Looking at the Game of Baseball from all ends of the Spectrum
University of Illinois Physics professor Alan Nathan was interviewed by MLB.com’s Cory Schwartz on the topic of the Pitch F/X tool. We interviewed Nathan for Baseball Zealot Radio last year and I’m happily surprised to say that some of stuff sunk in and I recognize some of his talking points.
You can see Schwartz’ interview with Alan Nathan at MLB.com’s web site.
My friend from work, Steve Z, sent me these photos he took of Fenway Park. They were taken during a tour during an off-day.
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Steve writes:
Here are some shots from my tour of Fenway Park on July 4th. The place looks like it was built last year. Exceptionally good condition, but I guess that’s what a couple of Championships will do for money! The Green Monster seats are cool. They are divied up by a lottery system…over 500,000 people are on the list! The same with the budweiser pary section in right field (don’t know the lottery numbers there). Hope the blog readers enjoy one or more of these. Can’t wait to get back to Boston for a game!
Oh, in the second photo, note the red “Williams” seat which shows where the 502 ft. longest blast in Fenway park history was hit by Ted Williams!
Here’s a close-up of Williams seat
Thanks, Steve!!
Jerome Holtzman, one of my favorite sports writers, a long time reporter & columnist in the Chicago newspapers and upon retirement, MLB’s historian (the inventor of the “save”), died at the age of 82.
Jerome Holtzman was writing in Chicago way back when I was growing up.He and John Carmichael (“The Barber Shop”) were my favorites. My memory fades. Did Holtzman write for the old Chicago American? Or the Chicago Daily News? Those papers don’t exist anymore (and hardly do I).
Remember the jingle? “Chicago American. Always on top of the news.” I could sing it for you to this day.
I appreciate his contributions in developing my love for baseball. And for the enjoyment he contributed to my youth through reading his work.
He also wrote an interesting book, “(There’s) No Cheering in the Pressbox” about the newspaper sports writers of note.
One of the last summers I lived in Chicago: Pete Rose said, “Not only did Ken Holtzman shut us down in the afternoon game, I pick up the paper the next morning and he’s WRITING about it.” Pete obviously read only the last name.
Jerome Holtzman’s save statistic has made a lot of money for a lot of relievers.
DonS.
I’ll have to start a new winning streak, as Scott Feldman & the Texas Rangers shutdown the White Sox 6-1. Feldman was forced into an emergency start when Eric Hurley had shoulder stiffness. Scott had his share of baserunners, but was able to induce Sox batters into hitting into key doubleplays.
Javier Vazquez was the victim of Josh Hamilton’s three run blast after home plate ump didn’t give Vazquez the corner on a strike three 3-2 pitch that would’ve ended the inning rather than putting another runner on for Hamilton’s monster blast to center. Hank Blalock added insurance with a late shot to the rightfield bar area off Boone Logan. Carlos Quentin’s solo shot was the lone run the Good Guys could muster.
With Jose Contreras on the shelf, rookie lefty Clayton Richard will get the nod Tuesday night for the Pale Hose. Let’s hope the former Michigan backup QB can right the ship.
Interesting piece of trivia. Every game so far in 2008 by the Tampa Bay Rays has been started by a pitcher who is 26 years old or younger. Andy from Baseball Reference’s Stat of the Day did the math for the whole league.
Pittsburgh is up there with 72. On the other side of the coin, Seattle has just 16 such games.
I had hoped the All-Star break would have done the Cubs some good. More than a couple Cub fans had commented to me on how “tired” the Cubs had looked before the break. In particular, Carlos Marmol who almost didn’t look like he didn’t want to be out there pitching.
Fast forward to after the break. It looks like the Cubs still need to learn how to win on the road. As of this writing, they’ve lost two at Minute Maid Park. As good as the Cubs’ overall record is (57-40), their 20-28 away record is abysmal. Without taking the time to compare, I’m sure their +.329 home/away differential is the highest in the league.
Like I’ve been telling anyone who would listen, even if they do make playoffs with such a record, let’s face it; Roughly half (more now after the All-Star Game loss) will be on the road. The Cubs will need to learn to become road warriors.
Other Notes from Wrigley:
Friday’s 2-1 wasted effort of Ted Lilly’s fine seven inning performance makes the Cubs dead even (15-15) in one-run games. Among NL Central teams, only Houston has a losing record in that category (yes, baseball fans, that includes Pittsburgh).
Also, it looks like we got Chad Gaudin just in time. Not only is Jon Lieber headed to the disabled list with a sore right foot but now there’s talk of putting Kerry Wood to the DL, too. Wood’s got’s a blister on his right index finger. So sayeth Skipper Lou:
“We’ll miss a week [that way], it might not be a week. We’ve got a fresh pitching staff, why for three or four days take that chance? If we had a real tired pitching staff or we had some injuries, it’s a different story. Right now, the decision’s been made to ride it out a little bit longer. And if we have to [DL him] we will.”
Wood hasn’t pitched since mid-July so the move would be retroactive.
Finally, an article from yesterday’ Chicago Trib on a firm who has made a “firm offer” for Wrigley Field.
rel·i·quary: noun: a container or shrine in which sacred relics are kept
On Sunday, the Baseball Reliquary will hold its tenth annual Shrine of the Eternals induction ceremony in Pasadena, California.
For those not familiar with The Baseball Reliquary (I wasn’t till this came across my inbox), its mission is admirable. According to the announcement, they are a:
Southern California-based nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering an appreciation of American art and culture through the context of baseball history
This year’s inductees into the Shrine of Eternals are Buck O’Neil (mightily deserved), Emmett Ashford and Bill Buckner.
Ashford was the first black umpire on the professional level. As for Buckner, the Baseball Reliquary states it unequivocally. “Bill Buckner is living proof that history is not always kind or just.”
Previous inductees are Jim Abbott, Dick Allen, Moe Berg, Yogi Berra, Ila Borders, Jim Bouton, Jim Brosnan, Roberto Clemente, Rod Dedeaux, Dock Ellis, Mark Fidrych, Curt Flood, Josh Gibson, William “Dummy” Hoy, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Bill James, Bill Lee, Marvin Miller, Minnie Minoso, Satchel Paige, Jimmy Piersall, Pam Postema, Jackie Robinson, Lester Rodney, Fernando Valenzuela, Bill Veeck Jr., and Kenichi Zenimura.
Also of note especially to pretty much anyone who reads this blog is the recipient of Tony Salin Memorial award which “annually honors one individual for his/her dedication to preserving baseball history”. This year, that honor rightfully goes to David Smith who is the founder of Retrosheet. Again well deserved, in my opinion.
You can read this weekend’s induction ceremony announcement with bios of the inductees, at The Baseball Reliquary’s web site.
Update 7/19/08: The Miami Herald came out yesterday with an article on the Baseball Reliquary. Check out their photo gallery. The piece sorta paints the place as a weird baseball museum filled with a “Ripley’s” atmosphere.
Would I go there given the chance? In a heartbeat.
See the trouble Terry Francona caused?
James Shields will start as planned on Friday against the Blue Jays, but Matt Garza will now be moved up a day from Saturday to Sunday. Maddon plans to talk to Kazmir on Friday to determine when he pitches, and, in turn, when Edwin Jackson will start. Jackson will get the nod whichever day Kazmir does not.
All part of division rival Boston’s evil plan. I know it.
Congrats to Chris Robinson who made the Canadian Olympic Baseball team!
Robinson, who is a University of Illinois alum, was taking a respite from his time in the Cubs farm system so he could help his fellow teammates on the Canadian team qualify for the Beijing games. For his efforts, Robbie was named to the final squad.
Canada will open against China on August 13.
Robinson was a guest on Baseball Zealot Radio last spring before he went into spring training.
Yes, the AL got lucky last night.
No, I don’t mean with their 4-3 win… That was well-deserved. However as Buck and McCarver talked about incessantly up until the end of the game, Francona breathed a sigh of relief when Michael Young drove Justin Morneau home on a sac fly in the bottom of the 15th. As it was, he had already brought in Scott Kazmir, who was on his “Do Not Pitch List”, for one inning. He didn’t relish the idea of bringing him for much longer.
Maybe we haven’t learned anything from the 2002 All-Star game. That was the year Bud Selig declared the game a tie after both teams ran out of players and relievers. After Francona’s starter, Cliff Lee went two frames, none of the American League pitchers pitched more than one inning until George Sherrill who came in the 12th. To be fair, no one thought this game would go 15 innings. That said, perhaps we should start playing the All-Star game as a game to be won (I don’t buy into the whole idea that now that we’re playing for home field advantage, the game counts… it’s a game and it’s played to be won).
I don’t let NL Manager Clint Hurdle off easy either. Why did he take out Brandon Webb, who pitched the 14th inning, after just one inning? As visitor team and with a tie game, surely he knew that even in the best scenario, Lidge would have to pitch at least two innings for an National League win. I would have left Webb in for just one more inning.
One more thought on the whole matter, if a manager is going to pick a pitcher for a game, even an All-Star Game, make sure he’s a pitcher who he is comfortable putting in the game. Webb and Kazmir are most deserving of a All-Star nod but if they are taking up a spot on roster, the managers should be able to put them in with a minimum of mini-dramas described to us in full details by Buck/McCarver. Less is better, guys.
Other comments on the Game:
Despite the long game, I thought it was exciting. Kudos to the AL for their victory and the NL gave them an excellent fight.
Fine job by the Cub pitchers. Zambrano, Dempster and Marmol in four combined innings allowed just one hit and no runs with six strikeouts.
I appreciated the good defensive efforts on the NL’s part in the (I believe) 10th and 11th innings in dire base situations. Three outs in five plate appearances were made at home plate. Nice job, Russ Martin!
I gotta feel for Dan Uggla. Here’s a guy who’s had an awesome first half and he gets to his first All-Star Game and pretty much stinks up the place. Oh for 4, 3 K’s and 3 errors (two in one inning). Then Buckarver is telling me a heartbreaking story about his Dad too.
See you in St Louis, AL!