Home Run Derby

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

PING

Woo Hoo!!

Andre Dawson made the Baseball Hall of Fame!!  Awesome.  Too bad Bert Blyleven didn’t join him.

Instead of talking about someone who got the 75% of votes needed to make the Hall … let’s look at those who have been unanimously shut out of the Hall of Fame.   And I don’t mean players who went one-and done in their chance at the Hall.

I mean those players who couldn’t get a single vote during their chance on the ballot.  Zip.  Zilch.  Nada.  Donut.  Not a sausage.  Bugger all.

This year (2010), the no-vote dishonor fell on Mike Jackson, Ray Lankford, Shane Reynolds and Todd Zeile. Not a single writer bit on any of them.  Not even Corky Simpson.

The Baseball Hall of Fame has been tracking voters who didn’t receive a vote for the past 33 ballots.   During that time, there were 193 players who couldn’t gather up a single vote between them.  As you might imagine … there’s a few names that you’ve heard of among that group. 

Here’s some notable ones.

In 1991, Oscar Gamble couldn’t get a single voter to bet on him. 

You see … this is what’s wrong with the BBWAA. 

If that fabulous afro can’t get an obligatory vote from at least one BBWAA writer … it’s time for the entire institution to lose its voting rights.

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In 1978, Mudcat Grant and Pedro Ramos couldn’t get a single vote from the BBWAA. 

Which kinda surprised me … because someone with the nickname ”Mudcat” simply belongs in every Hall of Fame out there.  And those mutton chops robably deserved a vote of their own.

And who wouldn’t “Vote for Pedro”?

In 1980, Paul Casanova couldn’t get any love from the BBWAA. 

But Casanova shouldn’t feel too bad … because just shy of half the players on the 1980 ballot went voteless (29 of 61).  

And you probably never heard of any of them.  How the heck did they get on a HoF ballot?

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How quickly they forget … just because the BBWAA selected a player for one of its coveted postseason awards doesn’t mean they’ll remember their name when it shows up on a Hall of Fame ballot.  

Over the past 32 Ballots, ten former Rookies of the Year and five Cy Young Award winners couldn’t get a second vote from the BBWAA …

Rookies of the Year

• Al Bumbry (1973 AL ROY) shut out in 1991
• Bake McBride (1974 NL ROY) shut out in 1989
• Bob Horner (1978 NL ROY) shut out in 1994
• Chris Chambliss (1971 AL ROY) shut out in 1994
• Gary Matthews (1973 NL ROY) shut out in 1993
• Jon Matlack (1972 NL ROY) shut out in 1989
• Pat Zachry (1976 NL ROY) shut out in 1991
• Stan Bahnsen (1968 AL ROY) shut out in 1988
• Todd Worrell (1986 NL ROY) shut out in 2003
• Tommie Agee (1966 AL ROY) shut out in 1979

Cy Young Award Winners

• Steve Stone (1979 AL CY) shut out in 1987
• Pete Vuckovich (1982 AL CY) shut out in 1992
• Randy Jones (1976 NL CY) shut out in
• Mike Cuellar (1969 AL CY)  shut out in 1983
• John Denny (1983 NL CY)  shut out in 1992

In 1985 and 2001, Ed Kranepool and Andy van Slyke both got shut out of the Hall of Fame balloting. 

But they acheived an even better sort of immortality as the namesakes of two awesome baseball blogs … The Eddie Kranepool Society and Where Have You Gone Andy van Slyke? 

In 2000, Hubie Brooks was the loneliest man on the HoF ballot.  He was the only player (out of 30) who couldn’t get a vote that year. 

In 2003, the BBWAA didn’t go wild over Mitch Williams.  At least the Wild Thing can take solace in the fact that Joe Carter also only lasted one HoF vote – getting 19 votes in 2004.

Want to see the full list?  It’s right here.

I think it’s safe to say that the Washington Nationals are by far and away the worst franchise in baseball right now.

They’ve had a enormous uniform FAIL, no one watches them on TV or at their stadium, they can’t spell Roosevelt, and that stupid Screech the eagle mascot is just embarrassing.

Not to mention that the team can’t perform ON the field either, where the Nats are currently a  Major-League worst 52-100.  That’s their second consecutive 100-Loss season.  Ugh. 

On that note, their fans seem to be taking it in stride. 

Here’s a Jersey some Nats fan (I think?) made before the 2008 season which looks like it will be good for years to come.

Simply awesome and well-played.  Self-deprecating jerseys always rule.

The only way it could be better is if it said NATINALS across the front.

“Nationals Hundred Losses” Jersey Rating

• Cleverness:  9
• Originality:  9
• Understandability:  10

I think that’s the highest score since the bodypainted Phillies fan (NSFW).

Found the Jersey in a thread over on FARK.

Baseball is filled with gross habits. 

Crotch grabbing (which we photo-profiled a couple years ago) is one of them.  It’s a necessity, considering the protective equipment down there.

Spitting is another one.  I won’t go into all the reasons players spit (tobacco, sunflower seeds, disgust, anger, boredom) – but it happens.  A lot. 

And in many different ways. 

Horizontal Spit

Araron Miles and Rickie Weeks demonstrate the lateral spit.  You need some power to get that to go straight.

I’m not sure why Aaron Miles has to close his eyes.  Or why Weeks is spitting at JJ Hardy.

(more…)

Last week, White Sox lefthander Mark Buehrle pitched only the eighteenth Perfect Game in the history of Major League Baseball.  As is the case in every perfect game – he had a little help from his defense.

Particularly outfielder Dewayne Wise, who took away a Home Run with a laping catch in the top of the ninth to preserve the Shutout, the No-Hitter, and the Perfect Game and vault Buehrle’s name into conversations about whether he’ll be a Hall of Famer.

No doubt – a catch like that is deserving of a gift from the pitcher to his Perfect-Game-Saving fielder. 

A big gift. 

Well, here it is.  Buehrle gave Wise (and his other teammates) a bottle of Crown Royal XR  … with a personalized bag no less.

I like the idea.  A perfect game is Extra Rare, so why not a bottle of Extra Rare booze?

But I would think that Dewayne Wise deserved bigger than a bottle of Canadian Whisky that you can get for $136 on the intarwebs – seems a little bit cheap as recognition for being the saver of an event that happens once every 17,000 games to me. 

A $200 gift (I’m including the embroidery on the bag) seems cheap for such a contribution – especially considering Buehrle is in the midst of a $56 Million contract.  I was thinking Buehrle would at least get him a cool ride – like Buehrle’s giant Ford F-650 Dominator truck.

You know, the booze could explain the White Sox’ 1-5 record and .214 batting average since the Perfect Game.

 H/T:  MPS

So with a couple days left in July, we should probably update the Home Run Derby contest standings, huh?

Here goes (albeit quickly)

There’s three days left to determine the July monthly cash prize … and something called ZARG 4 leads everybody with 69 Home Runs in July.  He’s trailed by Jedi Baseball (67) and Brett Favre Comeback Tour (66 HR).

I had a hard time figuring out what the heck a “ZARG” was to make the appropriate avatar (and the team owner hasn’t responded to emails) so I took a stab at it as a Calvin and Hobbes reference.  If it’s not a made-up word, the only other thing I think it could be is a predator that was once on the old Babylon 5 TV show.

Two weeks into the Second Half, and it’s a 42-Homer tie between It’s a New Century and Jules.

That’s right … the Second Half is being co-led by my six-year-old daughter (she made her own picks).  That’s her running the bases at Miller Park a couple years ago. 

ZARG 4 (41 HR), Wrigley Drunks (41 HR), and ChiTown Kaz (40 HR) round out the 2nd Half leaderboard.

In the full season standings, the top three are still the same – but their order has changed.

Both David Wright can Bite Me (297 HR) and Heavy Hitters (295 HR) leapt past Aural Sects (294 HR) on the leaderboard. 

There’s an 8-HR cushion between the bottom of the leaderboard and the top of the also-rans.  One of these days, Coop Cooper, ChiTownKaz, BackBackBackBack, or RDRR are going to make a run at the leaders.

One of the best things about baseball is that with so many at-bats in a season … whatever you can think of is probably going to happen (like when that bat stood up on its end after an at bat a couple years ago).  So it kinda surprises me that very few baseballs ever hit the TV cameras around MLB ballparks.

But that’s not the case in the other fields around America, where cameras are taking a beating from baseballs …  whether it be batted or thrown.

Here’s a clip from the Little League World Series a couple years ago.  Take it away, Brent Musburger.

That’s not the only time a pitch has hit a camera behind the plate.  Here’s another pitcher who’s throwing …. juuust a bit outside

(more…)

Uh Oh.

We could have some bad blood between the two biggest sluggers in the NL Central.  And it’s all about how you wear your uniform.

Here’s a quote from St. Louis Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols in an interview with USA Today …

“I see teams take their jerseys out when the game is over,” he says. “To me, that’s not professional. I don’t care what you do when you get off the field, but don’t do it on the field.”

“You don’t want kids to see negative things.”

Intriguingly, Pujols didn’t name any of those teams who “take their jerseys out” … or even one team … so we’ll do it for you. 

It’s the Milwaukee Brewers, a team once again vying with the Cardinals for the NL Central crown.  And there was bad blood from the Cardinals last year about the untucking practice, too.  Last fall, Cardinals TV Announcer Rick Horton said it was the most disrespectful thing he’s ever seen (that’s from memory – I don’t have a quote). 

Keeping that in mind, let’s go back to last Monday’s Home Run Derby.  In Busch Stadium, home of Albert Pujols and his St. Louis Cardinals.

Who won that contest?  Oh yeah … Prince Fielder of the aforementioned Brewers … and known shirt untucker after game-winning Home Runs.

OH-NO-HE-DIDN’T just untuck his jersey … (more…)

That might be the longest post title I’ve ever written at Home Run Derby.  But I’m not about to go back and check.

Anyway, the First Half of the season is complete.  Which means it’s time to dole out some cash.

Congratulations to DAVID WRIGHT CAN BITE ME!  DWCBM finished the season with 261 Home Runs.  He’ll be rewarded with $250 for his finish atop the standings.

Lesser props to Aural Sects (260 HR and $100) and The Heavy Hitters (259 HR and $50) who finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively.  In the end, a mere two Home Runs separated 1st place from Third Place.

Going into the last day before the All-Star Break, it was pretty tight atop the leaderboard.  David Wright can Bite Me and Aural Sects both had 259 HR with Heavy Hitters a mere three dingers back at 256.  Anything could happen. 

But through 15 games on Sunday, the leaderboard hadn’t seen much action.  Only two balls had left the building for the top three.  One by Jim Thome for Heavy Hitters and one by Nelson Cruz for Aural Sects and nada for DWCBM.  Which meant that heading into the Sunday Night showdown betweeb the Cubs and Cardinals … Aural Sects had the lead, 260-259 over DWCBM.  Heavy Hitters was at 257 with no chance of catching DWCBM.

Both teams had Albert Pujols.  Only Aramis Ramirez or Ryan Ludwick could save the day for David Wright can Bite Me.  And damned if he didn’t do it with two Home Runs against the Cubs.  One HR would have been sufficient, since DWCBM held the AB/HR tiebreaker … but Ludwick erased any doubt of who the 2009 1st Half Champion was …. David Wright Can Bite Me.

This first half will be pretty sweet for Nick the Greek, who’s watched the real David Wright become a non-force in the Derby (only 5 HR) – but even morseo when he finds out who the owner of Aural Sects is. 

It’s about time one of the original members of this fair Home Run Derby contest made it back on the wall of the HRD Hall of Fame.  Even better that it was two of them.

Mind you, it was the lowest total for a 1st Half Champion since 2004.

DWCBM will look to be complete the first HRD Sweep in four years.  But it won’t be easy … as the past three years, the First Half Champ has not won either the Second Half or Full Season Crown.

Everyone in the Derby has a shot at the Second Half Crown, as we start at zero.  Plus, there’s three monthly prizes to compete for as well.

Everyone has a chance to win something.  Keep paying attention … and thanks for playing!