Seriesweep

Are the 2018 Red Sox the best Sox team ever?

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Sat, 20 Oct 2018 12:08:00 +0000

Neil Paine of fivethirtyeight.com opines that the 2018 unit is the best Red Sox team to ever play in the World Series. This is a pretty bold statement given the Red Sox have appeared 12 times in the World Series winning the title 8 times. And since 2000, The Rex Sox completed series sweeps in 2004 and 2007 and won in 2013. Be curious what Red Sox fans think.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/this-might-be-the-best-red-sox-world-series-team-yet/

Brewers complete 2018 MLB season book-end series sweep.

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 12:31:00 +0000

The Brewers closed out the 2018 season with a 3-0 series sweep of the Detroit Tigers. Ironically, the Brewers completed the first series sweep of the 2018 MLB season as well which we covered in an earlier post. Scott Paulus of the Milaukee Business Journal created an excellent slideshow of the sweep.

The Brewers played 48 series of 2, 3, 4 or 5 games in 2018. They completed 7 series sweeps for the year. That's a rate of 15% versus an MLB team average of 26% of 717 series played in 2018.

2018 MLB Season Starts with a Series Sweep Bang

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 15:19:00 +0000

The Milwaukee Brewers complete a 3-0 Series Sweep over the San Diego Padres. The third win was highlighted by a 5 hit game by rising star, Christian Yelich. Here's a game recap.

Orioles Complete First 2017 Series Sweep

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 18:58:00 +0000

The Baltimore Orioles have the distinction of completing the MLB's first series sweep in the 2017 season, albeit only a two game win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

After two home runs clinched the victory in game 2 of the series, Dan Duquette, O's GM, was quoted as saying: "Earl Weaver liked pitching, defense and three-run homers, right? A great formula.

Brooms and Baseball

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 11:58:00 +0000

Recently ran across Jonathan Fraser Light's Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball on Amazon. Found some interesting info on the role of the broom in baseball history. The National League was the first to deploy a whisk broom to clear dust and debris from homeplate beginning in the 1890's. Later,the AL introduced brooms although the long handled version. In 1904 Ban Johnson banned the long broom and went to the small version following an incident where a player tripped on a long handle broom running toward homeplate.

The most notorious incident involving a broom might have been in 2002 when Seattle Mariners catcher, Dan Wilson, had to borrow umpire John Shulock whisk broom to dust off home plate after Manager Lou Pinella piled dirt on home plate following a disputed call and tirade by "Sweet Lou".

From a fan perspective, the broom has become the symbol of a series sweep, the winning of all the games in a set of 2, 3 or 4 games. Typically, if a fan's favorite team wins the first two games of a three game series, a writer might lead their story with "get out the brooms, we're hoping for a sweep."
Reporting after the completion of a series sweeps might include a headline like: "Sweep Success", "Sweep Dreams" or "the "Sweep Smell of Success." Mercifully, I won't go.

Fans get involved with brooms by ribbing a rival team by going to an away game and taunting with cries of :"The City that Never Sweeps".

Team mascots may use a broom as a prop as an impending sweep nears.

An illustrious broom waver was The Boss, George Steinbrenner, who waved a broom following the New York Yankees second consecutive World Series Sweep in 1999.

The latest chapter of the brooms in baseball saga is that as a result of growing concerns about violence at games several MLB teams including the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers have banned brooms from their stadiums.

Historic Flag Events?

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 18:30:00 +0000

Our sister company, the Sweep Flag Company, is launching their line of flags to be used by sports fans to celebrate their teams baseball series sweeps and to establish their bragging rights.. Surely a lot of fun, but not a cerebral activity.

But it did get me thinking about the planting of flags as a way of establishing one's position. here's a review of some memorable Flag Plantings.

October 12, 1492 -- Christopher Columbus, a Italian by birth and under a commission of the Queen of Spain, planted a flag on a beach in what was called Hispaniola. Controversy still exists today to the exact whereabouts. Photo courtesy of science photo library.

February. 23, 1945 -- Five US Marines planted the Stars and Stripes on Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima after a brutal invasion. The US held the island until 1968 when it was returned. Photo courtesy of Joe Rosenthal. Controversy also surrounds this image since some say it was staged and that there was no photographer at the original raising.

March 29, 1953 -- Sir Edmund Hillary, British citizen, and his Tibetan guide, Tenzing Norgay planted a flag on the summit of Mount Everest to indicate their being the first to climb the mountain. This image is world famous and has been featured on stamps of a few countries.

Febuary 5, 1971-- Astronaut B. Shepard, Commander of Apollo 14, plants an American Flag on the Moon. Photo courtesy of NASA - Edgar Mitchell.

January 25, 2016 -- Gregory S. Roberts, retired pharmacist, places the first Sweep Flag in the USA in the town of Cotuit, Massacusetts.

Cape Cod Baseball League Overview

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 15:44:00 +0000

Here is a nicely done YouTube Video describing the Cape Cod Baseball League.

Seriesweep Blog Joins Baseball Bloggers Alliance

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Sat, 18 Feb 2017 13:21:00 +0000

We have recently joined the BaseBallAlliance.net, a group of 200 of Baseball's best bloggers. These are folks who love, understand and write about all aspects of baseball.

You can find out more about the group on Twitter @baseballblogs or #BBBA.

We are pleased to get to know Ed Comber, BBBA President and owner of FoulBallz.com. You can read Ed's tweets @foulballz.

Who was the first team to put player's names on jerseys?

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 14:36:00 +0000

In 1960, the Chicago White Sox were the first team to put player's name on the back of their jersey. Idea of Bill Veeck, baseball's greatest showman.

Image courtesy of Baseball by BSmile

A 70 Year History of the Cape Cod Baseball League's Cotuit Kettleers

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 14:26:00 +0000

Here is a great article summarizing the last 70 years of the Cotuit Kettlers written by Matt Gill of Cape Cod Life Magazine.

World Series Sweep MVP - 2005 - Jermaine Dye

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 18:50:00 +0000

Thanks to the Baseball Hall of Fame for background on Jermaine Dye:

Paraphrasing: An Oakland, California native., Dye was taken in the 17th round of the 1993 MLB Draft by the Braves, and made his big league debut on May 17, 1996 – stepping onto a Braves team that won the World Series the year before.

Dye appeared in 98 games that year, hitting 12 home runs and finishing sixth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. He appeared in 15 of the Braves postseason games that year as Atlanta defended its NL crown before falling to the Yankees in the World Series.

Dye was traded to the Royals just prior to the 1997 season starting a 13-year run in the AL. He hit 27 home runs and drove in 119 runs in 1999, then earned his first All-Star Game selection in 2000 en route to 33 home runs, 118 RBI and a Gold Glove Award in right field.

He was traded to Colorado and then immediately to Oakland on July 25, 2001. Dye remained with the A’s through 2004, signing with the White Sox prior to the 2005 season. In his first year in Chicago, Dye hit 31 home runs and drove in 86 runs – and led the Sox to their first World Series title in 88 years when he hit .438 in Chicago’s sweep of Houston, taking home the World Series Most Valuable Player Award.

The White Sox's Jermaine Dye wore this jersey in Game 4 of the 2005 World Series just before he was named the Fall Classic's MVP following Chicago's sweep of the Astros. - B-224-2005 (Milo Stewart, Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)

After a Playoff Sweep, the World Series Is Anything but a Breeze

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 18:20:00 +0000

Just ran across this series sweep related article by NY Times writer Victor Mather from October 2015.

He writes:"There is nothing quite so emphatic as a playoff sweep. A 4-0 series triumph leaves no doubt about the better team and seems to underline the winner’s greatness. With their victory over the Cubs on Wednesday night, the Mets became the eighth team to sweep a league championship series since the L.C.S. expanded to seven games in 1985. Those sweeps — 13 percent of all series — were accomplished with little trouble."

" Two of the sweeping teams, the 2014 Royals and the 2007 Rockies, had swept division series as well and were 7-0 heading into the World Series. Before Mets fans become too complacent about the coming series, they should be warned. This powerful set of teams did not carry good form to the next round. Only one of the seven previous sweeping teams won the World Series, the 1995 Braves. The others fell short, and three of them were swept themselves." he continues.

Salvador Perez helped fans celebrate last year's sweep by the Kansas City Royals, who went on to lose the World Series in seven. Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Which Game would you like to see over and over again?

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 14:49:00 +0000

This link is a good read. It inlcudes a list of baseball games that the author thinks he would like to watch over and over.

Let's start a list, #BestBaseBallGamesEver and keep adding to it.

Happy Birthday Todd Benzinger - Cincy Reds outfielder and answer to a trivia question.

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Sat, 11 Feb 2017 21:10:00 +0000

Todd Benzinger was born today. He was a member of the Cincinnati Reds who defeated the heavily favored Oakland Athletics in 1990 in a World Series Sweep. He is the answer to the Trivia Question - Who caught the flyball for the last out of the 1990 World Series Sweep by the Cincinnati Reds?

Baseball Resource - the Baseball Almanac

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Sat, 11 Feb 2017 15:05:00 +0000

If you are a fan of baseball, then the Baseball Almanac is a must read. You can also follow them on Twitter -@baseballalmanac.

Owner Ilitch Witnesses Detroit Tigers Sweep White Sox

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Sat, 11 Feb 2017 12:47:00 +0000

Our condolences to one of the most liked owners in baseball, Mike Ilitch, who passed away yesterday.

In bad health, the 87-year-old owner of the Tigers attended a game on August 31, 2016 to witness the Detroit Tigers finish a sweep of the White Sox at Comerica Park.

CCBL Hall of Fame To Move To New Facility.

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Sat, 11 Feb 2017 12:23:00 +0000

The Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame announced they were moving from their facility On Main Street in Hyannis, MA. http://capecodbaseball.org/news/season/index.html?article_id=2345

The Cities that Never Sweep!

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 22:27:00 +0000

As we review opportunities for teams to exercise their World Series Sweep Bragging Rights, we've come upon a list of eight teams who have yet to experience the thrill of a World Series Sweep. In fact, they haven't won a World Series! They are: the Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals.

The Seattle Mariners and Washington Nationals have never played in a World Series.

The Houston Astros may hold the record for WS futility. Founded in 1962 as the Houston 45s, they played in the WS in 2005 and were swept by the Chicago White Sox.

The Colorado Rockies were swept by the Boston Red Sox in 2007 in their only World Series appearance.

The Tampa Bay Rays played in the 2008 World Series losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in 5 games.

The San Diego Padres played in two World Series with limited success. In 1984 they lost to the Detroit Tigers in a five game series and in 1998 were swept by the NY Yankees, who then went on to complete a consecutive World Series Sweep in 1999.

The Texas Rangers played in the World Series for two consecutive years, 2010 and 2011 losing both.
The San Francisco Giants won 4-1 in 2010 and the St. Louis Cardinals won in seven games in 2011.

World Series Champions List

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 21:20:00 +0000

Mentioned a site for a list of world series champs a few posts back. Here is an updated list courtesy of MIStupid.com.

Chicago Cubs Provide the First World Series Sweep in the MLB Modern Era

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 23:06:00 +0000

In 1907, the Chicago Cubs beat the Detroit Tigers to achieve baseball's first World Series Sweep.

Strong pitching from the Cubs staff who fashioned a 0.75 ERA for the four game series and good defense from the DP trio of "Tinkers to Evans to Chance" propelled the Cubs over a Detroit team
led by a phenom named Ty Cobb who lead the AL in hitting.

Having suffered an embarrassing loss to the Chicago White Sox in the previous year's 1906 World Series this Cubs' sweep was sweet.

It was also to be followed by a consecutive WS victory in 1908 for the Cubs. Unfortuantely for fans it would be more than a century before the Cubs next WS win..

In 2016, the Cubs won the World Series by beating the Cleveland Indians in a seven game thriller.

Photo courtesy of Tom Parsons

Great Lakes Loons Win First Midwest League Championship.

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 21:19:00 +0000

2016 was a historic year for the Great Lake Loons. The Loons, a LA Dodgers affiliate, won the Championship Series three games to one over the Clinton Lumber Kings.

The Loons, who had played under .500 ball during the season, displayed a lot of spunk in the playoffs. They lost the first game in a wild one 16-6. They then won two in a row at identical 4-0 fashion and clinched Bragging Rights in a 9-8 thriller.

Photo courtesy of Amanda Ray Photography

Featuring --The Midwest League

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 21:06:00 +0000

The Midwest League is a Class A Minor League Baseball league populated by teams in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. Started in 1947 as the Illinois State League, it became the Midwest League in 1956 and has its current 16 teams since 2008.

A list of the teams is available at the Minor League Baseball website. They play in two eight team
divisions. Championship are best of five games. Since 2008 the West Divsion has won 5 championship series and the East Division four. There have been no series sweeps.

The Quad Cities River Bandits have Bragging Rights as the only team to win two Championships since 2008.

photo courtesy of aaronmilesfastball.com

World Series Trivia Oddity.

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 13:21:00 +0000

The MLB "Modern Era" began with the 1903 season. In two of the following 113 seasons no World Series was played.

The first year was 1904 when John McGraw, owner of the NY Giants - NL champs, refused to play the AL champs, the Boston Americans (now the Red Sox) who had been a minor league team.

In 1994 there no World Series played owing to a players strike.

Photo courtesy of the Ohio State University

World Series Champions Listing

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 12:56:00 +0000

Thanks to" "Steve the Ump", this link has a list of all World Series Champions and the WS game winners through 2015. It doesn't include the 2016 4 games to 3 games Chicago Cubs win over the Cleveland Indians.

Photo Courtesy of YouTube

Birthday Boy Bambino Played in three World Series Sweeps

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Hill) — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 15:30:00 +0000

Babe Ruth was born today February 6th, 1895. The Sultan of Swat played played 22 seasons for the New Yankees from 1914 to 1938. Ruth played in three series sweeps of the World Series in 1927 and 1928. In the 1932 sweep, Ruth purportedly "Called a home run at Wrigley Field."

photo courtesy of the Baseball Hall of Fame.