Any player/Any era: Kenny Lofton for Baseball Past & Present

Any player/Any era: Kenny Lofton for Baseball Past & Present: http://baseballpastandpresent.com/2012/05/17/playerany-era-kenny-lofton/. A look at how Kenny Lofton would have been appreciated on the 2000 Boston Red Sox. 

Bottom of the Ninth: What to Look for in the First Week for Closers for @Razzball

Bottom of the Ninth: What to Look for in the First Week for Closers for Razzball: http://razzball.com/bottom-of-the-ninth-what-to-look-for-in-the-first-week/.

A look at the bullpen situations of the Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians and Washington Nationals.

Any Player/Any Era: Al Rosen for Baseball Past & Present

Any Player/Any Era: Al Rosen for Baseball Past & Present: http://baseballpastandpresent.com/2012/04/05/playerany-era-al-rosen/. A look at the great but brief career of Al Rosen and how he might have fared in an era devoid of World Wars and with modern medicine. Naturally, he had to be placed on the Cleveland Indian powerhouses of the late 1990s.

Ubaldo Jimenez: Fantasy Baseball Sleeper, for @Razzball

Ubaldo Jimenez: Fantasy Baseball Sleeper, for Razzball: http://razzball.com/ubaldo-jimenez-2012-fantasy-sleeper/. A look at Jimenez’s fantasy baseball and roto value for 2012.

Any Player/Any Era: Tony Phillips for Baseball Past & Present

Any Player/Any Era: Tony Phillips for Baseball Past and Present: http://baseballpastandpresent.com/2012/02/09/playerany-era-tony-phillips/.

A look at how Tony Phillips would have fared with the 1950 Cleveland Indians.

Baseball Daily Digest Radio with Joel Henard and Albert Lang from 1.16

Baseball Daily Digest Radio with Joel Henard and Albert Lang 01/16 by JoelHenard | Blog Talk Radio.

We talked the big Yankees and Mariners trade, Jesus Montero, Michael Pineda, Hector Noesi, Jose Campos, Yoenis Cespedes, Cleveland Indians, Ryan Madson, the Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers, Prince Fielder, Washington Nationals, Justin Upton, Matt Kemp, Buster Posey, Neftali Feliz, Colby Rasmus, Yu Darvish, Daniel Descalso, Tyler Greene, Kerry Wood, Johan Santana, Johnny Damon, Drew Stubbs, Ian Stewart, fantasy baseball, and roto.

Baseball Daily Digest Radio with Joel Henard and Albert Lang will air at 7:00 ET

Baseball Daily Digest Radio with Joel Henard and Albert Lang at 7:00 ET. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thefantasyinsiders/2012/01/17/baseball-daily-digest-radio-with-joel-henard-and-albert-lang.

We’ll talk the big Yankees and Mariners trade, Jesus Montero, Michael Pineda, Hector Noesi, Jose Campos, Yoenis Cespedes, Cleveland Indians, Ryan Madson, the Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers, Prince Fielder, Washington Nationals, Justin Upton, Matt Kemp, Buster Posey, Neftali Feliz, Colby Rasmus, Yu Darvish, Daniel Descalso, Tyler Greene, Kerry Wood, Johan Santana, Johnny Damon, Drew Stubbs, Ian Stewart, fantasy baseball, and roto.

Check You out on the Flip Side: Ken Schrom

For some reason, the cards with the most interesting information seem to be from players who had limited to no appearances after 1987 (and obviously the 1987 Topps set was the gold standard for back-of-card information – or lack thereof).

Schrom was no different. He wrapped up his seven-year career in 1986 by posting a 6.50 ERA, 5.70 FIP and 1.57 WHIP in 153.2 IPs.

Until then, Schrom had been a reasonably, albeit completely average, innings eater over the course of his career.

His best season (which wasn’t the year he made the All-star team, oddly (or not) enough) was 1983 for the Minnesota Twins. He went 15-8 in 196.1 IPs, and posted a 3.71 ERA, 4.23 FIP and 1.41 WHIP.

His All-star appearance in 1986 was almost entirely driven by the BABIP gods. Before the ASG, his BABIP was .241 and he had a 3.88 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. After the ASG, his BABIP was .291 and he had a 5.44 ERA and 1.39 WHIP – holy regression monster.

Schrom definitely learned the ins and out of baseball however. While playing, he spent over 15 seasons with the El Paso Diablos and now is an executive of the Corpus Christi Hooks. I always remark on the odd jobs players had to have in the off-season, even in the 80s. As odd jobs go, working with a minor league squad seems about the best.

If you don’t know the Diablos, the organization graduated such notable players as Tom Brunansky, Bob Ferris, Teddy Higuera, Randy Johnson, Byung-Hyun Kim, Carney Lansford, Lyle Overbay, Brad Penny, Gary Sheffield, Dan Uggla, Brandon Webb, Cory Lidle, Carlos Quentin and Chris Snyder.

It has to be pretty to cool to both be a major leaguer and help develop major league talent. Kudos to Schrom!

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Check You out on the Flip Side: Grady Sizemore

Talk about a seemingly non-ominous ominous reverse jinx card.

I’ve been a huge Sizemore fan since he went 20-20 in 2005 as a 22-year old. I’ve written about him for fantasy and I’ve handled this card carefully. It is one of those I wanted to write about but couldn’t get into it.

 

Until recently, Sizemore went out there, played hard and fabulously and never missed a game. From 2005-2008, Sizemore played 639 games, or 160 per year, and put up a .281/.372/.496 line paired with superb defense in centerfield.

But, maybe, just maybe, he should have taken a few more games off here and there. As the card alludes to, Sizemore missed two months in 2009. Unfortunately, that would be the beginning of a dramatic (hopefully abbreviated) Dale Murphy like swoon. Sizemore appeared in 210 games total from 2009-2011 and his production (.234/.314/.413) plummeted.

At 22 and 23, Sizemore’s career trajectory looked a lot like Duke Snider’s did at similar ages. At 24 and 25, his career resembled the great Barry Bonds. Now, he looks a lot like Trot Nixon, Reggie Smith (albeit a very good player), Bobby Bonilla, Ron Gant and Ellis Burks.

For awhile, Sizemore did it all. He is his high school’s all time leader in rushing yards and was a third round pick in the MLB draft. He was a shooting star and was part of the massive Bartolo Colon trade (Sizemore, Cliff Lee and Brandon Phillips), which basically ended the Expos. Heck, at the time, he even signed a pretty nice contract with an incredibly friendly 2012 club option – yet that option was declined (thankfully he got back together with Indians and hopefully his body will heal).

If this is just Sizemore playing out the string with a body that quit on him, let’s remember his 2006 season. He became the second player in MLB history to have at least 50 doubles, 10 triples, 25 home runs, and 20 stolen bases in a single season.

Here’s hoping he finds the magic elixir.

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h2h Corner ~ Check You Out on the Flip Side: Hoyt Wilhelm (via Candy Maldonado)

Before the summer of 1991, when I was just 9, I thought I knew everything about baseball – and, if not everything about baseball, everything about the Baltimore Orioles. I grew up going to games with my family. I also tagged along with my father and some of his college friends, one of which played “fantasy baseball.” This particular friend was astounded at my ability to recall statistics, trades, etc.

What changed that summer? I rode in a car driven by my father to Cooperstown, New York. We had an old Volkswagen Rabbit (I think) without A/C. I had purchased Pocket Full of Kryptonite (holy crap what a video) before the trip and we listened to it on repeat the entire way – my father must have hated the Spin Doctors.

Anyway, the whole city is amazing, baseball card stores, memorabilia abounds – and that doesn’t include the awesome history-rich spectacle that is the Hall of Fame. On this trip, I opened a 1989 Upper Deck pack and received a Ken Griffey, Jr. card. Magic.

Getting to actually go into the Hall was a special thrill. I got my picture taken in-between the plaques of Brooks Robinson and Frank Robinson. Then we wandered around and I saw Hoyt Wilhelm. I had no freaking clue who Hoyt Wilhelm was. I had never studied my Candy Maldonado cards apparently (probably because I hated Maldonado even though I sort of liked the Blue Jays teams from the early 90s…Maldonado always seemed to make errors and lollygag. But, I’ve already written about Maldonado so there’s no reason to dwell).

Wilhelm, who pitched as a 48-year-old, had a career that spanned 21 seasons and 2,254 innings and he racked up a bunch of records on the way.

Wilhelm appeared in the fifth most games in history by a pitcher: 1,070, which trails only Dennis Eckersley, Mike Stanton, John Franco and Jesse Orosco – modern day relievers. He also owns the 30th best ERA (2.52) by a pitcher with at least 1,500 IPs. He owns the most career victories in relief: 124 – a record not likely to ever be broken. He also pitched the most innings in relief in MLB history: 1,871.

And that knuckleball was devastating, resulting in the eighth lowest opposing batting average – people hit just .216 off him – a mark better than Randy Johnson. Hell his knuckleball was so good, the Baltimore Orioles created a bigger mitt so catchers could handle it.

And, really, it wouldn’t be until he joined the Orioles that his career would take off. He spent eight seasons with the New York Giants, St. Louis, and Cleveland, until the Indians gave up on him and Baltimore claimed him off waivers. He pitched for parts of five years for the Orioles, amassing 14.7 wins above replacement player, a 2.42 ERA and 2.28 K:BB walk rate. Eventually he would be part of a trade that brought the Orioles Luis Apiricio.

Still, Wilhelm is probably most remembered for September 20, 1958 when he threw a no-hitter against the hated Yankees and Mr. Perfect, Don Larsen. The Yankees wouldn’t be no-hit for another 45 years.

Then, the following year, on August 6, 1959, Wilhelm almost pitched a no-hitter in relief. Entering the game at the start of the ninth inning, Wilhelm held the White Sox hitless for 8⅔ innings before finally surrendering a hit in the 17th.

Wilhelm also fought in Europe during World War II and was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge. He received the Purple Heart.

I’ve found my way to a number of Hoyt Wilhelm cards over the years (all pictured here). I realize he’s a borderline Hall of Famer, at best, but his career remains terribly fascinating to this day. I stumbled upon his life much the same way I stumbled onto this topic – just cruising through baseball history looking to soak up knowledge. Who knew something good could come from Candy Maldonado?

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