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| Mariano Rivera / @ExamineBaseball - Twitter |
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Video - Mariano Rivera entering the 2013 All-Star Game to Enter Sandman
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Yankees limp to All-Star break after dismal first half
The Yankees are not
used to being second best. They don’t like it – and they don’t particularly
play the role well. So their current home just above the American League East cellar has
to be disappointing to both players and management.
Going into the All-Star
break, the Yankees are barely treading water (six games out of first place) and dealing with a parade of injuries. Both Alex
Rodriguez and Captain Derek Jeter, their two biggest names, haven’t contributed to the team at all in
recent months.
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Jeter’s much-heralded
return to the lineup came Thursday after rehabbing his broken
left ankle through the first 91 games of the season. Unfortunately, he had to
be pulled late in the game due to quad tightness. He was expected to undergo an
MRI on Friday to determine if he can continue his comeback.
Jeter can be a potent
weapon if he stays in good health. He blasted a single Thursday on
the first pitch he faced this season and later scored a run. He also notched
his first RBI this season on a ground out. Even going 1-4 on the day, he helped
his team stop a three-game losing streak with an 8-4 win over the Royals Thursday.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez, who
is six games into a 20-day rehab assignment with the Tampa Yankees minor league
team, could be destined for a potential 100-game suspension related to his
involvement with a Florida clinic tied to a major PED investigation.
A-Rod is trying to
come back from hip surgery, and his outrageous salary structure has been a bone
of contention for team management. Though GM Brian Cashman has yet to openly
admit the signing was a huge mistake, Yankees brass (and a growing number of
fans who buy New
York Yankees tickets) seem to regret locking up the aging slugger for so
long.
The Yankees will have
a tough time catching the Red Sox for the divisional crown – or even lock down
a wild card playoff spot – without a major miracle. That could come in the form
of some blockbuster trades, but even a few bold moves might not be enough. It
might take a complete collapse by the teams above them, and maybe a few key
injuries hitting their competitors as the Yanks finally get healthy.
Tampa Bay and
Baltimore are playing excellent baseball this year and could gain even more
separation from the Yankees in the second half if nothing changes.
Unlike the surging,
offensively stacked Red Sox, the Yankees’ main strength is their pitching
corps. But even that crew only breaks the top 10 in ERA (3.79).
On the flip side, they
rank 23rd in quality starts. Closer Mariano Rivera is doing well in his final
year before retirement with 29 saves, and the team’s starters are doing the
best they can without the biggest bats on the team available to provide some
decent run support. C.C. Sabathia has 9 wins and 112 strikeouts to his credit, while
Hiroki Kuroda leads the team in ERA (2.77) – despite a lackluster 7-6 record on
18 starts so far.
The main issue with
this year’s squad is the anemic offense. Their highest ranking category is
runs, where they are 19th in the league. Robinson Cano is simply carrying the
team with a .299 batting average, 21 home runs, 62 RBIs, and 53 runs
scored.
The Yankees always
seem to be in the trade deadline mix every year, but this time they will have
to produce some serious magic. They’ll have to find a way to shore up their
pitching and their batting with some players who can become immediate
contributors.
There may not be
enough high-caliber bats and arms available to give them what they need,
though. Yankees fans might just have to get used to watching their team
struggle to stay out of last place for the remainder of the season.
- Rich Bergeron
- Rich Bergeron
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Darren Daulton's legacy lives on through his many stories
Darren Daulton, the longtime catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies has been diagnosed glioblastoma, the same aggressive brain cancer that took the life of fellow major league catcher and Hall of Famer, Gary Carter.
He also earned the reputation as one of baseball's best storytellers, as evident by this video where he tells an entertaining behind the scenes tale from the 1993 Phillies including teammates John Kruk and Jim Eisenreich.
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| Darren Daulton Autograph / Baseball-Almanac.com |
He also earned the reputation as one of baseball's best storytellers, as evident by this video where he tells an entertaining behind the scenes tale from the 1993 Phillies including teammates John Kruk and Jim Eisenreich.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
A literary tribute to Satchel Paige
In celebration of Satchel Paige's July 7, 1906 birthday, I offer a literary journey into the life of Satchel Paige. An eccentric character on and off the field, chronicling his career has spawned many books including two that he co-wrote.
Below are some of the best books that showcase the life and times of Paige.
Below are some of the best books that showcase the life and times of Paige.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Milwaukee Brave Denis Menke recalls the greatest game ever pitched 50 years later
On July 2nd, 1963, a 42-year-old Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves squared off against the 25-year-old Juan Marichal of the San Francisco Giants
in a duel for the ages. Sixteen innings later, the game ended with one
of the future Hall of Famers on the mound watching the flight of a home
run by another legend carry off into exile. What transpired in between
those 16 innings makes this matchup one that many experts argue is the greatest game ever pitched.
Denis Menke, just a few weeks shy of his 23rd birthday, was a promising infielder for the Braves learning under the tutelage of veterans such as Frank Bolling, Roy McMillan, and Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews. Menke started that game on the bench, but was unexpectedly tapped by manager Bobby Bragan to enter the game in the fourth inning.
"Eddie [Mathews] got hurt, that's the only reason he came out of that game," the 72-year-old Menke said Tuesday evening from his home in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
Menke spent the remaining 12 innings of the game at third base, cementing his place in the legendary contest.
"It was just amazing, the people that were involved in that game, it was really something," he said. "You think about it now all of the Hall of Famers that were in that game." (There were seven future Hall of Famers that participated in that game, and an eighth in Gaylord Perry in the bullpen for the Giants.)
He managed two hits off of the stingy Marichal, who struck out ten Braves hitters that day. Despite the Dominican pitcher's dominance, Menke felt comfortable in the box.
"I didn't mind facing Marichal because I knew he was always going to be around the plate," he said. "He was going to give you a pitch to hit, what you did with it was up to you. He could throw a strike from any position, sidearm, overhand, three-quarters ... any pitch! That was what was amazing about him."
Maybe even more impressive than Marichal's efforts was the performance of Spahn at that stage in his career. At 42, he was a year older than the Giants manager Alvin Dark and still excelling at his craft.
"With Spahnie, I don't think he ever thought his age came into play," Menke said. "He was such a competitor and he just enjoyed the competition. I think that's one reason why he just kept on going. He had one of those great arms that could keep on throwing. His motion was so good. It was just one of those things you had to marvel at."
As each team put up zeroes, it became an increasing battle of wits between the two mounds men. Neither man wanted to leave the game. Pitch counts be damned, their pride was a bigger issue.
"You look at Marichal on the other end that was 25-years-old. He wasn't going to let a 42-year-old man to show him up. He wasn't going to come out of that game," Menke said.
The Braves had a scare in the 9th inning when Willie McCovey hit a towering fly ball down the left field line. Menke, who was playing third base, took a long look at it and couldn't tell whether the ball was fair or foul.
"McCovey in the 9th inning hit one just foul," Menke said. "Nobody knows if it was really foul. In Candlestick, they way the wind blew, McCovey hit 'em so high, it was hard to tell if it was fair or foul. I was on the third base side and they asked me if I could tell and I said, 'Nope.' For our sake, the umpire made the right call."
Both teams barely reached base in the extra frames until the 14th inning when an error by Menke loaded the bases for the Giants. Spahn extinguished that fire by getting catcher Ed Bailey to hit a pop-up to center field, but when Willie Mays stepped to the plate in the 16th, it was 1951 all over again. Mays garnered his first major league hit, a home run off of Spahn in 1951.
The Giants center fielder wasted no time this at-bat, and hit Spahn's first offering over the left-field fence for a home run. Spahn said it was a screwball that, "didn't break worth a damn." Finally after four hours, the game was over.
Spahn finished the year 23-7, tying his 1953 for his best season ever. It would also be his last effective run in the majors. He would pitch two more years in the major leagues, posting marks of well under .500 for the Braves, New York Mets and ironically the Giants. Marichal ended 1963 with a 25-8 record, starting a string of four consecutive 20-win seasons. The two would combine for 606 career victories, earning them both enshrinement in Cooperstown.
A half-century later, this particular contest left an indelible mark on Menke, an incredible feat for someone who spent 40 years as a player, coach, and minor league manager.
"I give those two pitchers a lot of credit because I don't think we'll ever see a game like that again."
Denis Menke, just a few weeks shy of his 23rd birthday, was a promising infielder for the Braves learning under the tutelage of veterans such as Frank Bolling, Roy McMillan, and Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews. Menke started that game on the bench, but was unexpectedly tapped by manager Bobby Bragan to enter the game in the fourth inning.
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| Denis Menke - 1963 Topps |
"Eddie [Mathews] got hurt, that's the only reason he came out of that game," the 72-year-old Menke said Tuesday evening from his home in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
Menke spent the remaining 12 innings of the game at third base, cementing his place in the legendary contest.
"It was just amazing, the people that were involved in that game, it was really something," he said. "You think about it now all of the Hall of Famers that were in that game." (There were seven future Hall of Famers that participated in that game, and an eighth in Gaylord Perry in the bullpen for the Giants.)
He managed two hits off of the stingy Marichal, who struck out ten Braves hitters that day. Despite the Dominican pitcher's dominance, Menke felt comfortable in the box.
"I didn't mind facing Marichal because I knew he was always going to be around the plate," he said. "He was going to give you a pitch to hit, what you did with it was up to you. He could throw a strike from any position, sidearm, overhand, three-quarters ... any pitch! That was what was amazing about him."
Maybe even more impressive than Marichal's efforts was the performance of Spahn at that stage in his career. At 42, he was a year older than the Giants manager Alvin Dark and still excelling at his craft.
"With Spahnie, I don't think he ever thought his age came into play," Menke said. "He was such a competitor and he just enjoyed the competition. I think that's one reason why he just kept on going. He had one of those great arms that could keep on throwing. His motion was so good. It was just one of those things you had to marvel at."
As each team put up zeroes, it became an increasing battle of wits between the two mounds men. Neither man wanted to leave the game. Pitch counts be damned, their pride was a bigger issue.
"You look at Marichal on the other end that was 25-years-old. He wasn't going to let a 42-year-old man to show him up. He wasn't going to come out of that game," Menke said.
The Braves had a scare in the 9th inning when Willie McCovey hit a towering fly ball down the left field line. Menke, who was playing third base, took a long look at it and couldn't tell whether the ball was fair or foul.
"McCovey in the 9th inning hit one just foul," Menke said. "Nobody knows if it was really foul. In Candlestick, they way the wind blew, McCovey hit 'em so high, it was hard to tell if it was fair or foul. I was on the third base side and they asked me if I could tell and I said, 'Nope.' For our sake, the umpire made the right call."
Both teams barely reached base in the extra frames until the 14th inning when an error by Menke loaded the bases for the Giants. Spahn extinguished that fire by getting catcher Ed Bailey to hit a pop-up to center field, but when Willie Mays stepped to the plate in the 16th, it was 1951 all over again. Mays garnered his first major league hit, a home run off of Spahn in 1951.
The Giants center fielder wasted no time this at-bat, and hit Spahn's first offering over the left-field fence for a home run. Spahn said it was a screwball that, "didn't break worth a damn." Finally after four hours, the game was over.
Spahn finished the year 23-7, tying his 1953 for his best season ever. It would also be his last effective run in the majors. He would pitch two more years in the major leagues, posting marks of well under .500 for the Braves, New York Mets and ironically the Giants. Marichal ended 1963 with a 25-8 record, starting a string of four consecutive 20-win seasons. The two would combine for 606 career victories, earning them both enshrinement in Cooperstown.
A half-century later, this particular contest left an indelible mark on Menke, an incredible feat for someone who spent 40 years as a player, coach, and minor league manager.
"I give those two pitchers a lot of credit because I don't think we'll ever see a game like that again."