders in Batting Average

2009-06-20T13:04:00.003-04:00

Top 10 in Career Batting Average

1. Ty Cobb .366
2. Rogers Hornsby .358
3. "Shoeless" Joe Jackson .356
4. Pete Browning .349
5. Ed Delehanty .346
6. Tris Speaker .345
7. Ted Williams .344 (.34441)
8. Billy Hamilton .344 (.34429)
9. Dan Brouthers .342 (.34212)
10. Babe Ruth .342 (.34206)

The Longest Day in Baseball History

2009-06-20T12:22:00.005-04:00

Supposedly the deadball era was over and the quicker, louder modern baseball had taken hold of a nation. On May 1, 1920 though, the Boston Braves and Brooklyn Dodgers showed that a little of the deadball era still hung around the ballparks when they played a 26 inning game which resulted in a 1-1 tie. This game stands as not only the longest in Major League history but likely forever will be the longest game to NOT be played to a decision. It wasn't so much the incredible length of the game that made it most feel like a throwback to the old deadball era but the fact that both starting pitchers, Leon Cadore of the Dodgers and Joe Oesehger of the Braves, went to entire distance. The following day Brooklyn 13 innings against the Phillies and lost a 2-1 decision to the Braves the next day in 19 innings. Brooklyn's three game total of 58 innings (about 6.5 games), is a record that has not and most likely will not ever be broken.

Longest Game Played to a Decision
AL - 25 innings - St.Louis 4, New York Mets 3. September 11, 1974. Also the longest night game in history.
NL - 24 innings - Philadelphia 4, Boston 1. September 1, 1906. Both Jack Coombs of the A's and Joe Harris of the Red Sox went the entire game.

Most Innings without Scoring, One Day
27 - St.Louis Cardinals, July 2, 1933. They lost the first game of the day to Carl Hubbell and the New York Giants 1-0 in 18 innings, then were shut out again by Roy Parmalee in the night cap.

Longest Game in Organized Baseball History
33 innings - Pawtucket 3, Rochester 2. International League. April 18, 1981. The game was suspended at 4:07 am after 32 innings and the score 2-2, then resumed on June 23 with Pawtucket scoring the winning run almost as quickly as the game begun.

*The longest game to be played without interruption came on June 14, 1966 between Miami and St.Petersburg of the Class A Florida State League. Miami, managed by Billy DeMars, winning 4-3 in 29 innings over Sparky Anderson's St.Petes team.

Last Team to Play Two Opponents in One Day.
In 2000, rainouts forced the Cleveland Indians in a situation where they had to play the division winning Chicago White Sox on the afternoon of September 25 at Jacobs Field, then shower, change uniforms and take the field that evening to lose a costly 4-3 decision to the Minnesota Twins.

All-Time ERA Leaders

2009-05-18T16:22:00.002-04:00

Top 10 in Career Era

1. Ed Walsh 1.82
2. Addie Joss 1.89 (1.887)
3. Jim Devlin 1.89 (1.890)
4. Jack Pheister 2.02
5. Joe Wood 2.03
6. Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown 2.06
7. John Ward 2.10
8. Christy Mathewson 2.13
9. Rube Waddell 2.16
10. Walter Johnson 2.17

All-Time Strikeout Leaders (PItchers)

2009-05-18T16:14:00.002-04:00

Top 10 in Career Strikeouts (Pitchers)

1. Nolan Ryan 5714
2. Randy Johnson 4789
3. Roger Clemons 4672
4. Steve Carlton 4136
5. Bert Blyleven 3701
6. Tom Seaver 3640
7. Don Sutton 3574
8. Gaylord Perry 3534
9. Walter Johnson 3508
10. Greg Maddux 3371

All-Time Walks Leaders (Pitchers)

2009-05-18T16:06:00.002-04:00

Top 10 in Career Walks (Pitchers)

1. Nolan Ryan 2795
2. Steve Carlton 1833
3. Phil Neikro 1809
4. Early Wynn 1775
5. Bob Feller 1764
6. Bobo Newsom 1732
7. Amos Rusie 1704
8. Charlie Hough 1665
9. Roger Clemons 1580
10. Gus Weyhing 1566

All-Time Home Run Leaders

2009-05-18T00:07:00.003-04:00

Top 10 in Career Home Runs

1. Barry Bonds 762
2. Hank Aaron 755
3. Babe Ruth 714
4. Willy Mays 660
5. Ken Griffey Jr 611*
6. Sammy Sosa 609
7. Frank Robinson 586
8. Mark McGwire 583
9. Harmon Killebrew 573
10. Rafael Palmeiro 569

Top 10 in Career Grand Slams

1. Lou Gehrig 23
2. Manny Ramirez 20*
3. Eddie Murray 19
4. Willy McCovey 18
Robin Ventura 18
5. Jimmy Foxx 17
Alex Rodriguez 17*
Ted Williams 17
6. Hank Aaron 16
Dave Kingman 16
Babe Ruth 16
7. Ken Griffey Jr. 15*
Richie Sexson 15*
8. Many others tied at 14.

(*) Denotes active players.
Statistics currents as of end of 2008 season.

All-Time Shutout Leaders

2009-05-17T23:47:00.002-04:00

Top 10 in Career Shutouts

1. Walter Johnson 110
2. Grover Alexander 90
3. Christy Mathewson 79
4. Cy Young 76
5. Eddie Plank 69
6. Warren Spahn 63
7. Nolan Ryan 61
Tom Seaver 61
8. Bert Blyleven 60
9. Don Sutton 58
10. Pud Galvin 57
Ed Walsh 57

All-Time Saves Leaders

2009-05-17T23:38:00.002-04:00

Top 10 in Career Saves

1. Trevor Hoffman 554
2. Mariano Rivera 482*
3. Lee Smith 478
4. John Franco 424
5. Dennis Eckersley 390
6. Billy Wagner 385*
7. Jeff Reardon 367
8. Troy Percival 352*
9. Randy Myers 347
10. Rollie Fingers 341

(*) Denotes active players.

All-Time Wins/Losses Leaders

2009-05-17T23:22:00.003-04:00

Top 10 in Career Wins

1. Cy Young 511
2. Walter Johnson 417
3. Grover Alexander 373
4. Christy Mathewson 373
5. Warren Spawn 363
6. Pud Galvin 361
7. Kid Nichols 361
8. Greg Maddux 355
9. Roger Clemons 354
10. Tim Keefe 342

Top Ten in Career Losses

1. Cy Young 316
2. Pud Galvin 308
3. Nolan Ryan 292
4. Walter Johnson 279
5. Phil Neikro 274
6. Gaylord Perry 265
7. Don Sutton 256
8. Jack Powell 254
9. Eppa Rixey 251
10. Bert Blyleven 250

All-Time Hits Leaders

2009-05-17T20:14:00.002-04:00

Top 10 in Career Hits

1. Pete Rose 4256
2. Ty Cobb 4189
3. Hank Aaron 3771
4. Stan Musial 3630
5. Tris Speaker 3514
6. Carl Yastrzemski 3419
7. Honus Wagner 3415
8. Paul Molitor 3319
9. Eddie Collins 3315
10. Willie Mays 3283

All-Time Stolen Base Leaders

2009-05-17T20:07:00.003-04:00

Top 10 in Career Stolen Bases

1. Rickey Henderson 1406
2. Lou Brock 938
3. Billy Hamilton 912
4. Ty Cobb 892
5. Tim Raines 802
6. Vince Coleman 752
7. Eddie Collins 744
8. Arlie Latham 739
9. Max Carey 738
10. Honus Wagner 722

All-Time Games Played

2009-05-17T19:59:00.003-04:00

Top 10 in Career Games Played

1. Pete Rose 3562
2. Carl Yastrzemski 3308
3. Hank Aaron 3298
4. Rickey Henderson 3081
5. Ty Cobb 3035
6. Eddie Murray 3026
7. Stan Musial 3026
8. Cal Ripken Jr. 3001
9. Willie Mays 2992
10. Barry Bonds 2896

All-Time Strikeout Leaders (Batters)

2009-05-17T19:54:00.003-04:00

Top 10 in Career Strikeouts (Batters)

1. Reggie Jackson 2597
2. Sammy Sosa 2306
3. Jim Thome 2193
4. Andres Galarraga 2003
5. Jose Canseco 1942
6. Willy Stargell 1936
7. Mike Schmidt 1883
8. Fred McGriff 1882
9. Tony Perez 1867
10. Dave Kingman 1816

Also see our Strikeout Milestone section. Presenting the major strikeout milestones in baseball history.

All-Time Triples Leaders

2009-05-17T19:50:00.001-04:00

Top 10 in Career Triple

1. Sam Crawford (1899-1917) 309
2. Ty Cobb (1905-1928) 295
3. Honus Wagner (1897-1917) 252
4. Jake Beckley (1888-1907) 244
5. Roger Connor (1880-1897) 233
6. Tris Speaker (1907-1928) 222
7. Fred Clarke (1894-1915) 220
8.Dan Brouthers (1879-1904)
9. Joe Kelley (1891-1908) 194
10. Paul Waner (1926-1945) 191

All-Time Doubles Leaders

2009-05-17T19:36:00.004-04:00

Top 10 in Career Doubles

1. Tris Speaker (1907-1928) 792
2. Pete Rose (1963-1986) 746
3. Stan Musial (1941-1963) 725
4. Ty Cobb (1905-1928) 724
5. George Brett (1973-1993) 665
6. Nap Lajoie (1896-1916) 657
7. Carl Yastrzemski (1961-1983) 646
8. Honus Wagner (1897-1917) 643
9. Hank Aaron (1954-1976) 624
10. Paul Molitor (1978-1998) 605
Paul Waner (1926-1945) 605

Doubles Records

2009-05-17T19:15:00.003-04:00

While playing for the Boston Redsox in 1931, Earl Webb hit a major league record 67 doubles. The only time in which Webb hit more than 30 doubles. In contrast, Joe Medwick (seen above), who hole the National League record with 64 in 1936, had 40 or more doubles 7 years in a row. Both records seemed safe forever until an all-time record 26 players collected 40 or more doubles in 2000.

Most Doubles Since 1931
AL - Carlos Delgado, Toronto, 2000
NL - Todd Helton. Colorado, 2000

Most Seasons League Leader in Doubles, since 1901
AL -8- Tris Speaker, last in 1923
NL -8- Stan Musial. last in 1954

Most Seasons 50 or More Doubles
AL -5- Tris Speaker, last in 1926
NL -3- Paul Waner, last in 1936; Stan Musial. last in 1953

Organized Baseball Record for Most Doubles in a Season
100 - Lyman Lamb, Tulsa (Western League), 1924

Most Doubles, Season, Team
AL -373- St.Louis Cardinals, 1930
NL -373- Boston Redsox, 1997 and 2004

First Time for the First Timers

2009-04-09T13:41:00.003-04:00

Expansion Team Firsts

The first victory for a major-league expansion team came on April 11, 1961 when the Los Angeles Angels beat the Orioles 7-2 in their inaugural game. In 1962, the Houston Colt 45s became the first National League expansion to earn a victory when they pounced the Cubs 11-2, also in their very first game. On the other end of the spectrum the New York Mets debuted with an 0-9 record and would eventually go on to set the 20th century record for most losses in a season. But, the Mets would become the first expansion team to win a World Series in 1969. Amazin'.

Some More...

First AL Expansion to Win Division Title - Kansas City Royals, 1976.

First AL Expansion to Win Pennant - Kansas City Royals, 1980.

First AL Expansion to Win World Series - Kansas City Royals, 1985.

First Season Two Expansions Faced Each Other in a LCS:
AL - 1982 - California vs. Milwaukee
NL - 1986 - New York Mets vs. Houston

First Expansion Team Award Winners:
NL Cy Young - Tom Seaver, New York, 1969.
AL Cy Young - Dean Chance, Los Angeles, 1964.
NL MVP - Jeff Bagwell, Houston, 1994.
AL MVP - Jeff Bouroughs, Texas, 1974.
NL Rookie of the Year - Tom Seaver, New York, 1967.
AL Rookie of the Year - Lou Piniella, Kansas City, 1969.

Today in Baseball History

2009-01-09T09:06:00.002-05:00

January 9, 1903

The now defunct Baltimore franchise is purchased by Frank Ferrell and Bill Devery for $18 000 and moved them to Manhattan where they became the New York Highlander (Yankees).

....and so the monster was born.

Here's a link to a chronicling of the Yankees legendary history:

http://www.yankeetradition.com/yankee_tradition_history_facts.htm

The Great Baseball Streaks

2009-01-04T16:41:00.004-05:00

The Majority of the great pitching and batting streaks occurred between 1920 and 1941, most notably Joe DiMaggio's hitting streak in 1941. It began quietly on May 15 when DiMaggio collected a single off of White Sox pitcher Eddie Smith. Two months later, after he managed a double and two singles off of Al Milnar and Joe Krakauskas of the Indians, his streak stood at 56 games. On July 17, at Cleveland Stadium, DiMaggio was finally stopped by Al Smith and Jim Bagby of the Indians, but mostly his streak was stopped by third basemen Ken Keltner and shortstop Lou Boudreau who managed to get a hold of three hard shots, Boudreau getting him on a double play in his final at-bat. During his streak, DiMaggio hit .408 with 91 hits in 223 at-bats. Ted Williams lost the MVP award to DiMaggio even though he hit .406 for the entire season.

Longest National League Hitting Streak
44 - Pete Rose, Cincinnati, 1978
Willie Keeler, Baltimore, 1897. Prior to Keeler, the record was held by Dahlen of the Chicago White Stockings, who hit in 42 straight games.

Most Consecutive Base Hits, No Walks
AL -12- Walt Droppo, Detroit, July 14 and 15, 1952
NL -10- Jake Gettman, Washington, September 10 and 11, 1897
Ed Konetchy, Brooklyn, June 28, 29, July 1, 1919

Most Consecutive Games Hitting a Homerun
8 - Dale Long, Pittsburgh, May 19 - 28, 1956
Don Mattingly, New York, July 8 - 18, 1987
Ken Griffey Jr. Seattle, July 20 - 28, 1993

Most Consecutive Games Getting an RBI
NL -17- Ray Grimes. Chicago, 1922. For many years Grimes' record went unrecognized because a back injury sidelined him for 9 games during the streak.
AL -13- Taft Wright, Chicago, 1941
Mike Sweeney, Kansas City, 1999

Most Consecutive Games Played
2632 - Cal Ripken, Baltimore. Ripken began the streak on May 30, 1982 and ended it voluntarily on September 20, 1998. Unlike Gehrig's streak, whom he broke, Ripkens was very uneventful and was never really in jeopardy of ending.

Most Consecutive Wins by a Pitcher
NL -24- Carl Hubbell, New York Giants, 1936-1937
AL -20- Roger Clemens, Toronto/New York, 1998-1999

Most Consecutive Wins by Pitcher, Same Season
19 - Tim Keefe, New York Giants, 1888
Rube Marquard, New York Giants, 1912. By modern day rules, Marquard would have been 20-0 since he came in relief on July 3 in the top of the 9th while his team was down, they came back to win in their final at-bat.

Most Consecutive Win by Pitcher at Home
20 - Lefty Grove, Boston Red Sox, May 3, 1938 through May 12, 1941. In the process he put to rest any doubt a southpaw could win at Fenway Park.

Most Consecutive Wins, Relief Pitcher
22 - Roy Face. Pittsburgh, 1958-1959

Most Consecutive Wins by Pitcher on Last Place Team
15 - Steve Carlton, Phillies, 1972. Carlton's streak helped him win 27 games for a team that won only 59.

Triple Records

2009-01-02T23:36:00.003-05:00

(Sam Crawford, circa 1912)

After a little more juice was added to the ball in prior to the 1911 season, the balance between pitcher and batter began to shift towards the hitters. It cannot account though for Owen Wilson's staggering record achievement. In 1912 Wilson hit 36 triples, easily the most of any player since 1900 and 22 more than his second best season. There has never been a good enough explanation of how he did it. True, Joe Jackson, then with Cleveland, hit 26 triples that same year, the American League record. Sam Crawford of Detroit tied his Jackson's mark just two years later, a sign that the era was the most prolific for triples. Also true is that Wilson played in Forbes Field, which for many years was sculpted in such a way that balls hit between outfielders were easily stretched into triples, helping the Pirates get 110 or more triples seven times between 1903 and 1930. It still doesn't explain why it was Wilson and not Wagner or Carey, teammates of his that were much more prolific triple hitters in their career. To understand you'd have to have been in Forbes Field that year and it is just one of the feats we call a fluke for lack of a better term.

Top 10 in Career Triple
1. Sam Crawford (1899-1917) 309
2. Ty Cobb (1905-1928) 295
3. Honus Wagner (1897-1917) 252
4. Jake Beckley (1888-1907) 244
5. Roger Connor (1880-1897) 233
6. Tris Speaker (1907-1928) 222
7. Fred Clarke (1894-1915) 220
8.Dan Brouthers (1879-1904)
9. Joe Kelley (1891-1908) 194
10. Paul Waner (1926-1945) 191

Most Career Triples by Player Active After 1941
177 - Stan Musial, St.Louis Cardinals, 1941 - 1963

Most Career Triples by Player After Musial Retired
166 - Roberto Clemente, Pittsburgh Pirates, 1955 - 1972

Most Career Triples by Player Active After 1977
147 - Willie Wilson, 1976 - 1994

Most Triples, Season, since 1920
AL - 23 - Earle Combs, New York, 1927
Dale Mitchell, Cleveland, 1949
NL - 26 - Kiki Cuyler, Pittsburgh, 1925

The "On the Black" Award (Pitcher with the Best Control)

2009-01-02T20:32:00.004-05:00

Award going to Pitcher that had the greatest control of all time.

Many Baseball historians battle the question of what pitcher had the best control? It all depends on the standard in which you use to measure control and whether you believe different eras need different standards. In 1893, Cy Young gave up just 103 walks in 422.2 innings and 10 years later just 37 in 341.2 innings. Had his control actually gotten that much better or were there other factors at play? On the evidence, Young definitely got sharper as his career progressed. It is true though, he was playing at a time that was forgiving of pitchers who stayed away from the corners and just came in with the ball. It was also a very dead ball indeed and often laden with foreign substances. A ball was usually kept in play for several innings. Over his career he managed 1217 walks in 7356 innings pitched, an average of just 1.49 walked per nine innings. Cy Young begs that anyone who is serious about determining who the greatest pitcher of all time is should examine his overall record carefully.

In any event, most of the records for control were set in the early part of the 20th century.

Best Control Career, since 1893, Minimum 2500 innings
Deacon Phillippe. He issued 363 walks in2607 innings, an average of 1.25 per nine innings pitched. Phillippe pitched in the National League mainly with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1899 to 1911. In 1910 he walked only 9 batters in 122 innings, a then National League low amongst pitchers with over 100 innings. Over his career he won 189 games, plus 3 in the 1903 World Series when he started five games, completed them all, and relieved twice in 1909. Almost as remarkable as his series effort was the fact that he only gave up 4 walks in 50 career series innings.

Best Control, Career, 1920 - 1941, Minimum 3000 innings
First Place - Carl Hubbell, 725 walks in 3590.1 innings
Second Place - Paul Derringer, 761 walks in 3645 innings

Best Control, 1942 - 1961, Minimum 3000 innings
First Place - Robin Roberts, 902 walks in 4688.2 innings
Second Place - Lew Burdette, 628 walks in 3067.1 innings

Best Control, since 1961, Minimum 3000 innings
First Place - Jaun Marichal, 709 walks in 3507.1 innings
Second Place - Fergie Jenkins, 997 walks in 4499 innings. Jenkins was also the first pitcher to record 3000 K's and fewer then 1000 walks.

Best Control, Season
AL - Cy Young, Boston, 1904. 29 walks in 380 innings
NL - Babe Adams, Pittsburgh, 1920. 18 walks in 263 innings. Adams also set a record in 1913 when he worked 314 innings without hitting a batter. The current Major League record for least hit batsmen goes to Al Crowder, who pitched 327 innings for Washington in 1932 without hitting a single batter.

Most Consecutive Innings without Giving up a Walk
AL - 84 1/3 - Bill Fischer, Kansas City A's, 1962.
NL - 72 1/3 - Greg Maddux, Atlanta Braves, 2001.

The Wild Man Award (Pitcher with the Worst Control)

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The award going to the pitcher that, for his career, showed the most consistent lack of control.

Left-Hander - With a career spanning from 1943-1957, Tommy Byrne spent most of his playing days as a Yankee, but in 1951, while pitching for the St.Louis Browns, he walked 16 Washington Senators in a 13 inning game. Over his career he amassed 1037 walks in only 1362 innings.

Right-Hander - Dick Weik, played for the Washington Senators , Indians and Tigers between 1948 and 1954. Over his career Weik only made 26 starts but four time walked 10 or more batters in a game. In 1949 he gave up 103 walks in only 95 innings. There were no signs of improving after that either. Lifetime, he holds a 6-22 record and 237 walks in 214 innings. Despite everything, the Indians liked him so much that they traded Mickey Vernon for him in 1950. Three years later Vernon won his second AL batting title while Weik had a 13.97 ERA in 12 games.

Weiks control problems were just the same in the minors. In his very first pro game, with Charlotte of the Tri-State League in 1946, he walked 15 batters. Two years later he led the Southern Association in bases on balls with 173 in just 132 inning pitched.

Walk Records

Top 10 in Career Bases on Ball
1. Nolan Ryan(1966-1993) 2795
2. Steve Carlton(1965-1988) 1833
3. Phil Niekro(1964-1987) 1809
4. Early Wynn(1939-1963) 1775
5. Bob Feller(1936-1956) 1764
6. Bobo Newsome(1929-1953) 1732
7.Amos Rusie(1889-1901) 1707
8. Charlie Hough(1970-1994) 1665
9. Gus Weyhinh(1887-1901) 1570
10.Red Ruffing(1924-1947) 1541

Most Hit Batsmen, Season, Since 1893

NL - 41 - Joe Mcginnity, 1900, Brooklyn
AL - 32 - Chick Frasor, 1901, Philadelphia

Most Intentional Walk, Season

23 - Mike Garman, 1975, St.Louis, NL
Dale Murray, 1978, Cincinnati - New York, NL
Kent Tekulve, 1982, Pittsburgh, NL

Most Walk in a Game, 9 Innings

NL - 16 - Bill George, New York Giants, May 30, 1887 versus the Chicago White Stockings.
AL - 16 - Bruno Haas, Philadelphia, June 23, 1915 versus New York. The 1915 A's gave up an all-time record 827 walks, only 28 of them coming from Haas who was released soon after his record-shattering performance. Six years later he resurfaced as a halfback in the newly formed National Football League.

The First Steinbrenner

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In 1867, Aaron Champion became president of the Cincinnati Red Stockings and immediately went to work on a no-hold-barred expansion program. He pushed through an $11,000 stock issue so that the Red Stockings could refurbish their home park, Union Field. He then set out with his manager Harry Wright to obtain the best players regardless of how much it cost.

The Red Stockings were not, as some historians will tell, the first professional team. Rather, they were the first nationally successful one mostly due to being the first all-salaried team in order to hold its players to one year contracts and prevent them from jumping or "revolving" to rival teams.

Take a moment to look at the salaries of the 1869 Red Stockings and compare it to say, what the Yankees make today.

Harry Wright, CF $1800
George Wright, SS $1800
Asa Brainard, P $800
Charlie Gould, 1B $800
Fred Waterman,3B $800
Charlie Sweeney, 2B $700
Doug Allison, C $700
Andy Leonard, LF $700
Cal McVey, RF $700
Dick Hurley, Sub. $600

Total Team Salary: $9400.

The First Ted Turner/Charley Finley

Chris Von Der Ahe, owner and sometime manager of the American Association St.Louis Browns. Von Der Ahe was one of many Brewery magnates who helped start the American Association in 1882, but stood alone by the middle of the decade. Putting his players in multicoloured silk uniforms, he fought with umpires and rival owners, getting more press than all the other owners combined. At the same time, Von Der Ahe gave the Browns fans high quality baseball. Unfortunately the game passed him by when the Association folded after the 1891 season and he died nearly broke.

A Moment in Time

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In the beginning years of the the 20th century there was only one argument in Baseball, who was the greatest of all time? Was it the trim, every bit the athlete Cobb or the the imposing Honus Wagner? Debates on this subject still goes on today at great length.

Finally, in 1909 the two greatest ballplayers of all time faced each other in the World Series. Before the opening game, they met each other and shook hands in front of reporters. After cameramen and new reporters kept insisting they pose together, small talk became old and exhausted so someone suggested that Wagner show Cobb his bat and vice-versa. Cobb noted that Wagner's bat was to big and heavy for his own use, while Wagner joked about the lack of size and heft of his opponent bat.

Once the game began though, the pleasantries ended. When Cobb got to first and was ready to steal second he shouted down to the German Wagner, "Watch out Krauthead, I'm coming down. I'll cut you to pieces".

"Come Ahead," Wagner replied, and when Cobb came in he slapped him hard in the mouth, splitting his lip.

The series wasn't decided, for the first time, until the seventh game. Pittsburgh beat the Tigers and Wagner outhit Cobb .333 to .231, and bested him in steals as well 6-2, one of which was home.

Welcome to the Ballpark Part VI

2008-10-18T08:34:00.004-04:00

A six part series looking at the stadiums of Major League Baseball

Stadiums of the National League West

Arizona Diamondbacks
Chase Field
First Game - March 31, 1998; Colorado 9, Arizona 2
Seating Capacity - 48,569. Natural Surface.

Too new of a stadium, though a nice enough one, to have any thoughts of interest.

Colorado Rockies
Coors Field
First Game - April 26, 1995; Colorado 11, New York 9 (14 innings)
Seating Capacity - 50,200. Natural Surface.

A very exciting debut for the Rockies and their new stadium. Holds the distinction of holding the longest debut game for a new stadium in the 20th century, both length and time (4:47)

Los Angeles Dodgers
Dodger Stadium
First Game - April 10, 1962; Cincinnati 6, Los Angeles 3
Seating Capacity - 56,000. Natural Surface.

The Dodgers' first four season in Los Angeles were played at Memorial Coliseum where they set the all-time attendance record on May 7, 1959 when they drew 93,103 to an exhibition game honouring Roy Campanella. They also set an Opening Day record in their first game at the Coliseum on April 18, 1958 when 78,672 fans came out to see the Dodgers face the Giants. In Dodger Stadium, also known as Chavez Ravine, they set a season attendance record in 1982. Before moving to LA they played in Brooklyn at Ebbets Field. The park only held 32,111 but they still managed to draw 1,807,526 fans in 1947, at the time an NL record.

San Diego Padres
Petco Park
First Game - April 8, 2004; San Diego 4, San Fransisco 3
Seating Capacity - 42,500. Natural Surface.

Not much to say. The ballpark seats are to close to the field and are angled towards the pitching mound. A three-tier grandstand wraps from the right field foul pole, around homeplate and to the left field foul pole. Stadium cost approximately $450 million.

San Fransisco Giants
SBC Park
First Game - April 11, 2000; Los Angeles 6, San Fransisco 5
Seating Capacity - 40,800. Natural Surface.

In SBC's debut, after missing the entire 1999 season, Dodgers shortstop Kevin Elster hit three homeruns. The Giants also went yard three times that day. The park easily charms you with its view of the San Fransisco Bay from the upper deck, along with its funky contours. But it does have major problems. The seats are cramped and getting to and from them is an adventure most people could do without. Prior to SBC Park the Giants played in Candlestick Park (aka 3Com). While waiting for Candlestick park to be built Giants played in Seals Stadium, one of the finest parks ever constructed. Before moving to San Fransisco in 1958, the Giants called the Polo Grounds home. The Polo Grounds were famous for its 250 foot homeruns and 450 foot outs. Candlestick Park was famed for being the only major league park where a pitcher committed a balk, when during the 1961 All-Star Game Stu Miller was blown off the mound by a gust of wind.

Go Back to Part I?

Welcome to the Ballpark Part V

2008-10-15T21:02:00.003-04:00

A six part series looking at the stadiums of Major League Baseball

Stadiums of the American League West

Los Angeles Angels
Angels Stadium of Anaheim
First Game - April 19, 1966; Chicago 3, California 1
Seating Capacity - 64,593. Natural Surface.

A flawless stadium. Clean, efficient, yet spacious. The Angels first played in Wrigley Field, which they took over from local Pacific Coast League team. For several years they shared Chavez Ravine with the Dodgers as the awaited their own stadium.

Oakland Athletics
McAfee Colliseum
First Game - April 17, 1968; Baltimore 4, Oakland 1
Seating Capacity - 43,662. Natural Surface.

Before leaving Kansas City for the west coast the A's played in Municipal Stadium. While they played in Philadelphia they played in Columbia Park until 1909, when Shibe Park was completed. Shibe Park was the first all concrete and steel structure stadium.

Seattle Mariners
Safeco Field
First Game - July 15, 1999; San Diego 3, Seattle 2
Seating Capacity - 47,000. Natural Surface.

Acquired the nickname "The Safe" because of its $518 million price tag. From 1977 to the end of the 1998 season they played in the Kingdome. Safeco Field comes equipped with a retractable roof and holds the distinction of being the first to host an interleague game on its opening day.

Texas Ranger
Ameriquest Field in Arlington
First Game - April 11, 1994; Milwaukee 4, Texas 3
Seating Capacity - 49,178. Natural Surface.

A beautiful park. Also known as the Ballpark in Arlington. The Rangers formerly played in Arlington Stadium, a minor league stadium upgraded to major league capacity.

CLICK HERE for Part VI: Stadiums of the NL West

Welcome to the Ballpark Part IV

2008-10-14T21:26:00.005-04:00

A six part series looking at the stadiums of Major League Baseball

Stadiums of the National League Central

Chicago Cubs
Wrigley Field
First Game - April 23, 1914; Chicago Whales 9, Kansas City Packers 1
First NL Game - April 20, 1916; Chicago 7, Cincinnati 6 (11 innings)
Seating Capacity - 38,765. Natural Surface. Ivy Walls.

Originally named North Side Park, it was taken over by the Cubs from the Whales after the Federal League collapsed. The Cubs originally played at West Side Park, located at Polk and Lincoln.

Cincinnati Reds
Great American Ballpark
First Game - March 31, 2003; Pittsburgh 10, Cincinnati 1
Seating Capacity - 42,036. Natural Surface.

Previously, the Reds played Crosely Field up until 1970 which seated less than 30,000, the smallest in the majors. When Crosely Field first opened in 1912 it was known as Redland Field. Was also the first stadium to have "artificial turf" in 1937, when they died the burnt grass green.

Houston Astros
Minute Maid Park
First Game - April 7, 2000; Philadelphia 4, Houston 1
Seating Capacity - 41,583. Natural Surface.

Labelled a notorious hitters park mostly because of the short left field porch. Their former stadium, the Astrodome was a notorious pitchers park. Before the Astrodome was built the Astros played in Colts Stadium from 1962 to 1965.

Milwaukee Brewers
Miller Park
First Game - April 6, 2001; Milwaukee 5, Cincinnati 4
Seating Capacity - 42,400. Natural Surface.

Stadium comes equipped with a retractable roof, which after a poor 2001 season seemed interesting to the fans than the actual game. The Brewers formerly played in County Stadium, which was built in 1953.

Pittsburgh Pirates
PNC Park
First Game - April 9, 2001; Cincinnati 8, Pittsburgh 2
Seating Capacity - 38,127. Natural Surface.

The Reds beat the Pirates in the opener at their new stadium just as they had at their previous park, Three Rivers Stadium in 1970. Three Rivers replaced Forbes Field, at the time the oldest park in the majors. A modern day marvel when it opened, Forbes Field had triple decker stands, elevators, lights, telephones, inclined ramps instead of stairs. On top of that, Forbes Field shared the privilege with Shibe Park of having the first visitor dressing rooming, ending the tradition of visiting teams dressing at the hotel and arriving in open horse-drawn buses.

St.Louis Cardinals
Busch Stadium
First Game - May 12, 1966; St.Louis 4, Atlanta 3 (12 innings)
New Busch Stadium - April, 2006
Seating Capacity - 57,078. Natural Surface.

Until 1966, the Cardinals played in Sportsman Park. An old park built in 1909 for the St.Louis Browns. The two teams actually shared the park from July 1920 to the end of the 1953 season, when the Browns moved to Baltimore.

CLICK HERE for Part V: Stadiums of the AL West

Welcome to the Ballpark Part III

2008-10-13T15:25:00.004-04:00

A six part series looking at the stadiums of Major League Baseball

Stadiums of the American League Central

Chicago White Sox
U.S. Cellular Field
First Game - April 18, 1992; Detroit 16, Chicago 0
Seating Capacity - 44,321. Natural Surface.

After Comiskey I closed up at the end of the 1990 season, Tiger Stadium and Fenway Park became the oldest parks in the big leagues. The White Sox also lost their opener at old Comiskey I 2-0, against the St.Louis Browns on July 1, 1910.

Cleveland Indians
Jacobs Field
First Game - April 4, 1994; Cleveland 4, Seattle 3 (11 innings)
Seating Capacity - 42,865. Natural Surface.

This park is packed full of charisma. Jacobs Park became the first park in decades to be named after its owner, if that's a good thing considering their horrible ownership over the last few years. Cleveland Stadium, the Indians former home, was used by the NFL's Browns until they moved.

Detroit Tigers
Comerica Park
First Game - April 11, 2000; Seattle 2, Detroit 5
Seating Capacity - 40,000. Natural Surface.

The opener for the stadium was a raw, 40 degree day which held the place at less than capacity (39,168) and forced half the crowd to leave after just a couple innings. It was so bitter that shortstop Alex Rodriguez had to wear a ski mask on the field to keep him warm. Comerica replaced Tiger Stadium which in turn replace Bennett Park in 1912. Bennett Park was named after a catcher, Charlie Bennett, who lost both his legs in a railway accident. It seated only 8500 people and was the smallest in the majors when it closed.

Kansas City Royals
Kauffman Stadium
First Game - April 10, 1973; Kansas City 12, Texas 1
Seating Capacity - 40,625. Natural Surface.

Features a 322-foot-wide water spectacular with fountain and and 10 foot water fall. The Royals played in Municipal Stadium with a seating capacity of 30,611 until their new stadium was built.

Minnesota Twins
The Metrodome
First Game - April 6, 1982; Seattle 11, Minnesota 7
Seating Capacity - 44,457. Artificial Surface and Sky.

Hard to play fly balls. Not a great or interesting stadium. Before their new home was built the Twins played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1982.

CLICK HERE for Part IV: Stadiums of the NL Central

Welcome to the Ballpark Part II

2008-10-13T11:52:00.004-04:00

A six part series looking at the stadiums of Major League Baseball

Stadiums of the National League East

Atlanta Braves
Turner Field
First Game - April 4, 1997; Atlanta 5, Chicago 4
Seating Capacity - 49,200. Natural Surface

Before Turner Field was built, the Braves used Fulton County Stadium after moving from Milwaukee. Before moving to Milwaukee the Braves played in Boston where they played in Braves Field, which opened in 1915. It replaced the South End Grounds, the oldest park in the majors, home to Boston of the the National Association as far back as 1873.

New York Mets
Shea Stadium
First Game - April 16, 1964; Pittsburgh 4, New York 3
Seating Capacity - 55,577. Natural Surface.

Shea Stadium isn't exactly a top notch ballpark. It's too windy, too close to the airport, a tough place to spend an evening in the spring or fall - unless you are a pitcher. Before Shea Stadium was completed the Mets played their first two seasons at the Polo Grounds

Florida Marlins
Pro Player Stadium
First game - April 5, 1993; Florida 6, Los Angeles 3
Seating Capacity - 41,855. Natural Surface.

The summer heat in Florida make night baseball a must at Pro Player Stadium. In 1993, their first year, they played only 35 day games there, the fewest in the majors.

Philadelphia Phillies
Citizens Bank Park
First Game - April 12, 2004; Cincinnati 4, Philadelphia 1
Seating Capacity - 43,500. Natural Surface.

A great stadium. Multistory buildings that contain fan facilities, team offices, and services that surround the grandstand form the structure of the park. Four 10-foot-tall bronze sculptures of Steve Carlton, Richie Ashburn, Mike Schmidt, and Robin Roberts line the outfield seats. After every Phillies homerun and giant Liberty Bell, 50 feet high and 35 feet wide towering 100 feet above street level comes to life.

Washington Nationals
Nationals Park
First Game - March 30, 2008.
Seating Capacity - 41,888. Natural Surface.

For such an awful team my hat is off for their efforts. Nationals Park is the first ever Green Certified ballpark. Here's a great overview of the park:

http://washington.nationals.milb.com/was/ballpark/index.jsp

CLICK HERE for Part III: Stadiums of the AL Central

Frankly Ballpark

2008-10-13T11:49:00.004-04:00

A new site is currently in the works and will be up and running i the coming months. It will still stick with the current theme but with much more for you to explore as well as current news and video.

Thankyou for your support to this point and please keep reading.

Thanks,
Frankly Ballpark

Welcome to the Ballpark Part I

2008-10-12T22:13:00.003-04:00

A six part series looking at where the stadiums of Major League Baseball.

During the period between 1909 and 1915 more than half teams in the majors at that time either built new stadiums or made massive renovations to the park. There were several reasons for the construction boom, not the least of which was the ever-present threat of fire in the old wood parks.

The first ball park on record was built in 1862 in Brooklyn. Most of the parks built at the time did not last long. The longest such ballpark was Sulphur Dell, home of the Southern Association Nashville Volunteers was built in 1866 and lasted until 1963, setting an all-time record of 97 years. Prior to 1991, the oldest park in the big leagues was Comiskey Park, home of the White Sox since 1910

Stadiums of the American League East

Baltimore Orioles
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
First game - April 6, 1992; Baltimore 2, Cleveland 0
Seating Capacity - 48,262. Natural Surface.

The Yard is a stadium deliberately built to look like an old one. In their first full season at the new park the Orioles drew 3,567,819 fans. The Yard was the third new AL park to be constructed since 1989. Two years later, Cleveland and Texas made it 5 in six seasons.

Boston Redsox
Fenway Park
First Game - April 20, 1912; Boston 7, New York 6 (11 innings)
Seating Capacity - 33,871. Natural Surface.

Fenway Park was considered among the best when it was built, but after only one season the Red Sox got the suspicion that it was too small and the left field wall would always be a boon and a burden.

New York Yankees
Yankee Stadium
First Game - April 18, 1923; New York 4, Boston 1.
Seating Capacity - 57,545. Natural Surface.

Closed for two season during the mid seventies while renovations were being done, they shared Shea Stadium with the Mets. Before it was built the Yankees played at the Polo Grounds, sharing the park with the Giants from 1912 to 1922. Before the Polo Grounds there was Hilltop Park. It took 284 days to build. The renovation took twice as long and eliminated 13,000 seats.

Tampa Bay Rays
Tropicana Field
First Game - March 31, 1998; Detroit 11, Tampa Bay 6
Seating Capacity - 45,200. Artificial Surface and Sky.

A horrible stadium. Good thing there's no fans in Florida to witness it.

Toronto Blue Jays
Rogers Center
First Game - June 5, 1989; Milwaukee 5, Toronto 3
Seating Capacity - 50,516. Artificial Surface.

Considered a huge triumph in modern architecture and technology. The Blue Jays and the stadiums space age technology help them set a new American League Attendance record in its first year of operation.

CLICK HERE for Part II: Stadiums of the NL East

Under the Lights-A History of Lighting in Baseball

2008-10-12T10:34:00.003-04:00

Many of us are in the belief that night baseball is a rather recent innovation, but you may be surprised to know that the first night game was played on September 2, 1880, between Jordan Marsh and Co. and R.H. White and Company,two Boston department stores. The two teams battled to a 16-16 tie an Nantasket Bay, near Hull, Mass. It was part of a series of lighting displays organized by the Northern Electric Company of Boston to prove the far-reaching value of the incandescent lamp, invented by Thomas Edison a year before.

There were more night games played before the turn of the century, but few believed that night baseball would ever be more than a novelty. Sportswriter O.P. Caylor wrote in 1893:

"Should the time ever come when by some system of illumination baseball could be played as well at night as in the daytime the possibilities of the games earnings could hardly be estimated. But the chances are that the time will never come when baseball at night is possible. If anyone does discover a system he will take ranks with the millionaires of the land."

Caylor's last remarks are a little off though. George Cahill, the man who found a way to economically stage night games, never made anything near a million dollars and is largely forgotten today.

By 1910 Cahill had devised a portable lighting system good enough to get the permission of Charles Comiskey to stage a game at the new White Sox Park. 20,000 fans came out to watch the game as it was illuminated by 137,000-candlepower arc lights. The fans seemed to enjoy it but Comiskey and other owners saw no value in night baseball and it would be another 25 years before Cahill realized his dream.

The first major league night game was not played until May 24, 1935. Played at Crosley Field, Paul Derringer of the Reds beat the Phillies 2-1. President Roosevelt turned on the lights by pressing a button in the White House. The first batter being Phillies second baseman Lou Chiozza. 20,442 fans came to witness the game game, including the man who had the biggest part in making it possible, George Cahill.

Independence, Kansas of the Class C Western Association played the first pro night game on April 28, 1930 losing 13-3 to Muskogee. By 1935 many minor league teams had begun playing night games.

First Night All-Star Game
July 13, 1943, at Shibe Park. The game was won by the American League 5-3. However, the last part of the 1942 game at the Polo Grounds, was played under the lights when it started getting dark after a long rain delay.

First Night World Series Game
October 13, 1971, at Three Rivers Stadium. The Pirates beat the Orioles 4-3 to even the series at two games a piece.

The Pacific Coast League

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Though Major League Baseball hadn't ventured west of St.Louis, fans of the game were not without their favorite teams. Fans cheered on the likes of the Oakland Oaks, Los Angeles Angels, Portland Beavers, San Fransisco Seals (whom the great Joe Dimaggio played for), Sacramento Solons, and the Hollywood Stars, who all played in the Pacific Coast League.

Beginning in 1903, it was one of the oldest and most successful of the minor leagues. The weather was so warm the the Hollywood Stars would sometimes play in shorts. The schedule could reach 200 games. The leagues players put up unbelievable numbers; In 1923, former big leaguer Paul Strand managed 325 hits, while Tony Lazzeri hit 60 homeruns and knocked in 222 runs in one season for the Salt Lake City Bees.

Countless times the best of the Pacific Coast League teams would try to major league status, but were always denied. It was just too far for the east coast teams to travel.

The Pacific Coast League is probably best known for producing two of the games greatest hitters, Joe Dimaggio and Ted Williams. But it also offered a place for fading major league players who wanted to extend their careers a few more years. Some players even preferred it to the majors; the money was often just as good and for some the ballparks were closer to home. The great Rube Waddell once interrupted his big league career to play for Los Angeles and Hal Chase ended his career their, where true to form, he was involved in yet another gambling scandal.

It Ain't Easy Being Green-The Youngest Players in Baseball History

2008-09-28T12:32:00.003-04:00

Profiling some of the youngest player in baseball history.

Shortly after celebrating his 18th birthday in 1974, Robin Yount became the youngest regular in American League history when he won the starting shortstop job with the Brewers. The youngest National League player, also 18, was Johnny Lush, who played first base and the outfield for the 1904 Philadelphia Phillies. Unlike Yount who would go on to become a long time star, Lush was gone from the game by age 24. He lead a hopeless Cardinals team in wins and ERA, was always trapped on weak clubs, embroiled in holdouts, and disputes with managers. He took his arm to the Pacific Coast League where he pitched with equal distinction and bad luck. In 1914, now with Portland, he tossed a no-hitter that he lost 1-0 due to a teammate 2 base error and followed by a passed ball.

Lush was the centuries first to leave his mark on the game before the age of twenty, but he and Yount were far from being the only players to carve their names in the record books while still teenagers.

Youngest Player to Hit a Homerun (since 1901)
Tommy Brown. Played 46 games at SS for the 1944 Dodgers as a 16 year old high school student. Hit a homerun off of Preacher Roe of the Pirates on August 20, 1945 when he was just 17 years, 4 months, and 14 days old.

Youngest Player to get a Pinch Hit
Mel Acosta and Mel Ott both hold the record for their respective leagues at the age of 17. Acosta doing in 1913 for Washington of the AL and Ott in 1926 for the NL New York Giants; he was 9-24 that year as a pinch hitter.

Youngest to Pitch a Game
Joe Nuxhall, still a month and a half shy of his 16th birthday, pitched two-thirds of an inning for Cincinnati on June 10, 1944 in and 18-0 loss to the Cardinals. The youngest American League honors go to Carl Sheib who pitched for Philadelphia on September 6, 1943, when he was 16 years, 8 months, and 5 days old.

Youngest 20-Game Winner
Since the mound has been moved to its present distance from the plate no player has won 20 games before his 20th birthday. Before that, there were several. The youngest was Willie McGill, who won 20 in the American Association in 1891 at age 17. Jumbo McGinnis, won 25 games, at the age of 18 and the following year won 28, giving him 53 wins before his 20th birthday.

All-Time Youngest Player
Fred Chapman. Playing for Philadelphia of the American Association, pitched a game in 1887 when he was just 14 years old.

Rube

2008-09-27T13:19:00.002-04:00

The 1905 World Series may not have been so easy for Christy Mathewson and the New York Giants had it not been for Philadelphia's star pitcher, Rube Waddell, being sidelined with a sore shoulder. Some people will tell you he injured it while rough housing with the other players on the train. Other sources believe gamblers made it worth his while not to play.

George Edward "Rube" Waddell is probably the strangest player to ever play in the big leagues.

From Punxsutawney, Penn., a farmers son, he possessed a fast ball and curve so wicked that he lead the American League in strikeouts 6 years in a row. On one afternoon, he even out pitch the great Cy Young over 20 innings.

Baseball aside, it was his personality that most people remember. Before games he used to pour ice cold water on his pitching arm because otherwise he'd "burn up the catchers glove". Sometimes after a win he would do cartwheels on the mound.

He his demons though. He drank far too much, Sporting News gave him the moniker "Sousepaw". He never could quite remember how many times he'd been married (real number seems to have been 4). He would always carry a pistol with which he accidentally shot a friend in the hand. When he was on the mound his attention tended to wander. Players on opposing teams found they could distract him by holding up puppies or shiny toys. He also loved fires, and when a fire bell rung he had to be restrained from leaving the game to chase the fire truck.

Between seasons, Waddell would sometimes wrestle alligators, toured in melodrama called The Stain of Guilt, and con free drinks. One of Rube's tricks was to offer a baseball in exchange for bar credit, the ball being the one from his legendary twenty inning defeat over Cy Young and the Red Sox. There's said to be hundreds scattered across the country.

Rube Waddell didn't last long. He drank himself out of the majors, then the minors, contracted tuberculosis and died at the age of 37.

The Merkle Boner

2008-09-24T02:05:00.004-04:00

In honor of its 100th anniversary we present to you the biggest blunder is Baseballs grand history. History knows it as "The Merkle Boner".

On Wednesday September 23, 1908, in a game between the New York Giants and rivals in the National League pennant race Chicago Cubs, A single base running error forever Fred "Bonehead" Merkle and what is known as the Merkle Boner.

At bat in the bottom of the 9th, Merkle came to bat with two outs and the score tied 1-1. Moose McCormick was standing on first. Merkle singled and McCormick advanced to 3rd. The next batter, Al Briddel punched out a singled seemingly scoring McCormick for the game winning run. The fans in attendance, under the impression that the game was over, ran onto the field to celebrate.

Now here's where it gets interesting. Thinking that the game was won Merkle turns toward the Giants dugout and heads for the clubhouse. He never touched 2nd. 2nd basemen, Johnny Evers took notice of this, and after retrieving a ball and touching second base he appealed to umpire Hank O'Day to call Merkle out. Since Merkle had not touched the base, the umpire called him out on a force play and McCormick's run did not count.

The run was taken off the scoreboard and the victory taken away from the Giants Unfortunately, the thousands of fans on the field as well as the growing darkness in the days before night games, prevented resumption of the game and the game was declared a tie. Not such a big deal, but, at the end of the season the Giants and Cubs found themselves deadlocked on top of the NL standings. The played a playoff game on October 8 at the Polo Grounds. The cubs won and took with them the National League Pennant.

As we all know, 1908 was the last year the Chicago Cubs won the World Series and maybe they can thank him a little because without that play, their last title may have been 1907. McGraw was furious at the league for robbing him of a victory and, in turn, the pennant, but never blamed Merkle for the loss. Merkle would go on to a 16 year career and hit .273 lifetime. But, the memory of that play lived on in the fans and in Merkle himself. The comments of his "bonehead" plays and the Sporting News "udder stupidity" lived well past death in 1956.

A Managers Wisdom...

2008-09-21T16:27:00.003-04:00

Casey Stengel and Yogi Berra. Two Yankee legends known for winning. Yogi as a catcher and manager and of course, Stengel, who managed the Yankees during their reign over baseball during the 50s and early sixties. What some may not be aware of is that these two are equally famous for the knowledge they have tried to pass on either to the media, players, whomever.

Here is a small sample of what the have given the game.

Casey Stengel

"I broke in with four hits and the writers promptly declared they had seen the next Ty Cobb. It took me only a few days to correct that impression"

"Alright, everybody line up alphabetically according to height."

"I made up my mind, but I made it up both ways."

On hearing that a rival manager was trying to win the pennant with just three pitchers:
"Well, well, well. I heard it couldn't be done, but it don't always work."

On players who did not drink:
"It only helps them if they can play."

"Good pitching will always stop good hitting, and vice versa."

"The secret to managing is keeping the the guys that hate you away from the ones who are undecided."

On winning the 1958 World Series:
"I couldn't have done it with out my players."

On being asked about his future in 1965:
"How the hell should I know? Most of the people my age are dead. You could look it up."

Yogi Berra

"Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical."

"You can observe alot by watching."

"A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore."

"If you come to a fork in the road, take it."

"Think! How the hell are you going to think and hit at the same time?"

On being asked his cap size in spring training:
"I don't know, I'm not in shape."

"I usually take a 2 hour nap from one to four."
On the tight 1993 National League pennant race:
"It ain't over 'til its over."

On Yogi Berra Appreciation Day:
"I want to thank you for making this day necessary."

"If the people don't want to come out to the park, no body's going to stop them."

27 Strikeouts: The Greatest Game Ever Pitched

2008-09-21T14:38:00.003-04:00

Playing ins night game on May 13, 1952, the league leading Bristol Twins of the Class D Appalachian League were playing Welch Miners at home field Shaw Stadium.

Starting pitcher for the Twins was Ron "Necktie" Necciai. A young 19 year old with a very good curve, a wicked fastball, and an ulcer. He was worried before the game that he didn't have his stuff that night. One after another, inning after inning, the Miners came up and were struck out. As the game progressed his ulcer became more and more painful and at one point had to call time so the bat boy could bring a glass of milk to the mound.

He kept sending them down, 27 strikeouts, not hits. No one has ever done that in professional baseball before or since.

Always the worrier, when he struck out 24 batters in his next start and only 14 a couple weeks later, he felt he had let the fans down.

After hearing of what he had done, Branch Rickey claimed him to be the second coming of Christy Mathewson and Dizzy Dean and rushed him up to the big club in Pittsburg. By now he was known as Rocket Ron , but in his first start he gave up seven runs for the loss and finished the season with a 1-6 record.

The following year he was drafted into the army where the ulcer kept him in constant pain. He was given a medical discharge. He returned to playing for the Pirates farm team. strained his arm, then retired. He became a hunting and fishing equipment salesman and as soon as he stopped playing baseball the ulcer went away.

The Worst Team in Baseball History-The Cleveland Spiders

2008-09-21T00:12:00.008-04:00

The 1899 Cleveland Spiders

For the better part of the 1890s, the Cleveland Spiders had been a fairly decent team in the National League. Then suddenly, in 1899, the Cleveland owners bought the St.Louis Browns, renamed them the Perfectos and took all the Spiders' best players to fill the roster.

The players left behind tried their best but it was none too good. They lost 11 or more games in a row 6 times. One of their best pitchers was a 34 year old rookie named Henry Colliflower, who went 1-11. At one point in the season the convinced Eddie Kolb, the tobacco salesman in the hotel lobby into pitching. He lost 19-3.

By the end of the season the Cleveland fans had begun boycotting the home games and the team would become known as the "Wanderers", "Foresakens" and "Exiles" because they so often played on the road.

They ended the 1899 campaign with the worst record in Major League History: 20 wins and 134 losses.

Baseballs Greatest Innovator

2008-09-20T13:43:00.002-04:00

Some would have you believe that it is Branch Rickey. He brought Baseball Jackie Robinson and was the first Major League owner to incorporate the farm system to develop young players. My vote though goes to Larry MacPhail. While owner of the Cincinnati Reds in 1935, he introduced night baseball to the majors and later brought night baseball to Brooklyn and the Yankees when he took over them. In 1947 he put together the first televised World Series. Also in 1947, he orchestrated the first official Old Timers' game to commemorate Babe Ruth. After all that still, his greatest accomplishment was bringing Red Barber with him when he moved from Cincinnati to Brooklyn. Try to envision Ebbets Field in the 40's and 50's without Barbers Voice.

Honorable mention go to Bill Veeck, owner of the last Cleveland team to win a World Series, until recently, the last Chicago team to win a pennant. And in 1953, he was the last to have a team play under one of the most tradition-laden in history, the St.Louis Browns. Veeck was popular with his fans for the countless delightful spectacles he gave them.

What's in a Name? Conclusion.

2008-09-14T17:13:00.003-04:00

Profiling the origins of every Major League Baseball team. In the final installment of our six part series in which we trace the roots of a teams name. We focus on the National League Central next.

Chicago Cubs (1876)

Originally were known as the White Stocking, became known as the Colts after manager Cap Anson appeared in a play called Runaway Colt in the late 1880s. People started calling them the Orphans after Anson left the club for being denied the share of the franchise he'd been promised. For several years they were also called the Broncos and Cowboys. In 1901 Chicago sportswriters named George Rice and Fred Hayner began referring to them as the Cubs because there were so many young players on the roster after the new American League had taken all its stars. Sometimes known as the Bruins.

Milwaukee Brewers (1970)

Brewers was the name of the first National League team in Milwaukee in 1878, also the first American League team in 1901. Also the name of the minor league American Association team.

St.Louis Cardinals (1892)

Originally were an American Association franchise known as the St.Louis Browns. Accepted into the National League after the AA folded in 1891. During the 1890s they were known as the Maroons and the Perfectos. Owner of both the Cleveland and St.Louis franchises, the Robison brothers stocked the St.Louis with all Cleveland's star players and even took their uniforms. Noticing the red trim on the uniform, sportswriter Willie McHale coined the name Cardinals.

Houston Astros (1962)

Originally were known as the Colt .45s. After the Astrodome was built in 1965 they became the Astros.

Pittsburgh Pirates (1887)

They were known as the Alleghenies while they played in the American Association, and then maybe sarcastically calling themselves the Innocents when they deserted the AA for the National League. Became the Pirates after they "pirated" star second-baseman Lou Bierbauer from the Philadelphia AA team after they neglected to protect after he jumped to the Players League. Also known as the Bucs and Corsairs.

Cincinnati Reds (1890)

Short for Red Stockings, the Cincinnati team from the 1860s. Called the Red Legs for a short time in the 1950s when red was a evil word. Communism, what can you do?

More Teams Here:

AL East
AL West
AL Central
NL East
NL West

What's in a Name? Part V

2008-09-14T16:31:00.002-04:00

Profiling the origins of every Major League Baseball team. This time around we trace the roots of teams playing in the American League Central Division.

Chicago White Sox (1901)

First were known as the Invaders after the American League "invaded" Chicago right before the start of the 1900 season. Assumed the name White Stockings, which had been dropped by its National League counterpart in the 1880s. It was then shortened to White Sox so it could fit in newspaper headlines. Later shortened to ChiSox. Also known as the Pale Hose, as opposed to Boston who are known as the Crimson Hose.

Detroit Tigers (1901)

In the early years they were known as the Wolverines. Named after Detroit's National League Team which took its name from the state animal. In 1901, a sportswriter for the Detroit Free Press noticed that the blue and orange striped socks they wore with their uniform resembled Princeton's colors, so he began calling them the Tigers. Also known as the Bengals.

Minessota Twins (1901)

Named for the twin cities of Minneapolis and St.Paul. From 1901 to 1960 they were known as the Washington Senator and Nationals (sometimes shortened to Nats)

Cleveland Indians (1901)

A very indecisive organization its early year, in 1901 they were known as the Broncos, and then the Blues because of the color of there uniforms. Later they were known as the Naps, when Nap Lajoie became team-manager. From 1912 through 1914 they were known as the Molly Maguires since many of the players were Irish. Settled on Indians in 1915. Some believe they are named for Loius Sockalexis, the ill-fated Penobscot Indian who played for the Cleveland Spiders during the 1890s. Also known as the Tribe.

Kansas City Royals (1969)

Name chosen by team fans.

More Teams Here:

AL East
AL West
NL East
NL Central
NL West

What's in a Name? Part IV

2008-09-14T14:07:00.004-04:00

Profiling the origins and evolution of every Major League Baseball team name. In the fourth installment we look at teams from the National League West.

Arizona Diamondbacks (1998)

Name chosen by fans.

Colorado Rockies (1993)

The Rockies are located in Denver, where many teams have carried the name.

Los Angeles Dodgers (1890)

Played in Brooklyn until moving to Los Angeles in 1958. Kept the Dodger name in order to preserve the loyalty of their East Coast fans as well as the many New Yorkers living in the LA area. While still in the American Association in 1889 the team went by the Bridegrooms after 3 players got married in the off-season. When Ned Hanlon took over in 1899 the team was called the "Superbas" because of a popular Vaudeville troupe at the time were called "Hanlon's Superbas". Also called the Atlantics after the old National Association team and later the Robins when William Robinson became manager. By the beginning of World War I the Dodger name had taken hold. The name taken from "Trolley Dodgers", a nickname given to turn-of-the-century Brooklynites.

San Diego Padres (1969)

Assumed the name of the old Pacific Coast League team the replaced in town.

San Fransisco Giants (1883)

Like the Dodgers, the Giants retained their name when the moved to the West Coast in 1958. But unlike the Dodgers, they were not successful in keeping their identity. It is unlikely that many Giants fans know much about the teams history. The name originated in 1885 by then manager Jim Mutrie, who called his players "My boys, my Giants!". Before that they were known as the Green Stockings or the Gothams.

More Teams Here:

AL East
AL Central
AL West
NL East
NL Central

What's in a Name? Part III

2008-09-13T19:50:00.003-04:00

Profiling the origins of every Major League Baseball team. This time we going to take a look at teams form the American League West division.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (1961)

Originally the LA Angels. Became the California Angels when the team moved to its new stadium in Anaheim and in 1997 renamed themselves the Anaheim Angels before returning full circle.

Oakland Athletics (1901)

Began in Philadelphia in 1901: moved to Kansas City in 1955 and then to Oakland in 1968. Fortunately Kansas City and Oakland's ownership decided to preserve the names long and rich history. In 1871 the Philadelphia Athletics won the first National Association Pennant. Also known as the A's.

Texas Rangers (1961)

Upon leaving Washington after the 1971 season the team decided to name itself after the state's traditional lawmen. They followed Minnesota's example by coupling it with Texas as to not slight Dallas or Fort Worth.

Seattle Mariners (1977)

Name chosen to honor the nautical tradition of the area. The first Major League franchise in Seattle only last the 1969 season before moving to Milwaukee and becoming the Brewers. They were known then as the Pilots.

More Teams Here:

AL East
AL Central
NL East
NL West
NL Central

What's in a Name? Part II

2008-09-13T18:13:00.004-04:00

Profiling the origins of every Major League Baseball team. In the second installment we turn our focus to the equally as tough National League East.

New York Mets (1962)

Short for Metropolitans. A revival of the name for New York's American Association franchise in the 1880's.

Philedelphia Phillies (1883)

It was the original name of the Philadelphia team in the National League. At first it was spelled Fillies, as in female horses. At one time they were called the Quakers and later the Carpenters renamed them the Blue Jays when they purchased the franchise during World War II and tried to change its image.

Florida Marlins (1993)

Named after the Miami Marlins, a former Triple A team.

Atlanta Braves (1876)

The Braves moved from Boston to Milwaukee in 1953, in which was the first franchise shift since 1902. They subsequently abandoned Milwaukee for Atlanta in 1965. While in the National Association the team was referred to as the Red Caps. When they joined the National League they became the Red Stockings because of their red socks. But by the 1890s they were commonly known as the Beaneaters. The name Braves came into existence because owner Jim Gaffney was a Tammany Hall chieftain. Other names they have taken on are the Doves, Pilgrims (after Boston dropped it), and after a horrible 1935 season spurred the team and its fans to call them the Bees from 1936 - 1940. It didn't catch on though.

Washington Nationals (2005)

Formerly the Montreal Expos. Named after several early day Washington teams.

More Teams Here:

AL East
AL West
AL Central
NL West
NL Central

What's in a Name?

2008-09-13T15:32:00.003-04:00

Profiling the origins of every Major League Baseball team. In the first installment we look at the teams from the tough American League East.

Boston Red Sox (1901)

In the beginning years of the American League they were known as the Pilgrims or Puritans, also for a time the were known as the Sommersets, after owner Charles Sommers. They became the Red Sox when new owner John Taylor decided the club needed a catchier name. They were once labelled as the Red stockings, the name of the original Boston National League Team. Sportswriters shortened it to Red Sox, and then in later years, the BoSox.

Baltimore Orioles (1901)

During the 1901 season the club was located in Milwaukee. Moving to St.Louis in 1902 they became the Browns because of the brown trim on their uniform. When the franchise moved to Baltimore in 1954 the organization and fans were eager to rid the club of any association with the losing Browns and revive the old Orioles name. All Baltimore teams since 1885 have been called the Orioles, with the exception of the Federal League Terrapins.

New York Yankees (1901)

Began as the Baltimore Orioles in 1901 before moving to New York in 1903. The team was called the Highlanders because of their home park, Hilltop Park, was so high up and also because its first president Joseph Gordon, who's name suggested the Gordon Highlanders, at the time a crack regiment of the British Army. Around 1914 Jim Price of the New York Press coined the current name. Also called the Bronx Bombers.

Tampa Bay Rays (1998)

Name chosen by fans. Started as the the Devil Rays. Dropped the Devil from its name after the 2007 campaign.

Toronto Blue Jays (1977)

Name chosen in a fan contest. Toronto was granted expansion in 1977 after a failed attempt to move the San Fransisco Giants there a few years earlier.

More Teams Here:

AL West
AL Central
NL East
NL West
NL Central

The Case for Instant Replay.

2008-09-07T21:38:00.002-04:00

It became official on Wednesday September 3, 2008. Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees belts one out to left field off of Rays pitcher Matt Garza. The ball careens off of the foul pole, or so it seems and the umpire signals with a finger twirl over his head that it is in fact a home run. Tampa manager Joe Maddon protests, claiming it to have gone foul. After discussing it with the other umpires, The Crew Chief, Charlie Relliferd, decided for the first time in Baseball history to resort to instant replay to decide the call. Two minutes and 15 seconds later he would emerge signaling that it was indeed a home run. A success? Depends who you are talking to.

I personally have been opposed to the idea of instant replay in Major League Baseball. Over my years I have become more of a Baseball purist so to speak. I believe that you should keep tradition alive. For over 150 years we have gotten along fine with out it, and we could go on being fine with out it for another 150 years.

But, I am not one of those people who will not look at both sides of the paper and just scribble all over one. Personally I am glad that the decision to only use it if completely necessary and that it would be the responsibility solely of the Crew Chief. Furthermore, not implementing a challenge rule is also a plus as it would just bring confusion into the game and take power away from the umpires controlling the game.

This isn't Hockey or Football, two of our more popular sports in North America which incorporate instant replay into their games. That's whats always great about this game. Its keeps itself different from the other sports, though keeping its tradition all these years.

Hopefully there's enough brains up in HQ to realize that

Frankly BallParks Grand Opening

2008-09-05T23:36:00.003-04:00

WE'VE GOT A STORE!!

Its the official Grand Opening of FRANKLY BALLPARKS. An online store where you can but anything to do with baseball. Its still under construction and new items are being posted every hour.

We offer everything tfrom a long range of books and movies, to endless pages of apparel from your favorite baseball teams.

If you can't find what you are looking for please contact us and we will find it for you. No worries.

Take a look around at FRANKLY BALLPARKS.

http://astore.amazon.com/frankballp-20

Baseballs Great Scandals

2008-09-03T10:57:00.003-04:00

Everyone knows about Baseballs Black Sox scandal. Where in 1919, 8 members of the Chicago White Sox were barred from organized Baseball for their part in throwing the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. Those player were First Basemen and ring leader Chick Ghandil, Eddie Cicotte, Swede Risberg, Lefty Williams, Happy Felsch, Fred McMullin, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, and Buck Weaver. The way in which they are ordered most likely reflects their level of guilt.

The Chicago Eight were not the first nor the last to be barred from the game. Here is a couple other scandals you may not have heard of:

The First Scandal

In 1865, Thomas Devyr, Ed Duffy, and William Wamsley from the New York Mutuals were accused of conspiring with gamblers to throw a game against the Brooklyn Eckfords. All three admitted their guilt and were released by the Mutuals, only to be reinstated a few months later.

The Scots Verdict

In 1904, Jack Taylor of the St.Louis Cardinals fell under suspicion of intentionally losing games. Testimony was heard for and against him but he received what reports in that period called the "Scots Verdict". Meaning there was good reason to believe he was guilty but not enough evidence to convict him.

Cobb and Speaker vs. Leonard

For a moment in 1926 a scandal arose that could have eclipsed that of the Black Sox when former Tigers pitcher Dutch Leonard let it be known that he had some incriminating letters from Smokey Joe Wood regarding bets that Leonard, Wood, Tris Speaker, and Ty Cobb had made on a game in 1919 between the Tigers and Indians. The bet was an after though after Speaker agreed to let the Tigers win so the could beat out the New York Yankees out of second place money.

At first Speaker and Cobb were persuaded to retire in exchange for the matter to be left unexplored. Then they reconsidered and decided to fight the charges. When Leonard refused to appear publicly to confront them, Landis let the issue go.

The theory of choice is that Leonard was merely trying to retaliate against Cobb for releasing him and Speaker for not letting him catch with the Indians. If this had happened just a few years earlier when Landis was riding the game of corruption without mercy , the game might have been shed of its two greatest stars

Batters' Strikeout Records

2008-09-01T12:17:00.003-04:00

Chronology of Strikeout Milestones

1884-Sam Wise, shortstop for the Boston Red Stockings struck out 104 times, a record that stood until 1914.
1887-John Morril of the Boston Red Stockings became the first player to strike out 500 times in his career.
1892-Tom Brown, playing with Louisville in the National League, became the first player to strike out 90 or more times two years in a row.
1892-Pud Galvin concluded his career with 630 strikeouts in only 2702 at bats; a pitcher, Galvin sometimes played the outfield between mound assignments and had a .202 average despite the frequency he fanned.
1930-Babe Ruth became the first player to strikeout 1000 times in his career
1932-Bruce Campbell of the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Browns struck out 104 times, the first to top 100 since 1914.
1934-Harlond Clift of the Browns became the first third baseman to strike out 100 or more times in a season.
1935-First baseman Dolph Camilli of the Phillies became the first National Leaguer since 1884 to strike out 100 times in a season.
1937-Frank Crosetti of the Yankees became the first shortstop to strike out 100 times in a season.
1940-Chet Ross of the Boston Braves set a rookie record when he fanned 127 times.
1949-The last season in which neither league had a player who struck out 100 times.
1958-Harry Anderson of the Phillies topped the National League with 95 strikeouts, the last league leader to fan less than 100 times.
1963-John Bateman of the Houston Colt .45's became the first catcher to fan more than 100 times.
1966-Mickey Mantle of the Yankees became the first player to fan 1500 times.
1966-George Scott of the Boston Red Sox set an American League rookie record when he struck out 152 times.
1978-In his 11th season Bobby Bonds of the Texas Rangers struck out for the 1500th time, the quickest anyone has reached 1500 K's.
1979-Lou Brock retired with 1730 strike outs and only 149 home runs, further proof that it isn't only sluggers that fall prey to the K.
1983-Reggie Jackson of the Angels became the first player to strikeout 2000 times.
1984-Jaun Samuel of the Phillies fanned 168 times, setting an all-time rookie record.
1986-Pete Incaviglia of the Rangers fanned 185 ties to set both an all-time rookie record and American League record, Jose Canseco of the A's (175) and Danny Tartabull of the Mariners (157) also topped George Scott's old AL rookie mark.
1987-Rob Deer of the Brewers K'd 186 times to set a new American League Record.
2004-Adam Dunn of the Reds smashes the previous record and K's 195 times.

What is Your Favorite Team's All-TIme Lineup?

2008-08-30T04:23:00.003-04:00

I am a huge Toronto Blue Jays fan. Have for around 25 years now. A lot of great players have come through the organization over my time so I've assembled my all-time Blue Jays Lineup. What's yours?

Infield:
1b-Carlos Delgado
2b-Roberto Alomar
3b-Kelly Gruber
SS-Tony Fernandez
C-Pat Borders
DH-Pat Molitor

Outfield:
CF-Vernon Wells
LF-George Bell
RF-Joe Carter

Rotation:
Dave Steib, Roy Halladay, Jimmy Key, Jack Morris, and David Cone

Closers: Duane Ward and Tom Henke

Bullpen:
Mark Eichorn, Jeremy Accardo, Casey Janssen.

The Greatest Team of Your Lifetime.

2008-08-30T03:51:00.005-04:00

Rules are simple. Assemble the best team you can from any of the players that have played during your lifetime. You can have 9 starters 3 bench and a four man rotation. Think of the players when they were in their prime to avoid arguments over scandals or how they ended their respective careers. I am from 1980 so here's mine.

1B - Mattingly (should be in the HOF)
2B - Roberto Alomar
3B - George Brett
SS - Cal Ripken, Jr.
LF - Barry Bonds (before the steroids issue he is probably the greatest LF of all-time)
CF - Ken Griffey Jr. (all-time Favorite)
RF - Ichiro (if only he played his entire career in the MLB)
C - Pudge
DH - Edgar Martinez

Rotation -Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez, Steve Carlton, and Roy Halladay.

Relief - Duane Ward
Closer -Dennis Eckersely

Bench - Vladdy, Robin Yount, and Ozzie Smith

Manager - Billy Martin

Today in Baseball History

2008-08-27T08:14:00.002-04:00

Interesting Clipping from History's Newspaper.

1897-Robert Brasnahan makes his debut, as a pitcher, for the Washington Senators beating the St. Louis Browns 5-0. He later would make the Hall of Fame, as a catcher.

1910-Two amateur teams play a night game in front of 20,ooo fans at White Sox Park. They used twenty 137,000 candlepower arc lights. The first American League night game won't be a until 1939.

1918-Christy Mathewson resigns as manager of the Reds to accept a position as Captain in the Chemical Warfare branch of the Army. Exposure to Mustard Gas would later claim his life.

1937-Fred Frankhouse of Brooklyn pitches a no-hitter into the eighth inning with two outs when the game is called due to rain and the the Dodgers leading 5-0.

1974-Benny Ayala of the Mets becomes the first National League player in 13 years to hit a home run in his first major league at bat. His coming off of Houston's Tom Griffin.

1977-Toby Harrah and Bump Willis of the Texas Rangers, hit back-to-back inside the park homeruns on consecutive pitches.

1978-Joe Morgan of the Cincinnati Reds becomes the first player in history to amass 200 homeruns while swiping 500 bases,

1982-Oakland's Rickey Henderson steals 4 bases to raise his season total to 122, breaking Lou Brocks record of 118. The record breaking 119th coming off of pitcher Doc Meldic and Catcher Ted Simmons.

1990-The Brewers-Blue Jays game is delayed for 35 minutes as a swarm of gnats descends on the field through the open SkyDome roof. Milwaukee would eventually win 4-2.

Baseball After Steroids

2008-08-25T08:42:00.002-04:00

It has been just about 15 years now that Major League Baseball and its players broke our hearts and decided to call a strike thus bring down the curtain on the 1994 season. Since then Major League Baseball has struggled to win back its public, resorting to cheating to win us back inventing a new game they call "Money Ball". So now, after home run records have been toyed with and dismantled like they were made of butter we are finally seeing light after Baseballs Steroid Era.

The question is, can Baseball be saved after the scandal? My answer, Baseball after steroids is the savior

For years now we have been witness to record shattering homerun feats McGwire, Sosa, and bonds all eclipsed Roger Mariss' season homerun record in a span 1998 to 2001. These three players all managed to top the record 6 times with McGwire doing it twice (70hr in '98, 65hr in '99) Sosa himself going the distance three time (66hr in '98, 63hr in '99, 64hr in 2001) oddly enough never being a league leader in homeruns. Bonds only managed to eclipse the feat once but currently holds the title at 73 hr in 2001 along with his highly controversial career record currently standing at 762.

I've become a major fan, over my years, of the history of Baseball. First getting the thirst when I received Ken Burns' Baseball for Christmas. I grew to respect the game and the records the past has presented us with. The blood and sweat the put into this game. Players who never made millions of dollars merely playing for their bread and butter. Yogi Berra would sell suits in the off season, or was it vacuum cleaners, I think that was Bob Feller. Heck, Base Ruth did it on beer and hot dogs.

And now we have false idols for kids growing up watching the new game that the MLB has bestowed upon us. They turned it into a spectacle for our entertainment. Allowing players to consume performance enhancing drugs to increase the almighty wallop and get some "oos" and "awws" out of us. it reminds me of the Simpson's episode where Bart believes the Government was watching them and at the end Mark McGwire says something like "Do you want to sit around talking about this all day or do you want to watch me hit a few dingers?". They preyed on the the fact that people are gullible and the draw of the homerun. I never thought I'd witness these great feats broken in my time but to see the fabric of our game tarnished like that almost makes me ill.

And now, after all the scandals have come to light and Major League Baseball has come to it's senses and decided to clean the sport up we finally get to see how the game is really played. Like it was played before the strike where 50 homeruns were unheard of. Where small ball was the word in the ballpark. Before attendance dropped off so drastically that some smaller market teams were barely keeping their heads above water. We are in 2008. A season where after so long it is unlikely a player will eclipse the 50 hr mark. A need breed of ball player is emerging who are all around players. Using every aspect in the game to win ball games, not just a "swing for the fences" approach. Kids who have grown up on the "Go Big or Go Home" approach get to witness the game as it was meant to be played, bringing them into the game, getting them more involved in how a game is played and won. It brings us older fans who were fortunate enough to witness the likes of Dave Winfield, Joe Carter, Mike Schmidt, Reggie Jackson, the list goes on. A time when baseball was still pure. Though the game was changing, its core stayed true. And fans of the game will always respond to the realness of this game. It will bring them back to fond childhood memories. The history of this game goes much deeper than what we see on the surface.

And so the answer is yes, the end of the Steroid Era in Baseball is what is going to save this game. I understand MLB's logic in luring in the fans which worked as we have seen a steady increase of attendance over the last few years. One might think that t may have something to do with the scandals and truths coming out during the same period and the so called "changing of the guard" in terms of how the game is played. The game will go on developing the games future stars. Teaching the true form of the game to its old fans as well as its new. The humbleness of Baseball is what will save it. People will always go back to what made them the happiest.