Moseby Fears Satan

Reset: The Travelling Wilburys

2011-03-12T18:29:00.000-08:00

What
Rock and roll “supergroup” (not unlike Blind Faith, Asia or the Zack Attack), updated with musicians of similar styles, substances and/or clothing in the present day

Components
Bob Dylan
Tom Petty
George Harrison
Roy Orbison
Jeff Lynne

Replacement Parts

Bob Dylan => Bruce Springsteen
When legendary rock critic Jon Landau made his famous "I saw rock and roll's future and its name is Bruce Springsteen" proclamation back in 1974, it was likely with an eye to this achievement: a spot in a hypothetical recasting of a short lived supergroup(!!!) Bob and Bruce’s interiors and exteriors have inched closer over the past four decades. I think this works.

Tom Petty => Jack White
Not an obvious fit but Jack White does fill a lot of criteria in 2011 that Tom Petty did in 1988: widely known for a decade or so, enjoyed by “serious music fans” and broomheads alike, able to adapt to multiple styles, etc. Think about it.

George Harrison => Mark Knofler
Harrison was always “the quiet one” while Knofler has never been mistaken from Andrew WK on the mic stand. Neither would say much in panel interviews and were into causes. Good fit.
Also considered: Peter Buck

Roy Orbison => Willie Nelson
The dark horse of the Wilburys past and present. Strangely, Willie Nelson would’ve been an obvious ringer 20 years ago as well. Sadly, to truly fit the part, this “Red Headed Stranger” will have die shortly after the ink dries on the contract. Also, Nelson’s experience in the Highwaymen will be invaluable here.
Also considered: Waylon Jennings, Steve Earle

Jeff Lynne => Ric Ocasek
This was a very tough decision. To be straight with you, I’d have much preferred a British musician in this role but nobody came to mind. So Boston-bred Ocasek got the call. I’m OK with this, though, because neither man is an obvious fit but pretty damn cool (contextually) in their own way.

Reset Rating: 8/10
I like Springsteen, White, Knofler and Nelson. Lynne is British while Ocasek is not. This is troubling but their hair helps bridge the divide a bit.

Book Report: Top 10 WTF No Hitters

2011-02-26T12:15:00.000-08:00

Most mundane career stats of pitchers who "twirled" no hitters during the MFS years.

1. Bud Smith (7-8, 4.95 ERA, 81 SO, 1.447 WHIP)
2. Mike Warren (9-13, 5.06 ERA, 139 SO, 1.500 WHIP)
3. Jose Jimenez (24-44, 4.92 ERA, 319 SO, 1.454 WHIP)
4. Juan Nieves (32-25, 4.71 ERA, 352 SO, 1.496 WHIP)
5. Joe Cowley (33-25, 4.20 ERA, 332 SO, 1.376 WHIP)
6. Tommy Greene (38-25, 4.14 ERA, 461 SO, 1.325 WHIP)
7. Len Barker (74-76, 4.34 ERA, 957 SO, 1.361 WHIP)
8. Eric Milton (89-85, 4.99 ERA, 1127 SO, 1.339 WHIP)
9. Charlie Lea (62-48, 3.54 ERA, 535 SO, 1.305 WHIP)
10. Wilson Alvarez (102-92, 3.96 ERA, 1330, 1.390 WHIP)

Off the Radar: Steve Sax

2011-02-15T08:44:00.000-08:00

Hunky, single drillin' second baseman Steve Sax now handles high rollers with deep pockets for RBC Wealth Management somewhere in northern California. Please note he now goes by Stephen to throw off the riff raff, no doubt.

Trade Gauge: Randy Myers and friends for John Franco and friends

2011-02-14T18:32:00.000-08:00

December 6, 1989: The New York Mets trade Randy Myers and Kip Gross to the Cincinnati Reds for Don Brown and John Franco.

Mets fallout: This was a weird trade, since it's not very often you see two closers in their prime swapped for one another, especially when they're both left-handed. And yet the Mets and Reds did the deed, sending John Franco back to his hometown in exchange for the angry Randy Myers. Franco was a couple of years older but was also more established, since Myers had only been closing a couple of years at the time of the swap. Franco turned 30 during his first year at Shea and incredibly, played 14 seasons for the Mets, acting as the team’s primary closer until 1999 and tallying 200+ saves during that span. Despite his pointed rear and questionable moustache, Franco was a constant bright spot during an otherwise bleak decade for the Mets and by all accounts, a helluva nice guy.

Reds fallout: Myers teamed with Rob Dibble and Norm Charlton to form the bullpen three-way known as the Nasty Boys, leading the Reds to a shocking 1990 World Series sweep over the bulky Oakland Athletics. The trio was frightening, trashy and entirely dominant for that single season but the combo was clearly living on borrowed time. Dibble soon attacked manager Lou Piniella, they tried to convert Charlton to a starter and Myers was shipped to San Diego after the 1991 season in exchange for the lovable, scrappy Bip Roberts. Roberts kinda flatlined after a massive 1992 for the Reds, returning to the Padres in 1994 and putting together some bold average and steal numbers. As for Myers, he bounced between various clubs: the Cubs, Orioles, Blue Jays and ultimately a disastrous second stint with the Padres that saw Myers pitch horribly after a deadline deal and yet appear in his second and final World Series (where he likewise pitched horribly with a 9.00 ERA as the Padres were destroyed by the Yankees). A quality player whose stats generally sat between good and great (Myers is one of only nine relievers to tally 50+ saves in a single season and sits within the Top 10 of the all-time save lists… Franco is 4th if you’re keeping score) and yet one who seemed to wear out his welcome wherever he went. Best exemplified by a 1995 encounter where Myers wore out his forearm on the face of a Cubs' fan.

The verdict: Easy. John Franco. Better stats. Better attitude. An even swap at the time that is now largely one-sided in retrospect.

Anti HOF: Lou Whitaker

2011-02-09T08:25:00.000-08:00

Longevity seldom gets equated with greatness in pro sports. But maybe it should. Granted, there is value and intrigue in somebody who burns brightly and then fades away quickly (i.e. Sandy Koufax) but especially in MLB with a 162 game schedule, coast-to-coast travel and six months straight that sees players/"playas" bounce 5-6 nights a week, it'd be nice if we gave the spotlight to those who endure at a strong, servicable (but not superstar) level for many years.

This reason got Bert Blyleven elected to the MLB HOF in 2011 and Lou Whitaker elected (named? fingered?... what works) to the MFS Anti-HOF in 2011. Whitaker was always just "around" in Detroit: solid numbers, solid defence, no boat rockin' or fist bumpin'. He just did his job and did it well for 19 seasons, most of those with the jittery Alan Trammell at his side. Aside from a Rookie of the Year award, five All-Star appearances and three Gold Gloves, Whitaker's career numbers speak to this longevity and big picture. And to make a bold statement, they are QUITE impressive when compared to many of his MLB contemporaries who also appeared on the 2001 HOF ballot:
- 1386 runs (more than Kirby Puckett, Gary Carter or Jim Rice, all of whom are in the HOF)
- 2369 hits (more than Carter, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy or Keith Hernandez)
- 244 homeruns (more than Mattingly... another "shined briefly yet brightly" example in the Koufax mold)
- 1084 RBIs (more than Hernandez or Lance Parrish)

Without getting too cosmic, staying healthy is a skill in itself and accordingly, let's give "Sweet Lou" a slap on the butt and a membership card to the Anti-HOF.

Book Report: Top Five Texas Rangers Starting Pitchers

2011-02-06T11:59:00.000-08:00

The Texas Rangers don't get enough "credit" for being a mediocre franchise. Repurposed from Washington in 1972, it took the Rangers a cool 24 years to make the post season. And then in spite of making the play-offs three times between 1996-1999, they stayed true to their rep by going a collective 1-9 in post season play, effectively playing the role of the Yankees' bitch for the last few years of the millenium (Phun fact: lovable bowler John Burkett was the only hurler to win a game for the Rangers during this stretch).

... and speaking of pitchers, the Rangers have a completely brutal track record for developing quality arms. It's perhaps not a coincidence that their 2010 World Series team featured three of their finer homegrown hurlers in recent memory (CJ Wilson, Tommy Hunter and Neftali Feliz... although Feliz is technically not homegrown, since he came over in the now-lopsided Mark Teixeira swap). The Rangers' MO during the Seventies, Eighties and Nineties was signing future HOF/Anti-HOF pitchers in their twilight years, providing quality in addition to name recognition. But clearly, not a model that can be built upon.

It's shameful.

Here are the Top Five single season performances by Texas Rangers' starters during the MFS years:

Nolan Ryan, 1989
32 GS, 16-10, 3.20 ERA, 301 SO, 1.086 WHIP
Fred Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr was lauded for his Texas home coming in 1989. Ironic since he was just cutting across state from Houston. No matter, the freaky hurler put together a huge 1989, fanning over 300 hitters and winning a solid 16 games, in spite of some tepid run support.

Fergie Jenkins, 1978
30 GS, 18-8, 3.04 ERA, 157 SO, 1.080 WHIP
Jenkins' second tour of duty in Arlington started with a bang, showing that this rangy Ranger could still bring it at age 35. Unfortunately, this was his last truly great season before age caught up with him. Well, age and a fine selection of contraband at the Canadian border in mid-1980.

Bert Blyleven, 1977
30 GS, 14-12, 2.72 ERA, 182 SO, 1.065 WHIP
The loopy Dutch hurler was a man without a country for much of his career, since he bounced between several different teams and likely affected his HOF chances as a result (of course, he's in as of 2011). His 1977 campaign in the Texas heat was a good one. This was the third lowest ERA of Blyleven's 22 year career.

Nolan Ryan, 1991
27 GS, 12-6, 2.91 ERA, 203 SO, 1.006 WHIP
This was Ryan's third massive 40+ year for the Rangers and also the year he spun off his record sixth no hitter.

Kevin Brown, 1992
35 GS, 21-11, 3.32 ERA, 173 ERA, 1.272 WHIP
A charter member of the MFS Anti-HOF, 1992 was Brown's first huge season and his 21 wins remains a franchise record. Solid performance but again, THIS is the fifth best season for a team that been around 40 years?!? Damn.

Book Report: Club 227

2011-01-31T18:19:00.001-08:00

Single Season Runs + RBI > 227: The MFS Years (Three or more seasons)

Alex Rodriguez - Nine seasons
Seattle Mariners, 1996 (141 + 123 = 264)
Seattle Mariners, 1998 (123 + 124 = 247)
Seattle Mariners, 2000 (134 + 132 = 266)
Texas Rangers, 2001 (133 + 135 = 268)
Texas Rangers, 2002 (125 + 142 = 267)
Texas Rangers, 2003 (124 + 118 = 242)
New York Yankees, 2005 (124 + 130 = 254)
New York Yankees, 2006 (113 + 121 = 234)
New York Yankees, 2007 (143 + 156 = 299)

Albert Pujols - Eight seasons
St Louis Cardinals, 2001 (112 + 130 = 242)
St Louis Cardinals, 2002 (118 + 127 = 242)
St Louis Cardinals, 2003 (137 + 124 = 242)
St Louis Cardinals, 2004 (133 + 123 = 242)
St Louis Cardinals, 2005 (129 + 117 = 242)
St Louis Cardinals, 2006 (119 + 137 = 242)
St Louis Cardinals, 2009 (124 + 135 = 242)
St Louis Cardinals, 2010 (115 + 118 = 242)

Barry Bonds - Seven seasons
San Francisco Giants, 1993 (129 + 123 = 252)
San Francisco Giants, 1996 (122 + 129 = 251)
San Francisco Giants, 1998 (120 + 122 = 242)
San Francisco Giants, 2000 (129 + 106 = 235)
San Francisco Giants, 2001 (129 + 137 = 266)
San Francisco Giants, 2002 (117 + 110 = 227)
San Francisco Giants, 2001 (129 + 101 = 230)

Jeff Bagwell - Six seasons
Houston Astros, 1996 (111 + 120 = 231)
Houston Astros, 1997 (109 + 135 = 244)
Houston Astros, 1998 (124 + 111 = 235)
Houston Astros, 1999 (143 + 126 = 269)
Houston Astros, 2000 (152 + 132 = 284)
Houston Astros, 2001 (126 + 130 = 256)

Ken Griffey Jr - Five seasons
Seattle Mariners, 1996 (125 + 140 = 265)
Seattle Mariners, 1997 (125 + 147 = 272)
Seattle Mariners, 1998 (120 + 146 = 266)
Seattle Mariners, 1999 (123 + 134 = 257)
Cincinatti Reds, 2000 (100 + 118 = 228)

Sammy Sosa - Five seasons
Chicago Cubs, 1998 (134 + 158 = 292)
Chicago Cubs, 1999 (114 + 141 = 255)
Chicago Cubs, 2000 (106 + 138 = 244)
Chicago Cubs, 2001 (146 + 160 = 306)
Chicago Cubs, 2002 (122 + 108 = 130)

Frank Thomas - Four seasons
Chicago White Sox, 1993 (106 + 128 = 234)
Chicago White Sox, 1996 (110 + 134 = 244)
Chicago White Sox, 1997 (110 + 125 = 235)
Chicago White Sox, 2000 (115 + 143 = 258)

Gary Sheffield - Four seasons
Florida Marlins, 1996 (118 + 120 = 238)
Atlanta Braves, 2003 (126 + 132 = 258)
New York Yankees, 2004 (117 + 121 = 238)
New York Yankees, 2005 (104 + 123 = 227)

Juan Gonzalez - Four seasons
Texas Rangers, 1996 (89 + 144 = 233)
Texas Rangers, 1998 (110 + 157 = 267)
Texas Rangers, 1999 (114 + 128 = 242)
Cleveland Indians, 2001 (97 + 140 = 237)

Manny Ramirez - Four seasons
Cleveland Indians, 1998 (108 + 145 = 253)
Cleveland Indians, 1999 (131 + 165 = 296)
Boston Red Sox, 2004 (108 + 130 = 238)
Boston Red Sox, 2005 (112 + 144 = 256)

Todd Helton - Four seasons
Colorado Rockies, 1999 (114 + 113 = 227)
Colorado Rockies, 2000 (138 + 147 = 285)
Colorado Rockies, 2001 (132 + 146 = 278)
Colorado Rockies, 2003 (135 + 117 = 252)

Jason Giambi - Four seasons
Oakland Athletics, 1999 (115 + 123 = 238)
Oakland Athletics, 2000 (108 + 137 = 245)
Oakland Athletics, 2001 (109 + 120 = 229)
Oakland Athletics, 2002 (120 + 122 = 242)

Ryan Howard - Four seasons
Philadelphia Phillies, 2006 (104 + 149 = 253)
Philadelphia Phillies, 2007 (94 + 136 = 230)
Philadelphia Phillies, 2008 (105 + 146 = 251)
Philadelphia Phillies, 2009 (105 + 141 = 246)

David Ortiz - Four seasons
Boston Red Sox, 2004 (94 + 139 = 233)
Boston Red Sox, 2005 (119 + 148 = 267)
Boston Red Sox, 2006 (115 + 137 = 252)
Boston Red Sox, 2007 (116 + 117 = 233)

Albert Belle - Three seasons
Cleveland Indians, 1995 (121 + 126 = 247)
Cleveland Indians, 1996 (124 + 148 = 272)
Chicago Whites Sox, 1998 (113 + 152 = 265)

Dante Bichette - Three seasons
Colorado Rockies, 1995 (102 + 128 = 230)
Colorado Rockies, 1996 (114 + 141 = 255)
Colorado Rockies, 1999 (104 + 133 = 237)

Rafael Palmeiro - Three seasons
Baltimore Orioles, 1993 (124 + 105 = 229)
Baltimore Orioles, 1996 (110 + 142 = 252)
Texas Rangers, 1999 (96 + 148 = 244)

Carlos Delgado - Three seasons
Toronto Blue Jays, 1999 (113 + 134 = 247)
Toronto Blue Jays, 2000 (115 + 137 = 252)
Toronto Blue Jays, 2003 (117 + 145 = 262)

Magglio Ordonez - Three seasons
Chicago White Sox, 2000 (102 + 126 = 228)
Chicago White Sox, 2002 (116 + 135 = 251)
Detroit Tigers, 2007 (117 + 139 = 256)

Book Report: Multiple 20+ win/200+ strikeout seasons during the MFS years

2011-01-30T11:36:00.000-08:00

Rogers Clemens – Six seasons
Boston Red Sox, 1986 (24 wins, 238 strikeouts)
Boston Red Sox, 1987 (20 wins, 256 strikeouts)
Boston Red Sox, 1990 (20 wins, 209 strikeouts)
Toronto Blue Jays, 1997 (21 wins, 292 strikeouts)
Toronto Blue Jays, 1998 (20 wins, 271 strikeouts)
New York Yankees, 2001 (20 wins, 213 strikeouts)

Randy Johnson – Three seasons
Seattle Mariners, 1997 (20 wins, 291 strikeouts)
Arizona Diamondbacks, 2001 (21 wins, 372 strikeouts)
Arizona Diamondbacks, 2002 (24 wins, 334 strikeouts)

Curt Schilling – Three seasons
Arizona Diamondbacks, 2001 (22 wins, 293 strikeouts)
Arizona Diamondbacks, 2002 (23 wins, 316 strikeouts)
Boston Red Sox, 2004 (21 wins, 203 strikeouts)

Roy Halladay – Three seasons
Toronto Blue Jays, 2003 (22 wins, 204 strikeouts)
Toronto Blue Jays, 2008 (20 wins, 206 strikeouts)
Philadelphia Phillies, 2010 (21 wins, 213 strikeouts)

Steve Carlton – Two seasons
Philadelphia Phillies, 1980 (24 wins, 286 strikeouts)
Philadelphia Phillies, 1982 (23 wins, 286 strikeouts)

Jack Morris – Two seasons
Detroit Tigers, 1983 (20 wins, 232 strikeouts)
Detroit Tigers, 1986 (21 wins, 223 strikeouts)

David Cone – Two seasons
New York Mets, 1988 (20 wins, 213 strikeouts)
New York Yankees, 1998 (20 wins, 209 strikeouts)

Pedro Martinez – Two seasons
Boston Red Sox, 1999 (23 wins, 313 strikeouts)
Boston Red Sox, 2002 (20 wins, 239 strikeouts)

One Hit Wonder: Brady Clark

2011-01-27T09:57:00.000-08:00

Brady Clark was a proverbial late bloomer who got a ton of ABs for the Brewers in the mid 2000s and managed to compile some solid counting stats: 94 runs, 183 hits plus a strong 0.306 BA. Bold numbers for a fella who was a midling talent in the Reed Johnson mold prior. He managed to parlay his 2005 success in a decent pay day before fading into obscurity in several cities by the end of the decade: Los Angeles, San Diego, New York, not to mention a busload of minor league stops.

They might be counting stats largely but 0.306 over 600+ plate appearances is pretty stellar, so it's a shame Clark never did much else considering his climaxed at 32. Too bad.

Fun fact: Jason Bay and Brady Clark had identical hit totals and batting averages for the season. Bay also hit 32 home runs and drove in 101 that season, with a 0.402 OBP and 0.559 SLG. It warrants mentioning: Clark did not.

Book Report: The Ownage of Tom Gamboa

2011-01-24T18:38:00.000-08:00

This is easily one of the most underrated moment during the past 10 years of MLB. A shirtless son/father combo engage in a little male bonding on field in Chicago and promptly get obliterated by 50+ professional athletes. To his credit, Royals first base coach Tom Gamboa took the incident in stride, especially considering the media were quick to paint him "the victim" and condem MLB (and pro sports in general) for their lack of security. Perhaps but maybe there is a reason that attacks of this nature in pro sports, in public are pretty remote: they're insane and hard to pull off. These two Chicago fellas were clearly morons ("[Gamboa] had it coming," claimed the father post-attack) and most sane folks wouldn't even contemplate attacking a first base coach in such a matter. An umpire, maybe.

Anyway, decent feature up top about how Gamboa has battled these "demons" in the years since.

Off the Radar: Chuck Knoblauch

2011-01-24T18:11:00.000-08:00

Former American League ROY Chuck Knoblauch was charged with choking his wife in 2009. That's never a good thing.

Book Report: Five WTF 40 Home Run Seasons

2011-01-19T19:17:00.000-08:00

5. Ryne Sandberg, Chicago Cubs, 1990, 40 home runs
Some day, Moseby Fears Satan will expose Ryne Sandberg for what he is: a very good but not great player. He was a servicable fielder, a good second basement in an era of piss poor second basemen and he brought a bit of pop in an EXTREMELLY home run friendly park. Yet he wasn't a power hitter. His 40 home runs in 1990 were by far a career high. In fact, he only topped 20 in 5 of his other 15 season. Yet he made 10 straight All Star Games some how. What the (heck)?

4. Javier Lopez, Atlanta Braves, 2003, 43 home runs
Only a handful of catchers reach 20 home runs in a season so Javier Lopez's 43 dinger performance in 2003 was a true rarity. Especially in an age 32 season. And (miraculously) in a contract year. As their known to do, the Baltimore Orioles took the bait and paid Javy close to $20 million to hit an additional 46 home runs... um, over the next three seasons. Considering that Lopez' previous career high was 34 six seasons earlier, not a huge surprise. Good hitter. Especially for a catcher. Just not 46 home runs worth of goodness.

3. Brady Anderson, Baltimore Orioles, 1996, 50 home runs
The chiselled good looks and manicured, McKay-esque sideburns of Brady Anderson could shield him from much finger pointin', allegations and naysayers. It's insane but 50 is 2x more home runs than Anderson hit in any other season and in fact, is almost 25% of his career total. This was one of the first signs that "something is up" during the mid-Nineties and really lead to a level of paraonoia that has plagued the game ever since.

2. Richard Hidalgo, Houston Astros, 2000, 44 home runs
I forgot about this guy. He was a complete beast in Houston 2000 but much like Morgan Ensberg a few seasons later, it was largely a one season thing. Actually, he did have a few other decent seasons but nothing that came anywhere close to 44 home runs. He was out of baseball by age 30, a victim of escalating salaries and the shrinking of MLB's middle class. Poor bastard also got carjacked in 2002. Ouch!

1. Todd Hundley, New York Mets, 1996, 41 home runs
I never liked this guy. Not personally but as a player. Yeah, it's cool he was a switch hitter but he wasn't a good fielder (threw out a mere 25% of runners for his career), he seldom hit above 0.250 and was a complete all-or-nothing hitter who struck out way, way too much. Yet he played for 14 seasons, perhaps buoyed by his famous father and his 1996 campaign, where he belted an incredible 41 home runs. Hundley hit a solid 202 home runs for his career but still, when you whiff a quarter of your at-bats, don't contribute much of anything defensively and are constantly making "bedroom eyes" at the Mendoza Line, you better be bringing the pop.

Anti HOF: Kevin Brown

2011-01-17T18:41:00.000-08:00

2.1% of the 2011 MLB Hall of Fame vote

The name Kevin Brown just doesn't scream "dominance", "talent" or much of anything else on paper. Plus his face, physique and mannerisms were pretty non-descript. And yet the whispy Southerner was one of the top MLB hurlers of the Nineties. A 200 game winner who appeared on six All-Star teams and struck out 200+ batters in four different seasons, Brown was at worst durable and at best, transcendent, especially in 1997 when he posted a sparkling 1.89 ERA in the midst of the steroids era and led the fourth year Marlins to one of the most improbable World Series victories ever.

And yet Brown is largely forgotten for the era, perhaps in part due to his late careers meltdowns for the Yankees or because of the insanely inflated contract he earned while on the Dodgers (FYI: He actually put together three very solid seasons for LA before age and attitude reared their ugly heads. In retrospect, it was a foolish contract for any 34-year old, pitcher or otherwise).

So raise a wrist to Kevin Brown, a truly deserving member of the Anti HOF and a bit of a menace to your average family dinner or picnic. Class of 2011.

Top Baseball-Reference.com comperable of the modern era: Bob Welch

Book Report: Hobby Pack Break!!!

2011-01-13T18:17:00.000-08:00

A few comments...
1. I guess this is the 12-year old male equivalent of "haul" videos
2. No idea little kids were still into "cards"
3. Why would Geoff Blum have a card?
4. This lighting in this video is flawed
5. The 1987 Topps "wood" motif was pretty badass
6. The checklist cards are shit
7. The Todd Zeile and Bobby Bonilla mispronounciations were kinda cool, plus "Walt Waiz"
8. The last 10 seconds is horribly misleading

Off the Radar: Turk Wendell

2011-01-11T18:27:00.001-08:00

Flaky hurler Turk Wendell now owns a sprawling hunting and fishing camp in Colorado. Classy.

Book Report: 10 Great (to Good) Final Seasons from 10 Great (to Good) Players

2011-01-02T18:27:00.000-08:00

Mike Mussina
2008 New York Yankees
20-9, 3.37 ERA, 150 SO, 1.223 WHIP
39 years old
Comment: The Moose was just a winner. Plain and simple. This 20 win season kinda came out of nowhere and unlike the "I'm retired"/"No I'm not"/"Lather me up with growth hormones" hi jinx of a pair of fellow Yankee hurlers (not naming any names, of course), Mussina quietly excelled at awesomeness and gracefully bowed out with a 20 win season and plenty of class.

Kirby Puckett
1995 Minnesota Twins
0.314/0.379/0.515, 23 home runs, 99 RBI
35 years old
Comment: Puckett could've easily jacked another 1000 or so hits during the Steroids Era, had injuries and "demons" not tag teamed his pudgy ass out of MLB. A sad, sad story, since Puckett was so friggin' likable and so friggin' talented during his Twin City run. RIP.

Tom Henke
1995 St Louis Cardinals
36 saves, 1.82 ERA, 1.104 WHIP, 8.0 SO/9
37 years old
Comment: If it weren't for Dennis Eckersley and his flashy locks during the late Eighties/early Nineties, consummate professional closers like Tom Henke, Doug Jones and Jeff Montgomery would get more love in the eye of baseball historians and fat dudes who live in their parents' basement. Henke's final season in St Louis was especially immense.

Barry Bonds
2007 San Francisco Giants
0.276/0.480/0.565, 28 home runs, 66 RBI
42 years old
Comment: Now that his bulbous head has been gone for a few years, you can really start to appreciate the enormity of what Bonds accomplished. His rate stats, even in a quiet final year, are beyond insane.

John Tudor
1990 St Louis Cardinals
12-4, 2.40 ERA, 1.025 WHIP
36 years old
Comment: Yet another mention of John Tudor in MFS Land. Seriously, this guy could've etched massive career numbers if he just could've stayed healthy. Seasons like his 1990 "swan song" in St Louis show what this subtle saviour was capable of.

Will Clark
2000 Baltimore Orioles/St Louis Cardinals
0.319/0.418/0.546, 21 home runs, 70 RBI
36 years old
Comment: Will Clark was a effin' beast through out his career. Really intense and locked in. The guy quietly hit 0.300 or better in six of his last seven season, all at the age of 30 or older. And a career 0.333 post season average legitimized him as a big money player. He deserves some of the accolades that George Brett received back in the day. Same kind of hitter, really. Better looking, too.

Chili Davis
1999 New York Yankees
0.269/0.366/0.445, 19 home runs, 78 RBI
39 years old
Comment: It's surprising that Chili Davis wasn't more marketable during his career, since he offered a neat-o power/speed combo (at least early on), played in largely mid- to large markets (NY, LA, SF), had a cool nickname and was supposedly a real stand-up dude with reporters and teammates. At least comparable to Dave Parker without the 'tude.

Kenny Lofton
2007 Texas Rangers/Cleveland Indians
0.296/0.367/0.414, 86 runs, 23 SB
40 years old
Comment: Like Rickey Henderson, Lofton played for way too many teams during his twilight years. And yet unlike Rickey, he was still really, really productive through out. A dark horse HOF candidate IMHO. Perfect fodder for the 2031 Veterans Committee.

Mike Greenwell
1996 Boston Red Sox
0.295/0.336/0.441, 7 home runs, 44 RBI
32 years old
Comment: The Gator disappeared quietly in the mid-1990s but he never forgot how to rake off that dainty front pivot toe of his.

Don Mattingly
1995 New York Yankees
0.288/0.341/0.413, 7 home runs, 49 RBI
34 years old
Comment: Mattingly seems a bit overrated since he played in NY his whole career but kinda underrated when you see just how solid his career numbers were. A shame the Yanks started winning World Series's again the year after Donnie Baseball shut 'em down.

Anti HOF: Bill Buckner

2011-01-01T10:31:00.000-08:00

2.1% of the 1996 MLB Hall of Fame vote

It's criminal that Bill Buckner has been immortalized for a certain unfortunate incident in the 1986 World Series (eff you, Mookie) rather than eulogized for what he truly was: a durable, reliable hitter who played for over two decades and piled up some pretty stellar career totals.

2715 hits, 1208 RBI, 174 home runs, appearances on five MVP ballots and in two World Series, seven seasons in which he hit over 0.300 and a career average of 0.289. He was essentially Wade Boggs lite, except for the fact that:
- He played across the diamond
- He didn't eat chicken before every game
- He (assumedly) didn't "diddle" mortgage brokers
- He never hung around with Mr. Perfect
- He slugged with a bit more authority than "The Chicken Man" ever did (save 1987)

Buckner's challenge was that for most of his career, he was just a notch or two below the elite at his position and was overshadowed by players with a similar jib but just a wee bit more in the oomph and sex appeal departments: Steve Garvey, Keith Hernandez and Don Mattingly come to mind.

Luckily, the Anti HOF always has a place for sullen, steady performers like BB and we welcome him with a well-placed roller between the legs. Like ol' times.

Top Baseball-Reference.com comperable of the modern era: Al Oliver

Off the Radar: Mike Boddicker

2010-12-29T20:06:00.001-08:00

Mike Boddicker is a grandfather and high school batting practice pitcher. He sounds damn content in retirement.

Stadium Warz: Version 3.0

2010-12-26T18:56:00.000-08:00

Philadelphia: Parking lot brawl during the 2009 World Series. Although I give credit to the fine teamwork and skull action from the two scholarly types down front, everybody else in this clip looks like a complete moron. You're fighting in front of a 14 ton bus. Dangerous on so many levels.

Los Angeles: Unremarkable footage of a dust-up at Dodger Stadium. Notable only when the shirtless chap gives the "He's 'loco'" signal to his supporters.

Toronto: I don't know what's more fantastic about this clip--the gutwrech suplex at 0:16 (and the collective, "Oh.... OH!!!" that ensues) or the fact there is actually a crowd in the 500 level at the Rogers Centre.

Los Angeles: Whatever. Y'know, official jerseys look kinda foolish on adults in general but especially when there is no number on the back. I dunno--it just seems low class or something.

Trade Gauge: Jim Thome for Aaron Rowand and friends

2010-12-24T13:04:00.000-08:00

November 25, 2005: The Philadelphia Phillies trade Jim Thome with cash to the Chicago White Sox for Aaron Rowand, Gio Gonzalez and Daniel Haigwood.

Phillies fallout: This move was an inevitability with Ryan Howard no-so-gently nudging Thome out of Philly. As a result, the Phils likely didn't get as much as they could've otherwise, since the 29 other clubs knew Thome was living on borrowed time. BTW why is it whenever you receive an email with a “friendly reminder”, it’s typically not very friendly? Anyway, Rowand was a serviceable haul in retrospect, putting together a good season in 2006 and a great season in 2007. He parlayed this success into a terribly inflated contract with the Giants, ultimately cashing cheques largely from the bench as the Giants captured the 2010 World Series title. Silver lining: Rowand's massive 2007 meant the Phillies let him walk, opening up at-bats in 2008 and beyond for Jayson Werth, a superior player no doubt. As for Gio Gonzalez, he was eventually spun to back to the White Sox during the 2006 offseason alongside Gavin Floyd for a gimpy Freddy Garcia. Guessing that's one swap Phillies GM Pat Gillick would take a mulligan on.

White Sox fallout: Even though he was in his mid-thirties by the time he arrived in Chicago, Thome was still a fearsome, productive hitter for the White Sox, slugging 42 home runs in 2006 and giving them a formable presence, both in their clubhouse and line-up. Thome was flipped to the Dodgers at the 2009 trade deadline for middling middle infield "prospect" Justin Fuller. The White Sox DH position in 2010 was a revolving door, featuring Mark Kotsay and other dregs.

The winner: Let's give this one to the White Sox. Long-term, Gio Gonzalez is probably the most tantalizing vittle in this swap and since the Sox got him back a season later plus received 3.5 years out of Thome, hard to fault the efforts of the ever-erratic Sox GM Kenny Williams.

Book Report: Seriously Underrated Hats

2010-12-22T09:40:00.000-08:00

Milwaukee Brewers (1978-1993). This hat is delightful on a few levels. OK, just one level but work with me here. The way the "M" and the "b" form the baseball glove is beyond brilliant. And the royal blue and yellow piping give this lid a vaguely aristocratic feel that can not be ignored. If you're curious, the logo was designed by Tom Meindel, an Art History student at the University of Wisconsin—Eau, so there is some serious Wisconsin lineage at work here. I always figured it must've originated from a clever Salvatore Romano-esque character in Chicago or something.

Seattle Mariners (1993-present). Granted, the nautical theme is a bit cliche but I dunno, something about this hat affects my inner core. It's modern, clean looking, modest yet powerful. Unlike the Mariners for most of their 30+ years. When Jay Buhner was "droppin' trou" and rockin' this logo in the mid-1990s, it was probably the closest that an MLB player ever came to resembling an actual longshoreman on the field. Past, present or future.

Detroit Tigers (1924-present). An underrated classic to be sure, this stylized "D" conveys the complexity of life in Detroit in a way few upper case letters can. Make no mistake, when you saw Jack Morris trotting in from the bullpen with this lid upon his skull, you knew that it was only a matter of time before he aiming a forkball at your crotch. Also, I loathe the orange version of this logo. It's horrible.

Off the Radar: Willie Wilson

2010-12-20T18:16:00.000-08:00

Royals speedster Willie Wilson runs the Willie Wilson Baseball charity organization in Kansas City and is apparently a big Pearl Jam fan. Not surprising since Charlie Liebrandt owned ALL the Soundgarden albums. On vinyl. With autographs(!!)

Award Season: WTF Award Winners of the MFS Years (or the Worst of the Best)

2010-12-18T11:58:00.000-08:00

American League MVP: Willie Hernandez, 1984
Considering that the 1984 were easily one of the most dominant MLB teams of the last 30 years, it's ironic that it was Willie Hernandez that got his name etched in the record books as MVP of that season. I suppose the best of a no-so-great lot, Hernandez and Dan "The Quiz" Quisenberry sandwiched the tubby Kent Hrbek in the upper three of American League MVP voting, in a season where only five AL sluggers topped 30 home runs (Tony Armas led with 43) and only Don Mattingly topped 200 hits. Hernandez remains the only major award winner of the MFS to undergo a name change during his career (he was "reborn" under his birth name Guillermo in the late Eighties).

National League MVP: Ken Caminiti, 1996
The late Ken Caminiti put together a 1996 campaign that was the epitome of a career season... and shockingly, at the on-set of the so-called steroids era. The suddenly bulbous Caminti blasted 40 home runs for the Padres that summer, leading them to the post-season where they were summarily masticated by the St Louis Cardinals in the NLDS. Caminiti never hit even 30 home runs again and was found dead at the age of 41, somewhere in New York City in October 2004. As they say, cocaine is a helluva drug.

American League Cy Young: Steve Stone, 1980
Steve Stone is now best known as a broadcaster but once upon a potty, he twirled an insanely good season for the Baltimore Orioles, tallying 25 wins in 1980--a win total that has only been topped once in the years since (Bob Welch won 27 for the Oakland Athletics in 1990. Stone won an insanely forgettable 4 games the next season and threw in the towards after that strike shortened season, a victim of tendinitis and the 250 innings he hurled in 1980.

National League Cy Young: Mark Davis, 1988
A journeyman strikes gold in southern California and makes millions. A true American triumph of the human spirit... or the career trajectory of that lovable lefthander, Mark Davis. Davis was remarkably unremarkable during his 15 season. Except for 1988 and 1989 with the Padres, season whereby Davis transformed in the short term into the finest lefthanded closer in the land. Good timing since Davis cashed in as a free agent in late 1989 and signed a big money contract with the Kansas City Royal (checked out our Bret Saberhagen Trade Gauge for the fallout from KC's itchy trigger finger). A great example of why MLB closers are often a "right time, right place" proposition. Eric Gagne is the only National League relief pitcher to winner the award in the years since.

American League Rookie of the Year: Joe Charboneau, 1981
Joe Charboneau laid the groundwork for Kevin Maas, Shane Spencer and others who blasted a bunch of home runs early, "lost their smile" and were out of MLB before they began. An eccentric personality with a selfish long swing, Charboneau was primed to be one of the best AL sluggers of the Eighties before effing up him back with an errant headfirst slide in spring training 1981 and being out of the league by the end of 1982. To show you the brutal drop-off in power the Tribe had after Charboneau, back-up catch Bo Diaz paced the team with seven (....yes, seven) home runs in 1981. So pathetic, man!

National League Rookie of the Year: Jerome Walton, 1989
It was surprising to see that Jerome Walton played 10 seasons in MLB. Because seriously, he kinda sucked after that magical summer of 1989 with Cubs. Alongside fellow rookie Dwight Smith, Walton helped bring the post season to Wrigley Field for the first time in five years to close out the Eighties. It appeared the Cubbies had stumbled upon a real sparkplug to ignite their offense. Instead, Walton acted like a burnt-out light bulb for the rest of his career. Lucky for him, he got to play in four post season series for the Cincinatti Reds and Baltimore Orioles in the mid-Nineties... where he promptly went hitless in 14 at-bats. Ouch.

Stadium Warz: Version 2.0

2010-12-16T17:31:00.000-08:00

San Diego: "Adrian Gonzalez", "Manny Ramirez" and "Andre Ethier" successfully thwart the brawlin' Ruiz brothers.

Milwaukee: The timeless Ryne Sandberg versus Rickie Weeks vendetta continues. Also, I had no idea the new-ish Brewers stadium looked so... rural. Reminds me of the subdivision that my sister lives in.

Anaheim: CSC Security flex their considerable muscle or a 2-on-1 intergender brawl.

Atlanta: Um... um... that guy's shirt got stretched out.

One Hit Wonder: Orestes Destrade

2010-12-14T18:56:00.000-08:00

First year expansion clubs often trot out some truly oddball choices. And the 1993 Florida Marlins were no exception, best epitomized by their likable, forgettable first baseman, Orestes Destrade.

No doubt taking cues from the Detroit Tigers’ success re-importing fellow fatty Cecil Fielder back into the USA, the baby Marlins looked to Japan in search of power and netted Destrade, a three time home run king for the Seibu Lions of the Japanese Pacific League. Destrade was a middling prospect for the late Eighties' Pirates but nevertheless, it was a sound move on paper but one that panned out relatively poorly in reality. Destrade’s first season for the fledgling Marlins was decent enough, pacing the team with 20 home run and 87 RBIs. But by season two, the “Fish” felt that Destrade was a bit stinky, opting to give at-bats to the likes of Greg Colbrunn and the versatile Jeff Conine in lieu.

It’s a bit of a slap in the face when you’re treated like a maggoty tuna fillet by a second year franchise but with Gary Sheffield brought in to provide some voltage, the friendly first baseman was back off to Japan to close his career after the 1994 strike and was never heard from again on US playing fields.