Who ever said pitchers can’t hit? posted by David

While it should come as no surprise that a professional baseball player holds the state of Georgia's high school home run record, it may come as a shock that the record-holder is not a slugging outfielder like Jason Heyward, Mike Cameron, Jeff Francoeur, Nick Markakis, or J.D. Drew.  It isn’t a catcher with pop like Buster Posey or Brian McCann.  It isn’t even “The Big Hurt” Frank Thomas or “The Georgia Peach” himself, Hall of Famer Ty Cobb.  In fact, the record-holder isn’t a position player at all: it’s Diamondbacks pitcher Micah Owings.

Owings’s 69 career high school home runs are fourth in the United States behind Jeff Clement (75), James Peterson (73), and Drew Henson (70), who have combined to hit a grand total of 14 in the majors.  Peterson hit 11 in the minors but never even played in the big leagues, and Henson collected one hit in eight major league at-bats before deciding he had a better chance of succeeding as a quarterback in the NFL.  Clement has shown decent power in the minors but has yet to prove he can hit major league pitching.  If he doesn’t do it soon, Owings – who won a Silver Slugger as a pitcher during his rookie year (2007) and has hit nine homers in his brief big league career – will likely pass him.

Owings’s high school stats are staggering.  As a sophomore, he hit .630 with 21 homers.  As a junior, he “slumped” to .469 with 15 homers while going 12-1 with 69 strikeouts and a 1.85 ERA in 60.2 innings pitched.  As a senior, he hit .448 with 25 home runs; on the mound he went 12-1 with a 1.03 ERA, striking out 121 while surrendering a measly three walks in 75 innings.  Given his propensity for tearing the cover off the ball, you have to wonder why opposing teams did not simply refuse to pitch to Owings.

Bagwell has one more stop in baseball career posted by David

It’s hard to believe, but Jeff Bagwell has not played in the majors in five years.  That means, of course, that in the upcoming election, he is eligible for the Hall of Fame.

Bagwell’s stats speak for themselves: 449 home runs, four All-Star appearances, and several notable awards: three Silver Sluggers, Rookie of the Year (1991), and MVP and a Gold Glove in the same year (1994).  He is the Houston Astros’ career leader in Home Runs, RBIs (1,529), Walks (1,401), Sacrifice Flies (102) and Intentional Walks (155).  Additionally, he is second in franchise history behind former teammate Craig Biggio in Games, At-Bats and Plate Appearances, Runs Scored, Hits, Doubles, Extra-Base Hits, and Total Bases.

He also holds 11 of the team’s single season records: Batting Average (.368 in 1994), On-Base Percentage (.454 in 1999), Slugging Percentage (.750 in 1994), OPS (1.201 in 1994), Runs (152 in 2000), Total Bases (363 in 2000), Home Runs (47 in 2000), Walks (149 in 1999), Times on Base (331 in 1999), Intentional Walks (27 in 1997) and At-Bats per Home Run (10.3 in 1994).

Bagwell’s most impressive season was 1994, when the players’ strike limited him to 39 home runs and 116 RBIs in 110 games.  He hit .368 but lost the batting title to Tony Gwynn, whose .394 average is the highest since Ted Williams’s .406 in 1941.  His .750 Slugging Percentage not only led the majors, but is also the 11th highest in big league history.  Only five players topped Bagwell’s Slugging Percentage; two have been linked to steroids, and the other three (Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Rogers Hornsby) are already in the Hall of Fame.

Hard work pays off for career minor leaguers posted by David

Reds rookie Mike Leake went from Arizona State to the majors without throwing a pitch in the minor leagues.  Stephen Strasburg spent two months split between Double-A and Triple-A before making his big league debut in front of the entire baseball world.  The rise to the top does not come so easily – or at all – for others who share the dream of playing in The Show.  Two such players are John Lindsey, who was drafted way back in 1995, and Max St-Pierre, who had played 978 games in the minors – nearly all of them as a catcher – before getting called up this month to the Dodgers and Tigers, respectively.  Lindsey had played for five different organizations and even tried independent ball in 2005.  St-Pierre had spent 14 seasons in the minors, including 13 in the Tigers organization, and was one of the Toledo Mud Hens' backstops in 2010.  He probably did not expect the promotion after starting the year at Double-A.  It’s always exciting for any minor leaguer to find out he's going up to the big leagues, but for a 33-year-old first baseman and a 30-year-old catcher going up for the first time, it has got to be the greatest feeling in the world.

How 'bout that?

How about Troy Tulowitzki?  The Rockies shortstop is having a September to remember, launching 14 home runs, slugging a ridiculous .884, putting together four multi-homer games, and collecting 34 RBIs.  If he can drive in 10 runs in Colorado's last nine games, Tulo will finish with 100 RBIs despite spending six weeks on the DL in June and July.  Along with Carlos Gonzalez, Tulowitzki is leading the Rockies in their hunt for another Rocktober.

Another Triple Crown candidate storms to the top posted by David

Albert Pujols and Joey Votto have been battling each other all year, but Carlos Gonzalez has leap-frogged the front-runners in the Triple Crown race.  Gonzalez leads the National League in hitting (.337), is tied with Votto for the league lead with 100 Runs Batted In, and with 32 home runs is just five back of Pujols, two behind Adam Dunn, and tied with Votto and Mark Reynolds.  While he may have the best shot at the Triple Crown, I suspect Gonzalez’s home-road splits (.387/.435/.783 at Coors Field, .288/.310/.450 on the road) will keep the voters from naming him the NL MVP.

How 'bout that?

How about Joakim Soria?  The Mexicutioner has very quietly put together an outstanding season in Kansas City – a 1.71 ERA, 37 saves, and 63 strikeouts compared to just 14 walks.  The Royals’ closer allowed zero runs in the entire month of August (12 innings, 12 strikeouts, eight hits, and two walks) and has continued his scoreless streak through the first week of September.  Though Mariano Rivera is having one of his finest seasons at the age of 40, Soria has been the best closer in baseball this year.

How about Nelson Cruz?  Three trips to the Disabled List have kept him from putting together an MVP-caliber season, but the guy can flat out hit the ball, and despite his size (6’2”, 240), Cruz can run pretty well too – he’s racked up 15 stolen bases to go with his .313 batting average, 17 home runs, and .567 slugging percentage.  If anybody likes playing at Rangers ballpark, it’s Cruz, whose line at home is a robust .359/.414/.660 – a sure way to become a hometown favorite.

Jason Heyward: Instant Hit posted by David

When the Atlanta Braves announced during the last week of spring training that Jason Heyward had made the big league roster, it made headlines in part because both Stephen Strasburg and Aroldis Chapman were being assigned to the minors.  However, after winning the starting right fielder’s job in Atlanta, the 20-year-old phenom wasted no time before impressing the baseball world by launching a three-run home run in his very first major league at-bat.  Batting seventh in the lineup behind Chipper Jones, Brian McCann, and others has limited the pressure on the 14th overall pick in the 2007 draft, but before long, you can expect to see Heyward taking his hacks in the cleanup spot.

How ‘bout that?

How about Albert Pujols?  Picking up where he left off at the end of the 2009 season, Pujols collected four hits – including two home runs – on Opening Day.  The Cardinals slugger has been nothing but superhuman in the batter’s box; unless he suffers an injury, he will likely win his third straight (and fourth overall) Most Valuable Player Award.

How about Vernon Wells?  Looking to bounce back from a disappointing season (.260/.311/.400), Wells has already hit four home runs and boasts a .600 batting average.  The centerfielder became the first Blue Jay in history to homer in the team’s first three games of the year and played a major role in Toronto winning its first series of 2010 over Texas.

How about the Giants?  Led by shortstop Edgar Renteria’s .727 batting average (eight hits in 11 at-bats), San Francisco has continued to play well, sweeping a three-game series in Houston following a 23-12 record in spring training.  Not only are the Giants the only team yet to lose a regular season game, they have not even trailed at any point.  Though it is far too early to call a winner, the Giants will hope their fast start is a sign of things to come as they eye their first division title since 2003.

"The Braves will Pose a Tougher Test for the Giants this weekend" posted by Michael McGauley

AT LAST, regular season baseball to discuss! I wasn't too shocked by the final roster moves, and like the veteran additions to the bull pen with Mota, and to the starting staff with Wellemeyer. More on that in a minute. Not to bring up a sore point right out of the box, but I saw that Brad Penny pitched very well (seven strong innings and a no decision) in his St.Louis debut Thursday -- a 2-1 loss to the Reds. Hey, nice start for the Giants in Houston, and a rock-solid start for Lincecum, Zito, and (almost) Cain. The "Cainer" got burned by a couple of bad breaks Wednesday, and pitched better than the final stat line may indicate (notice zero walks in the stat line). Timmy and Barry though were quite good. I expected as much from the two-time defending Cy Young winner (seven shutout innings), but Zito has been consistently bad in the early stages of the season, only to finish with a flurish. He leaves us wanting more through a long off-season only to disappoint all over again in April. Well, at least for one start, we as fans definitely got some pleasure with five k's and just three hits allowed in six shutout innings. The Astros are wounded without Lance Berkman in the middle of that line-up, and the Giants needed to and did take advantage. However, they also beat a pair of top-notch starters in Roy Oswalt and Wandy Rodriguez with just enough offense.  The Giants were putting rallies together in the first couple of games that make a baseball geek like me excited. Sustained rallies, advancing the runner, taking some walksContinue reading ""The Braves will Pose a Tougher Test ..."

Two more great careers reach the end of the line posted by David

Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas officially announced their retirements this week, ending speculation that either one would attempt a comeback in 2010 after not appearing in a big league game last season.  Glavine was a great finesse pitcher of his generation, and Thomas was a premiere slugger of the nineties.

The southpaw won 305 games, two Cy Young Awards, and four Silver Sluggers.  He was a 10-time All-Star, had five 20-win seasons, and was named the 1995 World Series MVP for leading the Braves to victory.  Glavine’s Fall Classic performance included eight innings of one-hit, shutout ball in a decisive Game 6 against the Cleveland Indians.  In addition to cleanup man Albert Belle, the Cleveland lineup featured the likes of Kenny Lofton, Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, and then-future Hall of Famer Eddie Murray.  Meanwhile, Braves hitters were only able to put a single run on the board in the bottom of the sixth, leaving Glavine with no margin for error.  Among his lesser-known achievements, Glavine allowed just one grand slam in 682 games – all starts – over his 22-year major league career.  Finally, at the time of his retirement, he was second only to Omar Vizquel in sacrifice bunts among active players, with 216.  (The next-closest – pitcher or position player – is longtime teammate John Smoltz, with 136.)

Thomas hit 521 home runs, collected 2,468 hits, and finishes with an impressive line of .301/.419/.555.  He won back-to-back MVP awards, four Silver Sluggers, and one batting title.  Additionally, he had 11 seasons with 100+ RBI’s and was named to five consecutive All-Star teams (1993-1997) at a very competitive time for American League first basemen.  (Mark McGwire, John Olerud, Mo Vaughn, Tino Martinez, Cecil Fielder, Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro were perennial contenders.)  The Big Hurt’s best year came in 1994, when he set career highs in batting average (.353), on-base-percentage (.487), and slugging percentage (.729), and despite being limited to 113 games by the players’ strike, hit 38 home runs and drove in 101 runs.  Thomas’s monstrous slugging percentage that season puts him in a club with guys named Ruth, Gehrig, Williams, Hornsby, and Foxx.

A vote for Alomar posted by David

Should Roberto Alomar be elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility?  The spitting incident with umpire John Hirschbeck does not help his case, but it really has nothing to do with his success on the field.  Fans may also remember that Alomar’s career ended with a couple of mediocre seasons, but when you look at his statistics, it’s a no-brainer.

Alomar won 10 Gold Gloves, compiled a .300 lifetime batting average, stole 474 bases, and was a 12-time All-Star.  He represented four different teams over 12 consecutive years in the Midsummer Classic and was named All-Star Game MVP in 1998.  Alomar was also the 1992 ALCS MVP and had a monster World Series in 1993 (.480/.519/.640, six RBI and four stolen bases).  He would have been named MVP of the ’93 Fall Classic had it not been for teammate Paul Molitor, who was even better (.500/.571/1.000, two home runs, eight RBI and 10 runs scored).  Roberto Alomar was the best second baseman – both offensively and defensively – of the nineties, and should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

How ‘bout that?

How about Albert Pujols’s dominance in the NL MVP balloting?  Not only did he win by a wide margin, but Pujols claimed the award by unanimous decision – 32 first-place votes.  His numbers speak for themselves: .327 batting average, 47 home runs, and 135 RBI’s, good for third, first, and third, respectively, in the National League.  As if he weren’t contributing enough with the bat, Pujols helped his team on the bases, stealing 16 while being caught just four times.  He led the majors in intentional walks (with 44) and had twice as many as the nearest competition, Adrian Gonzalez, who finished with 22.  Around the majors, Pujols is both feared and respected.

"Carney Lansford the Scape Goat for Giants' Offensive Struggles" posted by Michael McGauley

  Do we really blame Carney Lansford for a bunch of over-anxious, free-swinging hitters?  The stats certainly don't lie.  Only the Padres, Pirates, and Astros scored fewer runs than the Giants' 657 runs in 2009.  San Francisco's 122 home runs was second-to-last in the N.L., behind only the Mets, who stroked just 95 homers with a half-injured team in their brand-new, spacious Citi Field. Walks: 392 for the Giants was dead last in the league (the Rockies had 660 walks to lead the league). And that leads us to on-base percentage; where the Giants ranked last at .309!  That is just dismal, anemic, pitiful....any other good adjectives to throw in there?

  Bottom line, this has been a consistent problem for the Giants for several years now. They never really replaced Bonds and Kent - the last time they had a legitimate three-four combination in the batting order.  Yes, they've built up the pitching big time. Yes, Pablo Sandoval can rake. But that's not enough -- we need two or three more hitters like Pablo. Hey, you've got to give up something to get something, and the time is now to part with a starting pitcher, and acquire a bat. It's not the most desirable scenario, but consider the lack of available sticks in free agency. In addition, they will have to invest some money to keep the young guys happy (Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson are due for BIG raises, and I say, give them whatever they want!).

  Back to Lansford, I don't blame him. He won a batting title (1981 with Boston), and knows how to hit. That doesn't always translate into being able to teach others how to do the same however. Just to use a brief basketball analogy -- how good of a coach was Magic Johnson with the Lakers? Same idea, but on a smaller scale. Lansford is bright and knowledgeable, but without a couple of big thumpers, this line-up loaded with number two and number six hitters (besides Sandoval) is not going to get the job done. We all know this. The Giants know this. But for some reason, they felt like they had to make a statement with this firing. The rest of the staff was retained by the way, when it was officially announced that Bruce Bochy would be returning for two more years with a club option for a third year. Same goes for GM Brian Sabean.

"The Giants Get it Done in Houston" posted by Michael McGauley

  How cool is this Eli Whiteside story?  The Giants' rookie back-up catcher, who plays sparingly behind Bengie Molina, has had some big moments in recent weeks.  After catching the Jonathan Sanchez no-hitter last month, Whiteside launched a grand slam today -- his first career home run -- helping the Giants to a 10-6 victory over the Astros.  San Francisco improves to 60-and-48, taking two of three games ON THE ROAD, and now return home to open a weekend set against Dusty Baker's Cincinnati Reds.  Thursday's off-day, by the way, is the first for the team since the all-star break in mid-July.

  The offense, which was non-existent in Monday's loss, bounced back with 18 runs Tuesday and Wednesday combined.  Wednesday's 13-hit attack featured three hits apiece for Pablo Sandoval and Freddy Sanchez, and two more hits for Ryan Garko, who appears to be finding his comfort level in the National League.   

  The other story-line from Wednesday's win was rookie Joe Martinez, who returned to the mound for the first time since early April, after suffering a fractured skull from a line drive off the bat of Milwaukee's Mike Cameron.  Martinez improved to 2-0 after working five solid innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, with four strike outs and zero walks.  Martinez pitched well enough to keep his team in the game, and considering the extraordinary circumstances, how much more can one really ask from this kid?

  The pitching rotation turns over Friday night, and you know what that means - LIN-CE-CUM!