Holes In The Hall; Why Aren't Jim Kaat and Tommy John In The Hall Of Fame?

Admittedly, for most of this morning, I had no idea as to what I would write about today. The disappointment of my Yankees getting swept at Fenway and virtually ending any hopes at the postseason weighed on me and I couldn't come up with any topics that I felt compelled to write on. So, in need of some inspiration, I began playing my all-time favorite game, Strat-O-Matic baseball. For those of you unfamiliar with the game, it is a card and dice baseball simulation in which the players' cards are supposed to reflect on that particular player's real life performance.The game has been around since the early '60s, and I still have no idea why it took me until my freshman year of college to find it. The game is a great two person game, and I will recommend it strongly to any baseball fan. However, there is another aspect to it that I love just as much. There is a computer version that allows you to do season replays with boxscores and stats that the computer keeps and updates after every at bat. I am in the process of replaying the 1927, 1964, 1977, 1998, and 2012 seasons currently. But my inspiration for today's post came from the 1977 replay.

In an early May Dodgers-Mets game I played this morning, Los Angeles sent the 3-1 Tommy John to the hill to face John Matlack, who was 1-1. The Mets scored a run in the 5th frame, and again in the 9th, but in between the Dodgers scored 3 runs to take a 3-2 victory. More importantly for this story, Tommy John went the distance, allowing just 3 hits. This would be right on par for John, who, in real life went 20-7 in 1977. That is one of the other cool things about this game; It allows you to see just how good players (who you may have actually never seen) were. One of the next games I played took place at old Jack Murphy Stadium, as the Phillies took on the Padres. I saw that Jim Kaat was on the mound. In the real 1977, Kaat finished the year 6-11 with an ERA over 5. On this particular" Strat-O-Day" (in Kendrick-speak, any day where I play more than 5 baseball games), Kaat surrendered a first inning home run to Merv Rettermund, but a 6 run second inning for the Phillies gave him all the cushion he needed. A master of "pitching to the scoreboard", Kaat went 6 innings, allowing 3 runs, and picked up the win for Philadelphia.

Now, without looking up the stats, I know a few things about Kaat. I know he played for a long time. I know he won somewhere in the neighborhood of 280 games (I checked it a little while later...Kaat won 283 games in his career). I know Kaat won 16 Gold Gloves, and is widely regarded (along with Greg Maddux and possibly Mike Mussina) as being one of the best defensive pitchers of all-time. And lastly, I know that Jim Kaat is NOT in the Hall of Fame.

So, having played Strat baseball games that involved both Kaat and John, I thought "those are two really solid pitchers who aren't in the Hall of Fame. Why?" And there ya have it! That's how we got to today's topic. I also considered adding Jack Morris to the list (1991 World Series Game 7 anybody?) but for the time being, we'll just assume the 3.90 career ERA has swayed the voters negatively. Now, without further ado, let's look at the careers and Hall of Fame cases for John and Kaat.

TOMMY JOHN              

"When they operated on my arm, I asked them to put in a Koufax fastball. They did, but it turned out to be Mrs. Koufax."

A 26-year career that spanned from 1963 to 1989 is incredible and remarkable enough, but today Tommy John is known more for the surgery that now bears his name. It's unfortuante, if you ask me, that his career is barely remembered. In fact, I remember talking to someone about his career over the summer, and when I mentioned John's name they said "Isn't that the guy the surgery is named after?" But in his career, John was a 3 time 20-game winner and 4 time All-Star. Interestingly enough, he never won 20 games before the surgery and only had 1 All-Star appearance before it.

John's career began in 1963, when he spent the end of that season, and part of the next in Cleveland. He posted a record of just 2-11, but the 3.61 ERA that accompanied it suggests he was a victim of poor run support. It is a little telling when only 1 player has more than 20 home runs and only 2 players drive in 75+ runs. The Tribe's best pitcher that year, Sam McDowell, sported a 2.70 ERA but only won 11 games. Unfortunately for John, the run support only got worse when he was traded to the White Sox before the 1965 season. The Sox were notorious for awful offense, not just at the time, but seemingly throughout their history. In 1906 when they won the World Series, they were known as the "Hitless Wonders". In 1959, when they won their first pennant since the ill-fated 1919 team, the White Sox finished worst in the league in home runs, 6th in runs scored (out of 8 teams) and 6th in batting average. It wasn't really until the early '70s of Bill Melton and Dick Allen and the late '70s of the "South Side Hitmen", that the White Sox really began to shed their label of being an awful offensive team.

Tommy John spent seven seasons on the White Sox pitching staff. He won 14 games his first two years there, but never won that many again. All told, when he was traded to the Dodgers in 1971 (which , coincidentally was the trade that sent Dick Allen to Chicago), John posted an 82-80 record with the White Sox, despite a glistening ERA of 2.95. John went 11-5 and 16-7 his first two years in Los Angeles, and it seemed to everyone that he was finally on the verge of becoming a star. And in fact, the following year, he was well on his way towards having the best season of his career. With the Dodgers en route to the 1974 pennant, John was leading the charge, thanks to his 13-3 record and 2.59 ERA, when in his 22nd start, he tore his UCL. When noted surgeon Frank Jobe performed the procedure in late September of that year, it was expected that John's career had reached a premature ending. John sat out the entire 1975 year while undergoing rigorous rehab. In 1976, John made his triumphant return to the Majors, winning 10 games for the Dodgers. Starting with his age-34 season, John then began the most dominant stretch of his career. Over the next four seasons (2 with the Dodgers and 2 with the Yankees, who he signed with as a free agent), he won 20, 17, 21 and 22 games. Injuries plagued him the remainder of his career, but he would go on to win double digit games four more times. When he retired at age 46 in 1989, John had amassed a 288-231 record, 3.34 ERA, and had logged over 4,700 innings pitched. The spotlight was never an issue for Tommy, as he achieved a 6-3 record and 2.65 ERA in the postseason (including three trips to the World Series).

The biggest knocks against John are threefold. First, his record of only 288-231 is skewed horribly because of the poor run support he received early in his career. Had he not labored so long as a member of the offensively challenged White Sox, there is no doubt John could have won the 12 additional games needed for 300 victories. Secondly, many people say the only reason John won as many games as he did is simply because he played for so long. But the argument to that is simply that a player who wasn't good enough would never have made it as long as John did. Baseball Reference has a section called Similarity Scores, in which a players' career is compared to other players to give an indication of who their numbers were most similar to. The pitchers who scored the 2nd through 10th most similar careersincluded Hall of Famers Blyleven, Robin Roberts, Jenkins, Wynn, Glavine, Grimes, Sutton, and Rixey. The player who was the most similar to John? Jim Kaat.

JIM KAAT      

Like John, Jim Kaat's critics will point to the length of his career as a negative, not a positive. It took Kaat 25 years to register his 283 victories, and yes, there are Hall of Famers who did it in much shorter amounts of time. But again, Kaat would not have lasted that long if he weren't a valuable asset to the teams he played on. And not only was he a valuable asset pitching from the mound, but he carved out a long career showing his prowess fielding from it as well.

Also like Tommy John, Kaat's first two seasons in the Majors were only partial seasons, as he pitched (rather forgettable years) for the Washington Senators. When the Senators moved to Minnesota to become the Twins in 1961, Kaat finally completed his first full campaign. Despite a 9-17 record, Kaat's 3.90 ERA and 3.53 FIP (Fielding Independant Pitching, which, in the most watered down terms, is his ERA without any effect of his defenders behind him) indicated that he was certainly better than his record would lead one to believe. In 1962, Kaat was named to his first All-Star game, winning 18 games for the Twins. He also won the Gold Glove award as the best defensive pitcher. He would not relinquish that title for 12 years.

From 1962 to 1976, Jim Kaat had double-digit win totals every season and only twice saw his ERA rise above 4.00 (10 years apart, in 1963 and 1973). His best season came in 1966, when he led the majors in victories with 25, posted an ERA of 2.75, and also led the league in starts with 41, innings with 304.2, and complete games with 19. For good measure, he also paced the league with the lowest BB/9 ratio at 1.6 and the best K/BB ratio at 3.73. 

His stranglehold on the American League Gold Glove award came to an end in 1973, but after a two-year period, he regained the award again and held it for another four years through 1977. 1978 was the last season in which Kaat was primarily a starter, when he went 8-5 with a 4.10 ERA. For the next few seasons, until he retired after the 1984 campaign with the St. Louis Cardinals, Kaat was used primarily out of the bullpen with mixed results. All told, he compiled a 283-237 record, 3.45 ERA, 3 All-Star appearances and 16 Gold Glove awards.

"I'll never be considered one of the all-time greats, maybe not even one of the all-time goods. But I'm one of the all-time survivors."

I have to disagree with you, Mr. Kaat. Sure, your pitching numbers aren't like Nolan Ryan or Randy Johnson, sure your name isn't mentioned with the likes of Bob Feller and Whitey Ford, but you are an all-time great in your own way. My biggest issue with Kaat's absence from the Hall of Fame is this: Ozzie Smith and Bill Mazeroski are in the Hall primarily for their fielding, and rightfully so. They were easily some of the greatest defenders at their respective positions, if not of all time. Neither of them were particularly gifted offensively (although the Wizard of Oz sure had some speed he used to his advantage on the basepaths). In the same way, look for Omar Vizquel to eventually make a case for the Hall as another top defensive player. So, with that being said, why ISN'T a guy who won the award for best defender at his position 16 times not included in the Hall of Fame? Oh by the way, he also missed the 300 victory mark by only 17 wins. It seems almost a crime to me. Kaat, in an interview earlier this year, suspects that the mediocre ending to his career has hurt his chances. He also thinks if he had retired after 15 seasons (after the 1975 season when he went 20-11 with the White Sox), that he would have had a better chance at being inducted.

Ultimately, I believe it is a shame that two of the greatest pitchers of their era have been denied entrance into the hallowed halls of Cooperstown. There is no doubt in my mind they deserve to be there. Kaat and John both achieved great success, and their longevity should be viewed as a testament to their ability, not as an excuse for their statistics. Greatness deserves to be recognized, and in this case, it simply has not been given due recognition. Your move, MLB Veterans Committee.

Card Connections: Topps 2003- Where My Baseball Fan-dom Begins

I remember sitting on the living room floor in Virginia at my Grandma's house. Next to the shorter couch on the side of the room furthest from the TV. It was Easter morning 2003. Which, now that I think about it, was a little unusual. As far as I can remember, that year, and maybe the next year (where I have a vague memory of being at an uncle's house) were the only years Easter wasn't celebrated at our own home. Anyways, I remember sitting on the floor, looking down into my Easter basket, and seeing two packs of baseball cards.

Now, I had played tee-ball for a few years, and I was in my first year of kid-pitch as a third grader (I skipped coach and machine pitch), and needless to say, I was awful my first year. If we're being completely honest, I was still very much a football guy that year. My Oakland Raiders were just coming off a disappointing Super Bowl loss to Tampa Bay, but I had every reason to believe next year would be better (Only it wasn't. And for the next decade-plus, it has downright sucked to be a Raider fan. But I still am. And I AM SO FREAKIN' PUMPED ABOUT THIS 2016 TEAM!  Oh wait, this is a baseball blog...right...my bad). Needless to say, baseball wasn't really my favorite sport at the time.

Having been a football fan for a few years by this point, and having gotten into football card collecting by this time, I already knew of the magic feeling that you get from opening a pack of cards. It's the anticipation of not knowing who you're going to get. As you tear away the wrapper, you hope for a card of your favorite team, or a favorite player. And then you had to wonder what was worse, getting a card of someone you didn't like, or getting your third duplicate of the same card.The point being, for all card collectors, regardless of the sport, the feeling of opening up a brand new pack is the same eager anticipatory feeling. And even now, when I open a pack (which admittedly, I do a lot less often because my buying style has changed to online buying), I get that same feeling, and it's like being a kid all over again.

As I picked up those two packs of cards from the Easter basket, I got that familiar feeling of excitement, but at the same time, I had no idea what I was hoping for. My Little League team was the A's, but that was pretty much all I knew. I guess I'll hope for an A's card in here. Well, I didn't get one, but in a way, I got so much more. Cliff Lee draft pick card, Vinny Castilla, Denny Hocking, Jorge Posada, Cole Hamels draft pick card, Dave Roberts, Michael Young gold border, Chipper Jones, Gary Matthews Jr., Ruddy Lugo rookie card. Just like that, I was introduced to the world of baseball. And, for those that know me well, I never looked back.

The Topps 2003 set featured 720 cards, from 1-721. The 2003 set was in the middle of Topps' phase where they "retired" card #7 in honor of the late Mickey Mantle. They also produced the Updates and Highlights set again (I love those mini-sets. as it provides traded cards and midseason call-up cards). I just saw online today, actually that the 2003 Update card of Robinson Cano (rookie card) was selling for $63.  Some of the biggest prospect cards that year included Hanley Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis (both with Boston), Hamels and Lee (what are the odds I got both of them on that fateful Easter morning?), and Alexis Rios. The Updates series also included the rookie card of future Hall-of-Famer and current Tigers' star Miguel Cabrera, while he was still in the Marlins organization.

This blog post is not so much about the history of this card set, but rather it's personal and sentimental value to me. With that being said, I should say that I do not have this entire set, although I very easily could go by the complete box set today and be done with it. That's what I tend to do now, because you can get all the cards at once, without worrying about paying $4 for a 7 card pack, in which you'll already have 5 of those cards. But for the Topps 2003 set, since it was the one that got me introduced into the wonderful world of baseball, I decided that I would go about it the hard (but arguably more fun) way of piecing the set together one card at a time. So, with my 2003 set about 1/5 complete, here are a look at some of my favorite cards I have already acquired.


Card #400: Derek Jeter  

Considered one of the key cards from this set, it features Jeter receiving the throw at second as the Mets' Jeromy Burnitz slides in. Jeter is in his late 20s by now, approaching the middle stages of his career. This card is a personal favorite of mine because it is the first card I ever had of my all-time favorite player.

Card #538: Jorge Julio   

Julio was the absolute definition of a guy who wouldn't be a closer anywhere else, but the Orioles were so bad in the early 2000s that he got the job anyways. The only reason I include him in this list is because I have many memories of watching Orioles' games at my grandma's house and seeing him pitch. He wasn't very good, but he was a main figure in my childhood baseball-viewing experience, so I included him in this list.

Card #431: Scott Strickland  

Another card of a player who was never fantastic by any means, I just really always had an unexplained fascination with this card. I think it's the colors of the Mets' uniforms with the blue border of the card. Something about that was just aesthetically pleasing to look at.

Card #113: Tomokazu Ohka   

The main reason I included this card is that it was just fun to say Ohka's name. But also, I always secretly kinda liked the Expos, even though they were garbage. When the Expos moved to Washington before the 2005 season, I officially adopted them as my National League team.

Card #32: Deivi Cruz   

I don't really have a reason for liking this one. I just always thought it was a cool action shot.

Card #556: John Smoltz   

At the moment, Smoltz is my only HOF pitcher from this set. Plus, how about those retro Braves uniforms?

Ok, last two card's I'll share today.

Card #390: Ken Griffey Jr.   

I had to include the Hall-of-Famer with the sweetest swing ever. (Side note: It's not as good as Griffey's but wouldn't you say Cano has a pretty sweet swing too?)

And lastly...

Card #180: Barry Zito   

Derek Jeter may have been my favorite player, but Zito was probably my first favorite player, and my favorite pitcher. I loved that "Big 3" rotation of Zito, Tim Hudson, and Mark Mulder the A's had from 2003-2004(ish). In fact, when I played travel ball, I wore #75 as a tribute to Zito.

So there you have it, my favorite baseball card set of all time. What's your favorite set? What set got you into collecting? I'd love to hear about it in the comment section!

Prospect Profile: Dylan Cozens

NAME:Dylan Cozens
AGE: 22
POSITION: RF
TEAM:Reading Fighting Phils (AA affiliate of Philadelphia Phillies)
DRAFTED: By the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2nd round of the 2012 draft


SCOUTING REPORT: The Phillies always knew Cozens could hit for power, but it wasn't until this past season that we really got to see just how powerful Cozens is. He strikes out a lot, largely in part because he struggles to recognize breaking pitches. Some scouts are concerned about his swing, saying it appears "stiff" at times. Pitch selection can be an issue, but the Phillies are willing to overlook that because of his enormous power potential. Will most likely never hit for high average, and will probably top  out in the .280s. At the beginning of the 2016 season, Baseball HQ said he had speed but because of his size (6'6", 235 lbs.) that aspect of his game wasn't likely to stay around. But Cozens proved them wrong, swiping 21 bases this past year.

STATS: In 50 games as a rookie in 2012, Cozens hit .255/5/24. The following year, he spent the entire season at Low-A Williamsport where he hit 9 home runs and drove in 34. He also reached double-digit steals for the first time with 11. In 2014, he spent the entire season with Class A Lakewood, again increasing his homer count to 16. He also doubled his previous games played high with 132. This was the first look at how Cozens would do over the course of a full season. He also participated in the Australian Baseball League that winter. Then, in 2015 the power numbers dipped. He only launched 8 home runs in 111 games. The run production was still there, as he drove in 59 runs, and he hit a (so-far) career high .280 with most of his playing time coming at High-A Clearwarter. He then went to the Puerto Rican Winter League. There, the power numbers increased slightly, perhaps enough to give the Phillies confidence he was getting his home run stroke back, but certainly not enough to provide any indication of what was to come in 2016. Cozens spent the entire 2016 season at AA Reading,where he hit a very solid .276 in 134 games. But he truly found his power stroke, leading all of Minor League Baseball with 40 home runs, to go with 125 runs driven in. For good measure, Cozens stole 20 bases for the third time in his five minor league seasons.

PROJECTION: Cozens has power that every big league team wants in their lineup. He projects as a solid everyday player who should have no trouble keeping a job for 13-15 years. May make a few All-Star games in his prime as well. The MLB comparisons for Cozens are Mike Cameron, Raul Mondesi, and Reggie Sanders, but Cozens will have just a tick less speed than those players did. An average line for Cozens in the Majors should be a .260 average, 25-35 home runs, 80-100 RBI, 15-20 steals, and upwards of 160 strikeouts.

STAT SHEET: A look at the AL Rookie of the Year race

With less than one month remaining in the 2016 MLB season, we have reached the point where races, both for playoffs and awards, are coming down to the wire. For much of the season, the American League Rookie of the Year battle has been between the Tigers' Michael Fulmer, the Indians' Tyler Naquin, the ChiSox' Tim Anderson, and the Rangers' Nomar Mazara, and the Twins' Max Kepler (although he seems like a bit of a longshot). A look at this list brings up two main questions. First, is there any chance for Yankees' young slugger Gary Sanchez? The second question is the more obvious one: who will win the award? A lot can happen in the final month of the season, but let's take a look at all these players in contention, and see who has the strongest case for AL ROY.

MAX KEPLER, TWINS. The German-born Kepler has certainly impressed with his display of power this year, swatting 16 home runs through 99 games. He has also driven in nearly 60 runs (which would project to 97 RBI for a full 162-game season. Perhaps in other years, voters could look past his .238 batting average and his .971 fielding percentage and still vote him ROY strictly on power (let's face it, home runs are a sexy stat that everyone is guilty of putting too much stock into) but the truth of the matter is this year's rookie class is pretty deep in the AL.

NOMAR MAZARA, RANGERS. If you are one of those aforementioned people that put too much stock into home runs (before you get upset or offended, let me come out and say I'm totally one of those people), make sure you see THIS. Even if you're not one of those people, watch that home run video anyways. There are 491 reasons in that video why scouts rave about his power. Not only does he have exceptional power, but he's hitting a respectable .270. Now, like a standard power hitter these days, he DOES have 100 strikeouts, but that's not uncommon anymore. Quite frankly, he's already put up the numbers to have won this award. But unfortunately for Mazara, the AL ROY class is deep this year. He'll be an exciting player to watch throughout his career, but he won't be bringing home the hardware as a rooke.

TIM ANDERSON, WHITE SOX. I'll be the first to tell you; I watched Anderson play minor league ball with Hi-Class A Winston-Salem and I like this kid. Slick glove, speed and a little bit of pop. Anderson was a top prospect in the minors and I expect he can carve out a nice long career in the middle infield. A .286 hitter, 7 home runs, and 10 steals in 80 games this year, Anderson has done a little bit of everything and has already established himself as a key part of this White Sox lineup. While his glovework was slick in the minors, he has made 12 errors this year in Chicago but that number will only get better as he gets older. Every rookie class has their "jack of all trades" candidate, and Anderson assumes that role in 2016.

TYLER NAQUIN, INDIANS. In spring training, Naquin was expected to take over the starting CF position but struggled out of the gate and was sent back to AAA. But since his return to Cleveland, he has shown why he belongs in a big league uniform. On the season he's batting an even .300, with 14 homers and 42 RBI in 102 games. He is a big reason the Cleveland Indians offense has been so productive this year, pairing with guys like Lindor, Kipnis, Santana, and Mike Napoli (side note: I am absolutely astounded how well he is hitting this year). It seems like Naquin has earned his spot and should patrol centerfield at Progressive Field for a long time. He would be my pick for AL ROY if it wasn't for...

MICHAEL FULMER, TIGERS. There's a really simple explanation for why Fulmer gets my vote for AL ROY. Sure a 10-6 record as a rookie isn't bad. 117 strikeouts in 143 innings isn't either. But here's the big reason that I chose Fulmer: He leads the American League in ERA. Sure, it may sound a little simplistic but anytime a rookie leads a league in a "Triple Crown" category, that's a big deal. I watched Fulmer pitch against the Yankees the last time those two teams met and I was absolutely astounded. He doesn't look like a rookie. His demeanor, confidence, and poise on the mound would never lead one to guess he was new to the big leagues. Fulmer and a resurgent Justin Verlander are a huge reason the Tigers are in the hunt for a Wild Card position and they will be all the more valuable if they make the postseason. They'll give the Tigers that dominant 1-2 punch they've lacked since Scherzer left and Verlander had a few down years.

Does GARY SANCHEZ, YANKEES realistically have any chance at winning? That's a very interesting season. Since getting called up at the beginning of August, Sanchez has been, without a doubt, the Yankees best hitter. A .333 hitter, 13 home runs, and 24 RBI in his first 35 games have helped his club climb from 8 games out of the playoffs to just 2 behind the second Wild Card spot. But it seems difficult to give the award to a guy who hasn't been at the big league level for more than a month (2 months by the end of the season). For comparison, howerver, Hall-of-Famer Willie McCovey won Rookie of the Year in 1959 for the Giants by hitting .354 with 13 home runs and 38 RBI in just 52 games. Sanchez would finish the season having played a similar number of games. So, I suppose it isn't inconceivable to see Sanchez winning the award, but I think it is hard to pick him over a guy who has had the season that Fulmer has had. If we get to the end of the season and Sanchez is still hitting .300 and has 20-25 home runs, get back to me because he might have played himself into the top spot.

                             (Penner, USA Today Sports)

MAILBAG

Here's the first installment of our Mailbag post where YOU get to send in questions or topics to me on facebook or on Twitter @kendrick_fruits. So without further adieu, here is what's in the mailbag this week.


"TIM TEBOW. Whatever you wanna write about his baseball career. I just wanna see something about Tim Tebow."

-Kevin, UNCW


Well, Kevin, there's not too much to say quite yet. Here's what we do know at this point. Tebow has signed a minor league deal with the Mets and has been sent to Port St. Lucie for Instructional League. From there, the Mets will decide whether they will send him to the Arizona Fall League or not. Some early reports indicate that Tebow could begin the season as high up as AA but I think that's asking a lot from a guy who hasn't played organized ball in over 10 years. 

As far as his tools go, the calling card for Tebow will be power. On the 20-80 scale that scouts use to rank a player's tools, Tebow scores around a 60 for raw power, which is very impressive for a guy who, as we said earlier, hasn't swung a bat in a while. But in order for power to mean anything, he has to first make contact and this may be one of the biggest things for him to work on in instructional league. During his tryout, he struggled once the speeds of the pitches increased, and he will have to re-learn how to recognize breaking pitches all over again. In the field, Tebow showed off his wheels and had very good closing speed. His throwing arm needs work (ironic for a former QB) and most scouts expect his defense to improve with more reps.

Tebow reports to Instructional League on Sunday, September 18th. It is a low risk investment for the Mets, at least in the beginning, as instructional league is just what it sounds like. Roster spots, at-bats, and instruction isn't limited so Tebow isn't "taking anyone's spot" as some people have accused him of doing. Rather, he's just (for now) another long shot prospect who is getting in some extra work.

Pop Flies and Pop Songs: Baseball's Representation In Music

I woke up this morning with John Fogerty's "Centerfield" in my head, and that song remained there most of the day. So for today's post, I decided to make this post about baseball songs Baseball and music have gone together from the very beginning, not just baseball in music, but music at baseball games (this is a whole other topic for another time). From the 1800s music, such as the 1889 song "Slide, Kelly, Slide" (which is a tribute to one of the early stars of the game, Mike "King" Kelly) to any of the different pieces by The Baseball Project (which includes a few members from R.E.M.). You'll get your share of songs that make no sense whatsoever, of course, but you also end up with some classics. And so, without further ado, it is my top 5 baseball songs!


#5- TIE Joltin' Joe DiMaggio, Les Brown (1941). A big band tribute to not only one of the greatest players of all time, but one of the greatest achievements in baseball history.

#5- TIE Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball? Count Basie (1949). Another big band song, this 1949 song is a good example of the excitement and popularity of Jackie Robinson a few years after he broke into the majors.

#4- Glory Days, Bruce Springsteen (1984). This one needs a little explaining. Yes, verse 1 talks about a former high school pitcher, but that's about it. But when you think about it, baseball is just as much about the past as it is about the present and future. Everything about baseball's present is linked to it's long and illustrious past, and the "Glory Days".

#3- Home Run, Geoff Moore & the Distance (1995). In my opinion, this is '90s music at it's finest. A catchy tune with a rock feel to it. Geoff  Moore was an early star of the CCM genre, and this was one of his biggest hits. Many people associated with baseball like to draw metaphorical comparisons between baseball and life, and this was Moore's version.

#2- Take Me Out To The Ballgame, Jack Norworth (1908). This particular recording is the original recording by Edward Meeker. Fun fact about this song: Jack Norworth had never even been to a baseball game when he wrote this classic and iconic song. The inspiration for the lyrics came one afternoon while riding a New York subway and he saw an advertisement for an upcoming game at the Polo Grounds. He did, eventually, go see a game.

#1- Centerfield, John Fogerty (1985)- Yes I know, it seems almost scandalous for me to not have Take Me Out To The Ballgame at the top of the list, but this was always one of my favorites. The descriptions, the excitement of wanting to get into the game, and (since I'm a Yankees fan) they even mentioned Joe DiMaggio. What are the odds of Joltin' Joe making this list TWICE (DiMaggio was also mentioned in Simon and Garfunkel's Mrs. Robinson, but that was the only baseball line in the song).

Got a favorite baseball song that was left off this list? Comment below!

Prospect Profile- David Paulino

(MILB)

NAME: David Paulino
AGE: 22
POSITION: P
TEAM: Houston Astros
DRAFTED: Not Drafted, signed by DETROIT as an International Free Agent


SCOUTING REPORT:Aquired in trade with Tigers in 2013, part of the Jose Veras deal. Has responded well after Tommy John surgery in 2014. Has good control and maintains exceptional K/BB ratio. At 6'7", he can be an imposing opponent on the mound, and he adds to that figure with a mid-90s fastball that can get up to 97-98. He also has a very sharp curve with very crisp action that causes issues for opposing batters. He keeps the ball in the yard (only 6 home runs allowed in his minor league career that spans almost 200 innings) and his FIP of 1.96 is borderline phenomenal. It seems the only knock against Paulino is simply his lack of experience, but there is no questioning his talent or enormous potential.

STATS: Barely pitched from 2011-13 in the Tigers organization due to injuries. During that time he went 3-2 in 12 starts, spanning just 39 innings. His first extended work came with the Astros in 2015, when he made 12 starts in the farm system, posting a 5-3 record and 2.81 ERA. In 2016, he spent most of his season at AA Corpus Christi before making 3 starts at AAA Fresno. In 3 different levels this year, Paulino posted a 5-4 record with a glistening 2.00 ERA, along with 109 strikeouts in 90 innings.

PROJECTION: Paulino is an interesting case, because the book is still somewhat out on him. Clearly he has the stuff to be a dominant pitcher and could rank among the league leaders in strikeouts But again, because of his limited workloads, scouts have a very difficult time pegging what he could potentially become, ranking him anywhere from a #1 to a #3 starter. Personally, I will call him a high end #2, with the potential to be a low end #1. For a big league comparison, let's equate Paulino to Brandon Webb at his peak (16-18 win potential, ERA around 3) but with more strikeouts.

Life after 43? What is left in the tank for Bartolo Colon?

(ESPN)

Bartolo Colon has said that he would like to pitch next year. Given the 13-7 record for the New York Mets, there's no reason to think he wouldn't get some interest in the offseason. The first big question is where would he play? In New York, he would be little more than an insurance policy/long reliever, much in the way we saw him down the stretch and into the postseason last year. However there are some other teams (possibly the Marlins, Angels, Pirates) that would be interested in his services as well. But there is one huge wild-card in all this. Colon is 43 years old. Once players reach that age, it's almost impossible to be able to project what they will do. Take A-Rod for example. In 2015 he hits 30 home runs, and in 2016 his bat goes so cold that the Yankees were forced to cut him. On the other hand, David Ortiz is having yet another stellar season at age 40. Even Julio Franco was swinging a bat well into his mid-50s (ok, I know he's an extreme case but you can't tell me that's not mind blowing that a guy could be so consistent for that long).

So first, let's take a look at some of Bartolo's contemporaries and see how their production held up after the age of 40. For this example. we will look at Randy Johnson, Jamie Moyer, and Roger Clemens.

NOTE: I am not including Blue Jays starter R.A. Dickey or former Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield because knuckleball pitchers have a bit of a different "shelf life" than non-knuckleballers. Also, guys like Arthur Rhodes and LaTroy Hawkisn didn't make the comparison because they spent most of their later careers in the bullpen.

RANDY JOHNSON: Career 303 Wins, 3.29 ERA, 22 seasons. The Big Unit was one of the most well known, well-respected, and dominant pitchers of his day (and most likely, all time. Johnson won 5 Cy Young awards, including four in a row with the Diamondbacks. Here is a look at his 40+ year old.

AGE 40- 16-14, 2.60 ERA, 290 K's (led league), 245 innings. (2004 w/Diamondbacks)
AGE 41- 17-8, 3.79, 211 K's, 225 innings (2005 w/Yankees)
AGE 42- 17-11, 5.00 ERA, 172 K's, 205 innings (2006 w/Yankees)
AGE 43- 4-3, 3.81, 72 K's, 56 innings, INJURED (2007 w/Diamondbacks
AGE 44- 11-10, 3.91, 173 K's, 184 innings (2008 w/Diamondbacks)
AGE 45- 8-6, 4.88 ERA, 86 K's, 96 innings (2009 w/Giants)

So, with the exception of 2006 and 2009, where he was clearly bailed out by high run-supports, Johnson continued to be a valuable and top quality starter after he turned 40. Note though, the numbers do dip in terms of ERA and the K/Innings ratio drop more at the end, but still, he remained a solid #3 starter at the very least as he finished his career in San Francisco. The injury shortened what could have been a very strong 2008 campaign, and that is another thing to keep in mind. While production past 40 is key, injuries also play a large factor in determining a player's value as they age.

ROGER CLEMENS- The Rocket would have been a HOFer for sure had the steroid allegations not clouded the perception of him. A 7 time Cy Young award winner, 2 World Series titles, and an MVP award as a member of the Red Sox are the only awards that currently bear witness to his greatness and dominance.

AGE 40- 17-9, 3.91 ERA, 190 K's, 211 innings (2003 w/Yankees)
AGE 41- 18-4, 2.98 ERA, 218 K's, 214 innings (2004 w/Astros)
AGE 42- 13-9, 1.87 ERA, 185 K's, 211 innings (2005 w/Astros)
AGE 43- 7-6, 2.30 ERA, 102 K's, 113 innings (2006 w/Astros)
AGE 44- 6-6, 4.18 ERA, 68 K's, 99 innings (2007 w/Yankees)

With Clemens there is another interesting possible variable that comes into play.The year before he turned 40, he posted an ERA of 4.35, and followed it up at 3.91. Both of those seasons were in the American League. His only other season in the AL from there on was in 2007 with a 4.18 ERA. But during his 3 NL seasons, he posts ERAs of 2.98, 1.87, and 2.30. Did the change of scenery help? Maybe. Did going to the NL help? Maybe. But don't forget, Johnson returned to the NL too at the end of his career and didn't fare near as well as Clemens. Maybe it was because when Clemens went to the NL in 2004, it was his first time in that league. Who knows?

JAMIE MOYER- The pitcher's version of Julio Franco. Moyer's career seemed as if it could go on forever. He certainly provided quality work well into his mid 40s. A 20 game winner as late as age 40, he was a solid contributor for the Phillies in the years to come. Even if the Rockies were the most appealing (or only) option for Moyer's final season, it was a mistake for all parties involved. The thin air and Moyer's control issues led to lots of home runs and an early season release from Colorado. All-in-all. Moyer had a very productive career and will be remembered mostly for his longevity and consistent production.

(Strikeouts won't be included in season totals, because unlike Clemens and Johnson, Moyer wasn't a strikeout pitcher)

AGE 40- 21-7, 3.27 ERA, 230 innings (2003 w/Mariners)
AGE 41- 7-13, 5.21 ERA, 207 innings (2004 w/Mariners)
AGE 42- 13-7, 4.28 ERA, 200 innings (2005 w/Mariners
AGE 43- 11-14, 4.30 ERA, 211 innings (2006 w/Mariners and Phillies)
AGE 44- 14-12, 5.01 ERA, 199 innings (2007 w/Phillies)
AGE 45- 16-7, 3.71 ERA, 196 innings (2008 w/Phillies)
AGE 46- 12-10, 4.94 ERA, 162 innings (2009 w/Phillies)
AGE 47- 9-9, 4.84 ERA, 111 innings (2010 w/Phillies)
AGE 48- DID NOT PLAY
AGE 49- 2-5, 5.70 ERA, 53 innings (2012 w/Rockies)

The big takeaway from Moyer is that after he turned 40, with the exception of his age 40 season (and maybe his age 45 season), he was no more than a #3 or #4 guy. But just as in Bartolo Colon's situation, nobody was asking him to be a star by this age. And a star is never something that Moyer ever claimed to be. He was a solid pitcher who would win 13-15 games and have an ERA around 4.25.


BARTOLO COLON- So what do all these numbers mean for the Big Sexy? Well it's hard to say because he isn't the power pitchers that Johnson and Clemens were, but he also hasn't put up worse numbers than Moyer's up to this point. The truth of what we can expect from Colon is most likely somewhere in between the two.

AGE 40- 18-6, 2.65 ERA, 190 innings (2013 w/Athletics)
AGE 41- 15-13 4.09 ERA, 202 innings (2014 w/Mets)
AGE 42- 14-13 4.16, 194 innings (2015 w/Mets)
AGE 43- 13-6, 3.22 ERA, 164 innings (2016 w/METS...SEASON NOT YET FINISHED)

Two things stand out. First, the 2016 season for Colon is probably a slight bit of an aberration. His numbers next year will probably revert back to about 14 wins and an ERA around 4.10. But that leads to the second thing that stands out. And that is where will he play? The Mets would like to trot out Syndergaard, deGrom, Matz, Harvey, and Wheeler as their everyday rotation, which relegates Colon to more of an emergency option/long reliever. But there are still some teams that could see Colon as a starting pitcher option in 2017.

My gut feeling is that Colon will sign with the Marlins, Pirates, or Diamondbacks.

I thought about American League teams that could want him, and there are a few legitimate options.

But then he wouldn't get to bat, and none of us want to live in a world without this.

Prospect Profile: Yoan Moncada, Red Sox

NAME: Yoan Moncada
AGE: 21
POSITION: 2B/3B
TEAM: Portland Sea Dogs (AA affiliate of Boston Red Sox)
SIGNED: As international Free Agent in 2015

SCOUTING REPORT: A plus arm allows him to play all over the infield and even see some time in centerfield. Glove is average at best, but makes up for it with exceptional range. His speed is his biggest asset, and could steal 50+ bases per year at the major league level. Power continues to develop and should max out above average for MLB second basemen. Can hit for average and power, although the strikeout numbers in 2016 were a little high. Generally regarded as a 5 tool prospect, and a top prospect in the Red Sox system. Overall a 65 prospect on the 20-80 scale.

STATS: Hit a solid .278 with Low-A Greenville with 8 home runs in 81 games. Added a phenomenal 49 steals while only being caught stealing three times. Split 2016 between Salem (High A) and Portland. Combined for .298/15/61 slash through August 31. Has stolen 45 bases. 122 strikeouts against 72 walks between the two levels this year. Has committed 17 errors this year, after 23 last year. OBP ha dipped from .427 in High-A to .388 in AA.

PROJECTION: This guys could very well be the next Cuban star. He has the speed, the power is starting to come around, and he's just explosive offensively. The big questions remain with his glove, as he has yet to put together a solid defensive campaign. The Red Sox are considering having him bypass AAA and bringing him straight up for the stretch run when rosters expand. But with Dustin Pedroia at second base, Moncada would most likely move to third. Will he be able to learn on the job, or will Boston decide to keep him in the minors after all. Down the line, Moncada will be an All-Star infielder who will garner some pretty lucrative paydays. Expect him to average .280, 20-25 HR, 40 SB per season in the Majors.

The Life of Brian: If the Yankees Trade McCann, Where Will He Go?

The non-waiver trade deadline is well past at this point, but that doesn't mean deals are done from being made. Quite the contrary, in fact. The only difference now is that players must go through waivers, meaning a team's plans to trade a player to a certain team could fall apart if that player is claimed off the waiver wire, which they must clear before getting traded at any point after the trade deadline. Especially as the season nears it's end, playoff contenders are looking for any possible addition to boost their postseason chances. This could come in the form of a call-up of a hot prospect or even a late-season trade. One name that has been floating in the warm, late-summer breezes is that of Yankees catcher Brian McCann. It was only a month ago that the Yankees dealt many of their veterans in exchange for big-time prospects. At the time, many speculated whether the likes of McCann would be close behind. It made sense, and it still does. A team looking to bolster their roster for the playoffs would certainly like to add one of the best players at one of the most important positions. In terms of catching hierarchy, if we ranked the top 5 MLB catchers in terms of overall worth (including both offensive and defensive ability), McCann would almost surely be a top 5 MLB catcher, and if not, he is either 6th or 7th at the absolute lowest. Point being, if we take a look at the current teams or teams in contention to be in the playoffs, some of them could certainly use an upgrade at the catcher positions. So, with that being said, let's take a look at the teams in the playoff picture and whether a McCann deal seems likely. Keep in mind, the Yankees have not said they will for sure trade McCann, so none of these trades are a 8/10 or 9/10 possibility they will happen.


NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION LEADERS:

WASHINGTON NATIONALS- Wilson Ramos

For the sake of space in this post, we'll keep this one short. Ramos has finally had the breakout the Nationals have been looking for, slashing .314/20/69 this season. He is also playing very good defensively and, at age 28, finally seems to be the Nats' catcher for the foreseeable future.

CHANCES THE NATIONALS TRADE FOR McCANN: 2/10. Not a likely trade, as the Nats' have a starting catcher in Ramos. Perhaps they could look to upgrade the backup spot from Jose Lobaton but that isn't a role either Ramos or McCann should be filling right now. The only reason this trade may even be considered (and it is still a longshot) is that McCann has played some first base this year, and the Nationals never know when Ryan Zimmerman may fall victim to another injury.

CHICAGO CUBS- Miguel Montero, David Ross, Willson Contreras

Montero has been a large disappointment on both sides of the ball for the Cubs, who have the best record in baseball. A guy who could always be counted on for a .280 average with 15 homers and 70 RBI in Arizona is slashing a dismal .199/5/25 in Chicago. Defensively is just as bad, with a .988 FP and allowing 47 steals in 52 attempts. David Ross has been a serviceable backup, and youngster Willson Contreras has been a breath of fresh air since coming up from the minors, hitting .270 with 9 homers in 58 games. Contreras is sliding into the #1 catchers role with the struggles of Montero, but he isn't quite ready to assume the role of everyday catcher just yet.

CHANCES THE CUBS TRADE FOR McCANN: 4/10. If there was a weakness to the best team in baseball, the catcher position may be it. Although, as previously stated, Contreras has done quite a nice job so far since his call-up. With Ross retiring at the end of the year, if this deal does happen, it doesn't seem like a trade that will happen during the season. Instead, keep an eye out for the possibility of this trade happening in the winter, if McCann hasn't been shipped somewhere else by then.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS- Yasmani Grandal, Carlos Ruiz

Sure Grandal only has a .224 average, but he also has 20 home runs and the Dodgers have been very pleased with the young catcher's performance. Last week's trade that sent A.J. Ellis to the Phillies for Ruiz made waves within the baseball community, because many people did not feel that that shakeup was necessary. Still, Ruiz tends to be a solid performer, when healthy, and will spend time as a backup to Grandal down the stretch.

CHANCES THE DODGERS TRADE FOR McCANN: 3/10. With the Ruiz trade, the Dodgers have sent an apparent message that they are content with the current catching situation. I believe that McCann represents a clear upgrade (even if it means sitting Grandal more down the stretch) and this trade would make sense as far as what McCann could offer the Dodgers. Again, I don't see it happening after the Ruiz trade, but you never can tell what Magic Johnson and co. have up their sleeves.

NATIONAL LEAGUE WILD CARD TEAMS AND CONTENDERS:

The Cardinals and Giants, the two current Wild Card teams, do not have a need at this position. So that leaves the Marlins, Mets, and Pirates, who are still in contention to climb into the playoffs if the Cards or Giants struggle in the last month. The Marlins have a .300 hitter in J.T. Realmuto, so for the contenders, let's look at the Mets and Pirates.

NEW YORK METS- Travis d'Arnaud

If there was a team that I felt HAD to make this trade, it is the Mets. They have had poor offensive play from d'Arnaud, Rene Rivera, and Kevin Plawecki. Defensively, both Rivera and d'Arnaud are very good (for you Strat-O-Matic baseball fans, I would grade them low 1s or high 2s defensively from a defensive perspective. The Mets have gone from World Series team to 3 games above .500 in the span of 10 months, and they need a shot in the arm. A McCann deal would do just that. Again, the Yankees would most likely look to bolster the bullpen, so if this trade were to happen, expect relievers Addison Reed or Jerry Blevins to be involved.

CHANCES THE METS TRADE FOR McCANN: 6/10. This is a deal that benefits both sides, if it were to happen. The Mets tried to shop d'Arnaud for Lucroy at the deadline, so clearly they would like an upgrade. Again, the Yankees would most likely look to bolster the bullpen, so if this trade were to happen, expect relievers Addison Reed or Jerry Blevins to be involved.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES- Francisco Cervelli

I'm a Yankees fan. Because of that, I spent a few years watching Cervelli play. I really like his style of play, his occasional (VERY occasional) pop, and especially his handling of pitchers. He's one of those tough-nosed grinders that you just love to watch play. Plus he hits barehanded, which adds to that tough-guy image. But let's face it, his numbers are just back-up catcher numbers this year, and his back-up, Chris Stewart, has even worse numbers. The Pirates are on the outside looking in right now by 2 games, and McCann could just be what the team needs to overtake their division rival Cardinals for the second WC spot.

CHANCES THE PIRATES TRADE FOR McCANN:1/10. This is one of those situations where the fit in this trade is more like 8/10 but the likelihood of it happening is just 1/10. The Pirates haven't been discussing McCann with the Yankees and I don't see them taking on McCann's contract, even if the Yankees agree to cover a large portion of it.


AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION LEADERS

TORONTO BLUE JAYS- Russell Martin

Throughout his career, Russell Martin has been a solid performer, so much so that teams know what to expect from him by now, and this year has been no different. Currently sporting a .247 average, 15 homers and 59 RBI, this has been another standard Russell Martin season. Couple that with the .998 fielding percentage behind the dish, Martin, despite being 33 years old, has not slowed down yet.

CHANCES THE BLUE JAYS TRADE FOR McCANN: Zero. Going back to that hypothetical list of top 5 catchers, Martin is definitely in that list or around it as well. The only place where McCann has a clear edge over Martin is in throwing out would-be base stealers. No reason for them to even entertain this trade idea.


CLEVELAND INDIANS- Yan Gomes, Chris Giminez, Roberto Perez

What a mess. Of the three Indians catchers, only Giminez is batting above .200 (.223, to be exact). Gomes has hit a disappointing .165 with 8 home runs, and currently finds himself on the DL. Perez, who is almost the same age as Gomes and has been considered the possible catcher of the future, is even worse, hitting .148 with just 1 home run. Defensively, the trio is actually pretty solid, and all of them throw out base-runners right around the league average of 30%, led by Gomes' 37%.

CHANCES THE INDIANS TRADE FOR McCANN: This may hold more possibilities than you think. The Yanks and Indians have already made one trade this year (Andrew Miller for prospects), and if the Indians are serious about a playoff run, this may be a good move for them. The Yankees need help in the bullpen, and may target Dan Otero and Bryan Shaw, among others if this trade goes down. Or, with the Indians having Miller close now, perhaps the Yankees could pry away Cody Allen. In any case, this is a trade that would benefit both teams. Likelihood of this trade happening: 6/10.


TEXAS RANGERS- Jonathan Lucroy

Another one we'll keep short. The Rangers had a glaring need behind the plate, and addressed it, trading for Brewers' star Lucroy at the deadline.

CHANCES THE RANGERS TRADE FOR McCANN: Zero. Rangers are a very well rounded team right now. Maybe some bullpen help would be useful, but they have no reason to even consider a McCann trade.


AMERICAN LEAGUE WILD CARD TEAMS AND CONTENDERS:

This portion of the standings looks like a pack of kids in a foot race: Everyone is trying to lead, but there's only so much room to make the pass, and everyone just ends up beating and banging off of each other without anyone making much progress. In terms of catching needs, the Royals, Tigers, and Mariners are all on the outside looking in, but they are content with their catching situations and won't pursue McCann. The Red Sox could use McCann, but that deal isn't likely and they will probably finish the season with some sort of rotation between Christian Vazquez and Sandy Leon. So we will look at the #2 Wild Card team, the Orioles, as well as the Houston Astros.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES: Matt Wieters

Offensively, this has definitely been a down year for the Orioles' backstop. Hitting just .238 with 11 home runs, Wieters has been one of the lone struggling players in a stacked O's lineup. Despite those troubles at the plate, Wieters continues to play well behind it, posting a .992 fielding percentage and throwing out 35% of would-be base stealers. Caleb Joseph and Francisco Pena are poor hitters as backups, but they won't be moved before years end.

CHANCES THE ORIOLES TRADE FOR McCANN: 1/10 now, 7/10 later. What's that supposed to mean? That means the Yankees and Orioles won't strike a deal before the year ends. But Wieters will be a free agent this offseason, after accepting the 1-year qualifying offer last offseason. If the Orioles want to move on from the injury-plagued catcher, McCann may be the guy they pull the trigger on. The only downside is McCann is 2 years older than Wieters.

HOUSTON ASTROS- Jason Castro, Evan Gattis

In terms of team need, the Astros, in my book, are the #1 fit for McCann. They haven't gotten much production from catcher Jason Castro (.217, 9 HR) or first baseman Marwin Gonzalez (.253, 11 HR), and Evan Gattis will provide power but not much else. The veteran presence of McCann to this team would provide a boost, not only in the clubhouse, but would also make Castro and Gonzalez expendable in the offseason.

CHANCES THE ASTROS TRADE FOR McCANN: 5/10. Again, we see a team where McCann would be a great fit, but there are a few familiar snags in the way. His age (32) and contract may hinder this deal from coming to fruition. The price would not be cheap though, and if the deal happens, again look for middle relievers to headline the package going back to the Bronx.


Oh, there's one last team we haven't looked at yet. And this one may be the most intriguing of all.

NEW YORK YANKEES- Gary Sanchez, Brian McCann

That's right. How badly do the Yankees need McCann? Well, we have all seen the incredible things Gary Sanchez has done during his short time in the majors. Austin Romine is also a very serviceable reserve, so if McCann were to stay in the Bronx, it seems his days as a catcher are certainly numbered. Mark Teixeira is retiring at the end of the year, and the trade of Beltran, plus the release/retirement/"whatever you want to call it" of A-Rod opened the door for DH at-bats for McCann. But for how long? Next year, Greg Bird will return to first base, Tyler Austin and Mason Williams will be battling for roster spots, Aaron Judge will be in the outfield (along with Ellsbury, Hicks, and Gardner), and Rob Refsnyder will be the super utility man. All of this could potentially spell the end of McCann's time in pinstripes. But he still has some power, and he's a very smart handler of the pitchers.

CHANCES THE YANKEES TRADE McCANN: 5/10 now, ??? Later. I hate to cop out at the end of the blog like this but the bottom line is that nobody knows. McCann could be traded now, he could be dealt in the offseason, he could be traded next season, or he could stay on as the regular DH (and fill in at catcher and first base when needed). Its all a matter of perceived and real value. The Yankees may decide he is worth more in their lineup, or he could be worth more as a trade chip to improve in other areas, specifically the bullpen.

Stat Sheet: Better Latos Than Never

What the addition of another pitcher means for the Nats


After taking some time to weigh their options, the Washington Nationals have decided to add Matt Latos to their 25-man roster. If the Nationals had not done so, Latos could have opted out of his contract. A member of the Washington minor league system since late June, Latos had posted a sparkling 1.93 ERA in six starts. His time with the Chicago White Sox to begin the year, however, is a completely different story. In-depth statistics such as fielding independent pitching (FIP) show that Latos was very lucky to have a 4.62 ERA and it should have been much worse. Latos was clearly over-performing through his first handful of starts when he had a 0.73 ERA, but nobody expected that ERA to balloon to over 7 from that point forward. So simply put, in Latos, the Nationals are getting a guy who can be excellent or horrible. And the tough question becomes "How do they know what to expect?"

First let's start with the good. Latos is a guy who has won 14 games on three separate occasions, most recently in 2013 as a member of the Cincinnati Reds. Another positive is his career 3.57 ERA, which would be welcome on any Big League rotation. Not to mention, he also sports an above-average 1.20 WHIP over his eight big league seasons. But the two biggest positives of all: He's just 28 years old and he will be pitching under the tutelage of one of the games' premier pitching coaches in Mike Maddux. This lends optimism that whatever issues that have plagued him recently can be corrected.

Speaking of those issues, there are plenty of red flags in Latos' performance in recent years. In the 2.5 seasons since his 14-win 2013 campaign, Latos has gone 15-17 with a 4.39 ERA. Still not awful, but a far cry from his previous body of work. The biggest red flag of all came last year during his 6 game stint with the Dodgers where he was saddled with a 6.66 ERA, an atrocious WHIP of over 1.50 and he averaged 11.5 hits allowed per nine innings. A possible explanation for his struggles could be found in his pitch count and innings data. Latos has only gone 5.1 innings per start this year, as compared to the 6 innings he has averaged over his career. He is using more pitches per inning (16.7) this year than his career average (15.8), and it is his worst number since his rookie season. Neither of those statistics display glaring differences, however they are enough out of the norm for Latos to be labeled a potential suspect. Or perhaps, instead of being a cause of his pitching woes, they could just be another number affected by his struggles.

                         (Chicago Tribune)

Data suggests, however that there is more reason to be positive than concerned. He has maintained a low BB/9 rating of around 2 throughout his career, gives up less than 1 home run per nine innings, and his strikeouts have dropped by 3 this year from his career average, which the Nationals hope means he is due for a correction to finish out the year.

                             (Washington Post)

Now, as for the Nationals, this move is made more out of necessity at the moment than anything else. Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 3.59) and Joe Ross (7-4, 3.49) are both on the DL (although Strasburg has begun to throw again, giving the Nats hope he will be ready sooner rather than later). Reynaldo Lopez (5.33 ERA) and top pitching prospect Lucas Giolito (5.63) have been very spotty in limited starts this year. That leaves Max Scherzer (14-7, 2.92), Tanner Roark (13-7, 2.99) and Gio Gonzalez (9-9, 4.25) as the only proven pitchers in the rotation. Until Strasburg and Ross come back, the Nats have no other choice but to pitch Latos. When the other two return, the Nationals will have a decision to make. Will someone be bumped out of the rotation? Will they go to the bullpen or back to AAA?Roark has had plenty of experience as a reliever but it would make no sense at all to take him out of the rotation with all the success he has had. Will the Nats just go with a 6-man rotation? They could do that to take some strain off their front-line starters, especially with an 8 game lead in the division. For Dusty Baker, this seems like a good problem to have. That is, if everything plays out according to plan. But as the calendar flips to the final month of the regular season, we are reminded that September baseball, just like Matt Latos, has one thing that is certain. That one thing is the fact that nothing is certain.

Card Connections: The T-206 Series

When I decided to take on this blog, going through my baseball card collection was immediately jumping out as being one of my favorite posts on my weekly schedule. Any baseball fan gets a rush from baseball cards, and if they don't, they ain't a real fan! There's just something about ripping open a new pack or flipping through a binder that brings us back to the "Good Ol' Days". I still remember perfectly who was in my first pack of baseball cards. It was a Topps Series 1 pack that I opened on Easter morning in 2003. Cliff Lee rookie card, Jorge Posada, Vinny Castilla, Chipper Jones, Ruddy Lugo rookie card, Michael Young, Denny Hocking, Dave Roberts, Gary Matthews Jr., and Cole Hamels draft pick. Ahh, to this day, Topps 2003 is my favorite year to collect. And, since that was my first year as a baseball fan, I refuse to go the easy route and buy the complete set in one box, like I do with current sets. Nope, I will finish that set the hard way, card by card until I complete it.

Anyways, I digress. For my first Card Connections post, I thought about those 2003 cards, but I will save them for next week. This week, I decided to take a look at the two oldest cards in my collection, from the hallowed T-206 series.

First, A brief history of the T-206s. This particular label refers to cards produced between 1909 and 1911. As was the case with most cards of the day, these cards were distributed inside cigarette boxes and the backs of these cards, instead of having a bio and stats of the player, featured the name of a cigarette company (such as Piedmont, Old Mill or Sweet Corporal). There are 524 cards in the set in terms of images on the front. But, for every Ed Cicotte card, there may be many different backsides to the card, which results in somewhere over 6,000 possible cards in the set. 

Any history of the T-206 set is incomplete without mentioning the so-called "Big Four". These four cards are some of the rarest cards in existence, due to them being pulled for some reason or another. The Card of Sherry Magee, who was not a standout player by any means, is one of these rare cards due to the misspelling of his name (cards say "Magie", instead of Magee). Another is Joe Doyle. Many of Doyle's cards have the caption "Doyle, N.Y." on the front, but only a few have the full caption "Doyle, N.Y. Nat'l". Yet a third card, Hall of Fame pitcher Eddie Plank is an extreme rarity because only a few of them were ever printed. Rumors say that during production, a printing plate broke, causing companies to stop producing his card, but this has never been proven.

And of course, the crown jewel and deepest secret of the T-206 series is the Honus Wagner card. Not much is known about why there are fewer than 60 Honus Wagner cards in existence. Whether it is because he was averse to children using tobacco products and refused to market to them (as the legend goes) or if there was a financial dispute in regards to the use of his likeness on the card, the reason may never be known. But what we do know is the last Wagner card that was sold in 2013  went for a cool $2.1 million. Safe to say, that is one crown jewel that most of the card collecting world will be resigned to admire from a distance.

With that being said, I always grew up hoping to get my hands on just one T-206 card. To many collectors, owning even one card in the set gives you credibility in the collector universe. I always felt like owning my very own T-206 would make my collection go from "this kid has an awful lot of baseball cards, thats impressive" to "Ok, this is a serious collector". And so, in the fall of 2013, just weeks into my sophomore year at Appalachian State (Go 'Neers, as an old co-worker of mine used to say), I walked into an antique store one rainy Saturday. Now, I had been to this store before, and I knew you could occasionally find cards from the 1950s, '60s, and '70s and I'm always on the lookout for some lower-end cards from those eras to add to my collection. I certainly wasn't expecting to turn the corner and come face-to-face with a real, honest to goodness T-206 baseball card in a glass display case. I started ripping bills out of my wallet as I headed to the register. "Who is that player on the card?" my parents asked. "I don't know, but it's a T-206!" I responded. I don't think they quite grasped the seriousness of this purchase for me at the time. So who was the player on my newest and oldest baseball card?

Ed Konetchy, a 15-year big league veteran who played first base for multiple teams, that's who. He hit .248 in his first full season in 1908, but in his second full year, he hit .286 and drove in 80 runs. Twice he led the majors in games played, led the league in doubles once, and 4 times hit over .300 (not to mention his final season where he hit .299 in 127 games at age 35). He also had 10+ triples 10 times, and also reached 10+ steals in 12 of his 15 seasons (achieving a career-high 27 steals on 3 separate occasions). The more research I did on him, the more I realized, I actually had gotten the card of a pretty darn good player. This wasn't a lesser player that I got at a reasonable price (reasonable for a card that old anyways...I wouldn't call anything that's price was almost the same number as it's age "cheap"), this was a real solid, everyday player who probably would have made a few All-Star games if they had existed back then.

               (Small Traditions)

My second, and most recent T-206 addition came this past May. I was in yet another antique store, this time in Winston-Salem, when I came across not one card in a glass case, but SIX of them. I immediately recognized two players, but not knowing the other four, I went to my trusty source for baseball stats (baseball-reference) with the intention of getting the card of the best player. Turns out, the best player was the first one i recognized. Bill Dineen was wrapping up his 12 year career in 1909, at the time this card was being made. He compiled a 170-177 career record, but ended with a 3.01 ERA and was a 20-game winner four times. He pitched for the Boston Pilgrims in the very first World Series in 1903, and won a career high 23 games the following year.

(Small Traditions)

T-206 cards have become somewhat of a mini-obsession of mine. Not as much as the 2003 Topps set, which has much more sentimental value. But these cardboard pieces of history are so appealing and the history behind the greatest card set of all time is more than enough to catch the attention of baseball historians and card hunters like myself. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to ebay to look for another T-206!

What's your oldest baseball card? Be sure to comment below!

The Curious Case of Rich Hill

Who were the most sought-after pitchers in free agency this past offseason?

Johnny Cueto for sure. Jordan Zimmerman, definitely. Zack Greinke, no doubt about it. But what if I told you Rich Hill wasn't too far behind? It sounds silly, right? And in a way (at least, until you see all the details), it is. Sure, nobody came into the 2016 season saying "Rich Hill is going to win 20 games", but somehow, some way, he was an important piece of the pitching market over the winter. But how did he get to be that way?

Drafted 3 times, Hill finished school at the University of Michigan before beginning his career in the Cubs' organization. A 6'5", 205-pound lefty, Hill began his first foray into pro ball at the age of 22 for the Cubs' Low-A affiliate in Boise. Over the next few seasons, he slowly and methodically progressed through the Cubs' system. By 2005, he was widely regarded as having one of the best curveballs in all of minor league baseball. Devastating breaking-ball in hand, Hill recorded quite the impressive stat line that year: 11-4, 3.31 ERA, 194 strikeouts in just 130 innings. Not to mention, he went all the way from the Cubs' A level all the way to AAA Iowa, where he went 6-1. It seemed as if Hill was on his way to becoming the next big thing. Chicago was just 2 years removed from the dramatic and disappointing 2003 NLCS loss, and if Mark Prior and Kerry Wood could stay healthy, along with young star Carlos Zambrano and veteran Greg Maddux, it seemed the Cubs certainly had plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

As a minor leaguer, Hill's fastball sat in the 88-92 range, with a dominant 12-6 curve and he also had a "show-me" change-up. But his issue was control. Aside from his dominant 2005 campaign, he averaged almost 5 walks per game throughout his time on the farm and despite the dominance of his curveball, he had a tendency to hang it and would pay dearly, to the tune of 1.4 home runs allowed per game in '05.

Finally, at the very end of 2005, Hill got his first call to the bigs, and was unremarkable. He posted an 0-2 record, 9.13 ERA, and almost had as many walks (17) as innings pitched (23). Ticketed for AAA Iowa to begin 2006, Hill made sure the Cubs couldn't keep him there, going 7-1 with a glistening 1.80 ERA. The Cubs had no choice, bringing him back to Chicago, where he showed his improvement, posting a 6-7 mark and a 4.17 ERA. He had earned a spot in the rotation. And so, at age 27, the 2007 season was to be his first full season in the bigs. All he did was go 11-8, 3.92 ERA and 183 whiffs in 195 innings. The future looked bright, and it seemed the Cubs had found a new star.

         

(milb.com)

But back issues limited Hill to just 5 big league starts in '08. When he did pitch, the control issues creeped up again, as he walked almost one batter per inning. And so, with the Cubs coming off a division crown and looking to get even better, Hill was dealt to the Orioles for the 2009 season. Again, high walk numbers and injuries ruined another season. Hill's ERA was approaching 8 before he was finally shut down with a torn labrum. He signed a free agent deal with the Cardinals the following spring, before getting picked up by the Boston Red Sox, where he made his only big league appearances that year. But things went from bad to worse, and the next bump in the road for this once-bright star came in the form of Tommy John surgery. Two dismal 2011 appearances with the Red Sox were followed by a sparkling (if somewhat abbreviated) 2012 year where he posted a 1.83 ERA out of the 'pen. A miserable 2013 with the Cleveland Indians, and another injury-shortened 2014 found Hill out of a job that winter.

A 6.83 ERA with the Indians seemed just another stop on a long road of struggles (Chicago Tribune)

In 2015, Hill began the season in the 'pen for Washington's AAA affiliate, but despite good numbers, was released midseason. Hill resorted to the Independent leagues, where he began working as a starter again. After making just two starts (in which he fanned 21 hitters in 11 innings), he was picked up once again by Boston. He went 2-1 at the end of last season with a 1.55 ERA and that finally brings us to the 2015-16 offseason.

What made Hill so attractive this past offseason? The guy has a long history of injuries, and a list of control issues just as long. According to the Oakland A's it was just a matter of risk vs. reward. A's Assistant GM Dave Feinstein said the A's were looking for a bargain and after Hill "put together four really good starts for the Red Sox, we looked at potential free agents and we saw him as a low-risk option with plenty of upside."  Indeed, a guy with an injury history can come cheap, so the A's offered Hill a $6 million deal. Hill had offers elsewhere but what ultimately swayed him towards the A's was their offer of a spot in the rotation. Hill went 9-3 for the A's this year, cutting down on walks while continuing to strike out hitters at a high rate. Finally, it seems as if things are going right for Hill. A deadline deal with the Dodgers was followed by yet another stint on the DL, this time for blisters on his pitching hand.

Last night, Rich Hill made his Dodgers debut in Chavez Ravine against Johnny Cueto and the Giants. Hill became the 30th Dodger pitcher this year (one shy of the franchise record set last year). As I watched Hill and Cueto duel last night, I couldn't tell which one was the 1-year, $6 million pitcher, and which one was the 6-year, $130 million pitcher. A Justin Turner home run in the 4th inning was the first Dodger hit of the night, and it was all the support Hill would need.

Cueto- 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (L, 14-4)
Hill- 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER. 0 BB, 3 K (W, 1-0 with Dodgers, 10-3 overall)

For the second time in his career, Hill has reached double figures in the win column. But more importantly to him, the Dodgers are 3 games up on the Giants in the quest for the division title. With Kershaw due back from the disabled list soon, the Dodgers rolling, and the Giants reeling, it looks as if we will be seeing the lights of Dodger stadium deep into October again. And for Rich Hill, nothing would be sweeter than finally getting to the postseason, an accomplishment that has eluded him thus far. yes, for the first time in a long time, for this Dodgers lefty, it feels good to be King of the Hill.

Hill tossed 6 shutout innings in his Dodgers Debut last night (Richard Mackson, USA TODAY Sports)

Prospect Profile: Tyler O'Neill, Mariners

                                                                       

          

NAME: Tyler O'Neill

AGE: 21

POSITION: OF/DH

TEAM: Jackson Generals (AA affiliate of Seattle Mariners)

DRAFTED; 3rd Round of 2013 June Amateur draft by Seattle Mariners from Garibaldi SS (Brit. Columbia)

SCOUTING REPORT: The name of O'Neill's game is power. This kid can absolutely bust 'em with the best of them. He projects to be a corner outfielder or DH in the long run. Average defender with a plus arm. Average to above average speed (probably a 50 on the 20-80 scale). The concerns for O'Neill center around his ability (or lack thereof) to make consistent contact. Strikeout percentage in 2014 was 32.2%, and just a .247 average. Slight improvement in 2015, K% around 24% (which is a little more reasonable for a slugger) and again right around 25% this year. Still, it will be important to watch how quickly (and if, at all) his plate discipline and pitch selection improves. Call-up to AAA could be coming when MLB rosters expand next month. Major League Debut expected in 2017.

STATS: Currently the #2 prospect in the Seattle system, behind OF Kyle Lewis. Played rookie ball in 2013, hitting .310/1/15. Spent the majority of his abbreviated 2014 campaign with Class-A Clinton, where he hit .247 with 13 home runs. Had a breakout of sorts in 2015 with Class-A+ Bakersfield, hitting .260 with 32 home runs and 87 RBI, while cutting his K percentage down by 7%. Also stole 16 bases. 2016 has been his best overall year to date. Slashed .302/23/96 so far for Jackson (Mariners' AA affiliate) with 10 stolen bases. Has made a career high 4 errors this season, but also has a career high 9 assists.

PROJECTION: O'Neill's bat will get him into the Seattle lineup (especially if they do not keep Nelson Cruz past his current contract). he will most likely turn into a serviceable player who may sneak into an All-Star game or two. I would compare him to Josh Willingham or Jack Cust (at his peak 25-30 HR, 160-190 Ks) but with a little more speed.

Tebow Time? Ranking Players Who Played in the NFL and MLB

FUN FACT: Before we get into today's topic, here's something interesting. On this date in 1936, a young rookie for the Cleveland Indians named Bob Feller made his first big league start. As a sign of the great things to come, he struck out 15.


Now, for today's feature presentation.

Alright, everyone mark your calendars for next Tuesday. That's when Tim Tebow will be working out for MLB teams in Los Angeles. He's been working out for quite some time, and has gotten some pretty nice endorsements from guys like Gary Sheffield.

I know what you're thinking: "Here we go again, another Tim Tebow story." That's actually the last thing I wanted to do. So, with Tebow's workout officially scheduled, It made me wonder: Who are the best players to play both MLB and NFL? Yeah we all know Bo Jackson (although he's not #1 on my list, I'll explain that later) and Deion Sanders and legend Jim Thorpe, but who else has made the jump, successful or otherwise? Over 70 men have been known to play at the highest level in both sports. Some with more distinction in one than another, and some with little to no distinction in either. But let's take a look at who I think the top 5 overall cross-sport athletes are.

NOTE: Russell Wilson is NOT included because he has not made it to the Majors yet. Who knows, maybe he never will. But I'd say, at least so far that the NFL thing is working out for him.


5. Ernie Nevers (MLB 1926-1928, NFL 1926-1931). Nevers is one of those guys who was WAY better in one sport than another, but hey, he still made it to the top level in both. As a NFL superstar, Nevers is still the only player in NFL history to score 40 points in a single game. He spent his first 2 NFL seasons with the now-defunct Duluth Eskimos, before playing his final 3 years with the Chicago Cardinals, where he scored 12 touchdowns in his first year in the Windy City. Nevers was named 1st Team All-Pro in all 5 of his NFL seasons and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963 and is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame (he was a star at Stanford). His baseball career was much less storied. Nevers pitched parts of 3 seasons for the St. Louis Browns, compiling a 6-12 record and a 4.64 ERA. In 1927, he went 3-8 with a 4.94 ERA in 94 innings, and gave up 2 of Babe Ruth's then-record 60 home runs.

(Bleacher Report)

4. Brian Jordan- (MLB 1992-2006, NFL 1989-1991). Jordan was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons and the St. Louis Cardinals out of the University of Richmond. While he spent time in the Cardinals' farm system, he played in 4 games as a rookie for the Falcons, recovering two fumbles. In 1990, he recorded 3 interceptions and added 2 more the following year while starting 30 of a possible 32 games. He also recorded two safeties in 1991. In the 1991 playoffs, Jordan recorded his lone postseason interception. His big league baseball career began in 1992 and he played parts of the next 3 seasons. His first full season, 1995 served as his breakout campaign, as he hit .296 with 22 homers and 24 stolen bases. The following year, Jordan was 8th in MVP voting thanks to his .310/17/104 line, as well as 22 steals. He made his only All-Star appearance in 1999 as a member of the Atlanta Braves and also saw his only World Series action that year as the Braves were swept by the Yankees. Overall, Jordan slashed .282/184/821 in his 15 year career with 119 steals to go with it.

(likesuccess.com)

2. Jim Thorpe (MLB 1913-1919, NFL 1920-1928). Widely considered one of the greatest and most hallowed athletes of all time, Jim Thorpe could do it all. Playing competitive sports well into his 40s, his accomplishments and achievements have stood the test of time to the point where he is still revered to this day. Thorpe's football career actually began in 1915 as a member of the Canton Bulldogs, but in 1920, the Bulldogs were granted entry into the NFL Thorpe bounced around the league, playing for 6 teams in 8 years. In those very early days of football, statistics were few and far between, and when they were kept, they were not very thorough, so little is actually known about Thorpe's NFL career. We do know he was voted All-Pro in 1923 and was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963, joining Ernie Nevers and 15 others as the very first class inducted. As a baseball player, Thorpe was never more than a part-time player, but managed to hit .327 in his final season, the only time he eclipsed the .300 mark. He was hitless in his lone postseason at-bat, coming as a member of the New York Giants in 1917. Oh, did we mention he was a basketball player as well, and also won multiple Olympic gold medals and held his share of Olympic records?

(wikipedia.com)

3. Bo Jackson (MLB 1986-1991, 1993-1994, NFL 1987-1990). Two things kept Bo from being number 1 on this list. One of those things was out of his control, Yes, we all know about the gruesome hip injury that ended his NFL career and interrupted his baseball one. But, the positive side of that story is his triumphant return to baseball afterwards (29 of his 141 home runs came post-surgery). Many who saw him play say Bo was, without question, the greatest athlete of all time and could have been a Hall of Famer in both sports. Whoa, now, don't get TOO carried away. I do agree, that had he been able to stay healthy, Bo would have been in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He never started more than 9 games in a season due to injuries, but somehow still retired with a career mark of 5.4 yards per carry. He scored 16 TDs in four years, and lead the league 3 times in longest rush of the year, with runs of 91, 92, and 88 yards. In his lone playoff game in 1990, he carried 6 times for 77 yards. On the baseball field, Bo was a fantastic defender and a great power hitter, amassing 20+ home runs four times as a member of the Royals. But here is why he was no HOFer: Only once did he drive in 100 runs (105 in 1989), he never hit above .280, and struck out more times than games played every year. So while he had the talent to be a star in both sports, and I think was a Hall of Famer in football for sure (again, if he had been healthy), I think his baseball career, had it been a full one, would be remembered more like Dave Kingman or Adam Dunn. Which is certainly nothing to be ashamed of.

(topdrawersoccer.com)

1. Deion Sanders (MLB 1989-2001, NFL 1989-2000, 2004-2005). "Prime Time" certainly showed up when it mattered. Sanders lived for the big stage, thrived in the big moment, excelled when every eye was on him. There are two big reasons why Sanders is my #1 on this list. The first reason, is not only did he play both sports incredibly well, but he also played both sports at a high level for such an extended period of time. Secondly, at the time of this blog posting, he is the only man to have played in a Super Bowl AND a World Series. Stats and achievements are great but at the end of the day, its about championships and even though Deion didn't win the World Series, he more than gave the Braves a chance to win it. A career .263 hitter, Sanders' best season came as a member of the Braves in 1992, where he hit .304, 8 homers, 28 RBI, and stole 26 bases. Two years later, while splitting time between the Braves and Cincinnati Reds, he stole a career high 38 bags. In his only World Series in 1992, he batted .533 and stole 5 bases in 4 games, but the Braves ultimately lost to the Blue Jays. In the NFL, Sanders compiled a Hall of Fame career, won two Super Bowls, and was named to eight Pro Bowls. He intercepted 53 passes in his career and is ranked 4th all-time in career pick-sixes. His speed also made him an explosive weapon returning kicks and punts, as he added another nine touchdowns on returns and three additional scores running out of the backfield. Regardless of where he played, regardless of what sport or how big the stage, the setting was never to big for Prime Time, the number one MLB-NFL athlete of all time.

(totalprosports.com)