5 Apr
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.
9 Feb
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.
27 Jan
A look at one of the best catchers to ever play the game. Someone born Fury Gene Tenace, who won four World Series and hit homers in his first two world series at bats. read on: http://baseballpastandpresent.com/2012/01/26/playerany-era-gene-tenace/
17 Oct
Sometimes when I read the backs of these cards, I am like, WTF, what the what, the ladylike, just like me? Yeah I don’t get my brain sometimes either.
I’m not even real sure where to start with this. I’ll go ahead and get the obvious typo out of the way – I don’t think Wasdin “hel opposing hitters…” I’m guessing he held them, held them tight with his clarineting and saxaphoning.
But, let’s dig into the massive factual inaccuracies on the back of the card. I really believe the narrative on the back was written about someone else and they simply assigned it to Wasdin.
I can find no evidence that Wasdin was a classically trained saxophonist or clarinetist. In addition, it’s hard for Wasdin to be a mound Maestro in 1995 given he appeared in just 5 games (and 17.1 IPs) for the Athletics. He didn’t even pitch particularly well: 4.67 ERA and 6.10 FIP. Moreover, he didn’t record a single save in the majors until 1999 and only recorded seven in his major league career and just four in the minors. He might have ranked among the save leaders of those pitchers who appeared on June 11, 1999 – but that’s it.
The actual vignette had to be written about one of a select group: Randy Myers, Tom Henke, Heathcliff Slocumb, Todd Worrell, Roberto Hernandez or John Wettland – as they finished in the top 10 in saves and all had K rates near nine. I couldn’t find any references to Myers, Henke, Slocumb, Worrell or Hernandez. Then, I hit pay dirt (I mean you had to assume it was Wettland, given his first and last name, right?).
Googling John Wettland’s 1996 Topps card leads to this link: http://mikekenny.blogspot.com/2010/07/classic-card-of-week_08.html. So we’ve got a culprit.
Poor John Wasdin, not even good enough to have the anecdote on his rookie card right. And it’s not as if John Wasdin was some career journeyman…yet. He was the 25th overall pick in 1993 and progressed nicely in the minors: before the 1995 season, he was the #53 prospect. The following year he was the #84 prospect.
Unfortunately he could never pitch like Wettland and crisscrossed the country during a 12-year career. In 1997, Wasdin (and cash!) was traded to the Boston Red Sox for Jose Canseco. He played four years for the Red Sox, earned $1.5 million and was worth 1.7 WAR. He was bitten by the Green Monster a lot: 1.4 HR/9, leading to the nickname “Way Back Wasdin” a riff off Jerry Trupiano’s signature homerun call.
Having lived out his welcome in Boston (after two miserable post-season performances against the Indians in 1998 and 1999), Wasdin (along with Jeff Taglienti, Jeff Frye and Bran Rose) was shipped to the Colorado Rockies for Rolando Arrojo, Rich Croushore, Mike Lansing and cash.
He stumbled around from there, pitched a perfect game for the Nashville Sounds that only 750 people saw, and ended up in Japan.
It’s odd to think that the most memorable aspect* of Wasdin’s career is the erroneous back of a baseball card. I certainly never would have investigated his career had I not been initially stunned by the verbiage.
*As Bill Parker, who writes awesomely and uncommonly for the Platoon Advantage, points out: John Wasdin’s change-up in one of the late 90s version of Triple Play was randomly clocked at 120 MPHs. If I knew this, I forgot, if I didnt, I’m ashamed.
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5 Nov
The 1987 Oakland Athletics had the most eclectic team judging from the back of their baseball cards. If you don’t believe me, continue to read on. I have at least five or six more in addition to Mike Davis and Carney Lansford to write about.
None, however, are more interesting than Moose Haas. Man, I’ve wanted to write about this one for so long. Basically, he is Jean-Claude Van Damme combined with Gob. Bluth and a dash of MacGyver. Of course, there is also the tiny fact that he goes by Moose (even though his real name is Bryan Edmund). He was also born in Baltimore, which is a city I love.
Unfortunately for the nickname-, karate-, magic- and locksmith-loving public, 1987 would be the last year in the majors for Haas. He ended with a pretty impressive 12-year career going 100-83 with a 4.01 ERA and 1.30 WHIP.
In reality, he could have used a bit more Bluth/MacGyver in him as he posted a miniscule 4.6 K/9 rate and a 1.96 K:BB rate. With a little more illusionary capabilities, Moose Haas could have been a household name.
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For the history of this series, check out this article: Check You Out On the Flip Side: Howard Johnson.
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