Evan Meek and Joel Hanrahan are supposed to be the Pittsburgh Pirate’s closers-by-committee. Both were used tonight in the final innings with Pittsburgh down a run. When a team wins as seldom as the Pirates, I guess that’s what a manager has to do.
August 6, 2010
June 29, 2009
1864 vs. 1884
Posted by Henry on June 29, 2009 at 9:47 am
On Saturday the Providence Grays, played the Brooklyn Atlantics in a doubleheader. You can see one of the Atlantics among the Grays in the center of the photo below.
The players were happy to explain the rules and techniques of the historical game.
Each vintage baseball club models a specific year of play. The Grays emulate a championship 1884 team. The Atlantics emulate a championship 1864 team. This means different rules. In the doubleheader, the first game was played by 1864 rules, the second by 1884 rules. Most dramatically this meant one slow pitch game and one fast pitch game.
In 1864, pitching was underhand, the ball was quite soft, and an out was recorded if the ball was caught on the first bounce or on the fly.
In 1884, pitching was overhand, the ball was harder, though still softer than the current ball, and the one-bounce out rule was no longer in effect.
Catchers had masks, pads, and very small gloves.
June 25, 2009
The Providence Grays
Posted by Henry on June 25, 2009 at 8:17 pm
I once lived in Troy, New York, home of the Troy Haymakers, “One of original nine teams that formed baseball’s first all-paid professional league – the National Association…”
Providence RI, neighbor to my current home town of Pawtucket, has a somewhat more glorious baseball past as home to the Providence Grays, a member of the National League and winner of the first World’s Championship:
[The 1884 Providence Grays] were led by ace pitcher Charles “Old Hoss” Radbourn, who is still remembered for winning a record 59 games that year and leading the Grays to the pennant. When the team’s other pitcher defected to a rival league in July, it looked like the Grays’ season was over, but “Old Hoss” offered to pitch the rest of the team’s games. The Grays went on a twenty-game winning streak and blew past their hated rivals, the Boston Red Stockings.
When the season was over, the Grays had won the league title by five games. They then played the New York Metropolitans, champions of the rival American Association, in a three-game championship series, and won all three games. It wasn’t officially called the “World Series”, but the Grays became undisputed world champions.
The Providence Grays Vintage Base Ball Club recreates that 1884 team, playing to the rules of the time.
(h/t KidoInfo)
June 12, 2009
Give Varitek his due
Posted by Henry on June 12, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Daniel Bard throws two straight sliders to strike out Ryan Howard who earlier tied the game in the ninth with a home run.
Joe Castiglione says something like “The rookie pitcher has some moxie.”
I don’t think Bard is shaking off Jason Varitek.
Red Sox pitchers fanned 20 in 15 innings. Bard struck out three in the 15th (plus a hit batter) to close out the game and earn the save. (Castiglione mispeaks, saying “Bard strikes out three in the ninth.”)
May 4, 2009
Scorer’s change
Posted by Henry on May 4, 2009 at 7:20 pm
The official scorer for Saturday’s Indians-Tigers game changed Asdrubal Cabrera’s double to a two-base error:
In the fifth inning Saturday, Cabrera sent a drive to left field with the bases loaded, two out and Zach Miner pitching. Left fielder Ryan Raburn broke in on the play, slipped to one knee, righted himself and gave chase.
He put a glove on the ball at the warning track, but dropped it. Official scorer Ron Kleinfelter originally called it a double and credited Cabrera with three RBI. Official scorers have 24 hours to change a call and just before gametime Sunday it was announced that Kleinfelter had changed the call to an error.
This happens, but it’s rare for a scorer to take that long to make up his mind.
In the Mynci, a 24-24 tie between the Maniacs and Corn on Sunday night became a 24-21 point for the Corn Monday morning.
December 8, 2008
Maddux starts
Posted by Henry on December 8, 2008 at 10:35 am
Greg Maddux announced his retirement today. Over a decade ago I heard one of the great local sports talk guys, John Graney of Albany, New York, tell his listeners that (possibly) the best pitcher in MLB history was pitching in their time – and they weren’t paying attention.
Most know that Maddux broke in with the Chicago Cubs. Question: How did he make his first appearance?
August 20, 2008
Thanks for Dashing the Hopes I didn’t Have
Posted by Henry on August 20, 2008 at 11:17 am
This is today’s Scouts Inc. note for John Maine:
Despite growing concerns with Billy Wagner’s elbow, Maine is not being considered for the closer’s role, manager Jerry Manuel told Newsday.
Thanks Jerry. Anything else Maine isn’t being considered for?
August 8, 2008
How to Move when Traded
Posted by Henry on August 8, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Interesting column in The New York Times today by Doug Glanville, recalling his trade from the Texas Rangers to the Chicago Cubs in 2003. Glanville mentions the emotional element of the event, but also the practical logistics:
I had my moving plan: I would pack as much as I could possibly carry on the flight to Chicago, then clear out my apartment and jam everything I could into my car. Then, on the Cubs next trip to Houston, I would catch a plane to Dallas, meet up with an auto shipping company and have my car shipped to Chicago. Amazingly, it all went off without a glitch.
I assume he was single at the time.
June 1, 2008
The Poor Man’s Kevin Youkilis
Posted by Henry on June 1, 2008 at 4:53 pm
In past years, Kevin Youkilis was always a solid first baseman of last resort.
He was okay for average and great for OBP, if you played with OBP. And even if (in past years) he didn’t hit for power, the Boston Red Sox offense give him lots of opportunities to score and drive in runs.
This season, everyone knows about Kevin Youkilis. If you need a good average
April 29, 2008
Dare to be Stupid
Posted by Henry on April 29, 2008 at 3:44 pm
The Wall Street Journal has an interested article on a few unorthodox tactics being tried in baseball (via Steven Dubner). It starts with the following anecdote and proceeds from there:
Braves manager Bobby Cox was desperate, and he was plotting an ingenious plan. He was nearly out of right-handed pitchers, and players can’t re-enter a game after they’ve been removed. If Mr. Resop, a righty, could play the outfield, that would allow Mr. Cox to replace him on the mound temporarily — and use a lefty specialist to pitch to Adam LaRoche — without losing him entirely. So after Mr. Resop pitched to three batters in the top of the 10th inning, Mr. Cox had him go to left field. When Mr. Resop returned to the pitcher’s mound one batter later, it marked the first time a pitcher had pitched, played the field and pitched again in the same game since Jeff Nelson of the Seattle Mariners in 1993, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Interesting reading.
Update: I’m not actually calling Bobby Cox stupid. I’m referencing this Weird Al Yankovic album. Genius starts with the willingness to look dumb. That’s what the article is about.
April 26, 2008
In Which Willy Taveras Turns Into Dave Roberts
Posted by Henry on April 26, 2008 at 2:39 pm
The uninjured, unslumping Willy Taveras is reduced to pinch-running. Three non-starts produce 1 stolen base, 1 run scored and 1 for 2 at the plate. Manager Clint Hurdle said, “Scott Podsednik happens not to be playing like crap just yet, and I want to enjoy the moment.” No, actually he said:
“I still think for us, at least as we move forward, Willy is going to get every opportunity to play. I’ve just got to find reps and at-bats for Ryan Spilborghs, who does what he does very well. I think Podsednik is going to bring a very nice dimension and dynamic to our club that’s going to play very well. They both happen to be able to play center field. I wouldn’t say it’s going to be a three-headed center fielder by any means. That’ll be the farthest thing from the truth.”
Aargh.
April 16, 2008
The K Line
Posted by Henry on April 16, 2008 at 9:36 am
Dodgers win 11-2 but Kuo can’t get the win. Six Ks in 4 innings. 75 pitches and he gets the hook.
