Teaming with the Upton brothers is Jason Heyward, giving the Braves the best outfield in the National League East, and quite possibly the second best outfield in the entire NL (behind the Dodgers trio of Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, and Carl Crawford).

This isn’t the first brotherly combo in a major league outfield. And it is nothing like the Alou brothers — Felipe, Matty, and Jesus – who played together for the San Francisco Giants. The Uptons likely do have higher upside than the last brother combo to patrol an outfield: In 2010 San Diego Padres had Scott and Jerry Hairston Jr, a pair of solid role players who are lacking in star power.

As talent goes the Upton brothers bring enough talent to the table where it is likely they will be spoken about as one of the greatest brother duos in the game when they are done. (Thanks to the Society of American Baseball Research website, which was an excellent reference point.)

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We can find plenty of players who have done worse than what Bonds is accused of who are in the HOF, including Ty Cobb, who killed a man, and Cap Anson and other racists who helped keep the game segregated for decades.

We can find others who were questionable personalities: Reggie Jackson, Eddie Murray, Jim Rice and Bert Blyleven were all considered media unfriendly. Roberto Alomar spit in an Ump’s face. Kirby Puckett had his demons and Gaylord Perry was famous for his spitball, which was banned before he was even born.
Bonds played the game as well as anyone has ever played it on the field.  His seven Most Valuable Player awards, his single-season and career homerun titles weren’t his only contributions. He was an excellent base stealer; his glove was gold, and his eye at the plate may only be rivaled by Ted Williams. It obviously can’t be confirmed, but seeing his giant EGO before the steroids, one could see how he couldn’t handle seeing no-talent hacks like Sammy Sosa and Brady Anderson steal his spotlight. Even the oft-injured Mark McGwire was 220 pounds and rail thin at 6’5 before converting his body to almost 300 pounds of pure muscle probably frustrated Bonds. He was already a perennial All-Star. By playing out the string he would have been a Hall of Fame player without enhancement. I can see him wanting to show the world what a talented player could do on equal grounds, but that is just my opinion.

What isn’t in question however is the fact that he and Ken Griffey Jr http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/griffke02.shtml were the best players in the game for more than a decade before steroids. Very similar players, Griffey broke down once he got to Cincinnati and was never fully able to regain his luster.  Griffey finished with sure shot HOF numbers, and I would have projected Bonds to have put up similar numbers without the use of any kind of enhancements because Bonds didn’t have any major career threatening injuries.

The fact that he was the most hated player of a generation plays against his credibility. He is a flawed human being in the fact that he has a hard time being human, but on the field he was the best hitter since Ted Williams and the best all around player since his godfather Willie Mays.

One thing to consider however is that he was still in great shape and he could have become a designated hitter in the American League, but he was unofficially blackballed from the game. If that had not happened, you could have added another 135 games  145 hits, 75 runs, 20 doubles, 30 homers, 85 RBI, 75 walks and five to 10 steals onto his career totals a season until he decided to retire two or three years later.

I am glad he didn’t make the HOF in 2013.  I have a feeling the majority of people are going to disagree with me, but I think he should be in the HOF on the 2014 ballot.

The post Excluding him this year is fine, but Bonds belongs in the Hall appeared first on BrushBackPitch.com.

Craig Biggio had more than 3000 hits, and he played over 250 games at catcher, second base and centerfield. He’s the only player to do that. Biggio also won Silver Sluggers at catcher and at second base; he is the only player to have done that. He stole 414 bases and is fifth all time in doubles.

All but two players with over 3000 hits who are retired are in the hall of fame and Rafael Palmeiro was busted for steroids after speaking to Congress. The other is Pete Rose who broke the only commandment of baseball: Don’t Bet on Baseball.

I’ve seen some who have ranked Biggio among the top five second basemen in the game’s history. I’m not sure I’d go there because off the top of my head that’s Roberto Alomar, Joe Morgan, Ryne Sandberg, Jackie Robinson and Eddie Collins. But this link will take you to a list of all the second basemen in the HOF as of today… I’ll let you decide where he ranks, but there is not much question that he belongs with them.

Biggio was never besmirched with rumors of steroids and if you contact the Houston Astros to talk about Biggio’s charity works with the community during his tenure with the team you will get a long list. The facts don’t lie. His numbers are deserving of enshrinement. Even if we wanted to play God, we can’t get him on his integrity. He was a Roberto Clemente Award winner for best citizen to the game in 2007, and a Branch Rickey Award winner in 1997. There are no police reports for beating a wife, being a drunk, beating up fans or anything else. I couldn’t even find a speeding ticket on him.

There is zero reason that he shouldn’t have gotten 75 percent of the vote or higher.

To see who Brad would have voted for, check out his Unofficial Hall of Fame ballot.

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Please remember the rules state that we can vote for 10 players.

1. Craig Biggio – 3000 hits and 5^th all time in doubles 250 games at 3 positions CA (silver slugger award), CF, and 2B where he won a silver slugger and Gold Gloves.
2. Barry Bonds – I don’t care about his steroids… he was the greatest player I’ve ever seen play. Great offense. Great defense. Great base stealing threat. He was arguably the greatest all-around player in the history of the game, along with his Godfather Willie Mays.
3. Roger Clemens – twice struck out 20 batters in a game a decade apart, 300+ wins, WS titles, and one of the top 3-4 strikeout pitchers in the history of the game who was intimidated by no one.
4. Fred McGriff – the single most underrated power hitter in the history of the game who retired before getting to 500 homers (493) when 500 homers was still 500 homers!!!
5. Mike Piazza – no proof he ever took anything, and he was the single best offensive catcher in the history of the game with power and average.
6. Jeff Bagwell – second-best strike zone command I’ve seen to Bonds, and almost as deadly a hitter. No proof he ever took anything, and his back injury is the only thing that kept him from 3000 hits and 500 homers. Clutch like a hero!
7. Larry Walker – best Canadian ball player ever. He was a poor man’s Bonds in the fact that he could beat you with his average, his power, his glove, and his legs. But he also had one of the greatest arms in the history of the outfield. He just never got to play for a big media market.
8. Alan Trammell – He has grown on me as I’ve gotten older. I’ve seen great shortstops play and Trammell was consistently the best in the American League throughout his career. He was victim of playing opposite to Ozzie Smith and Barry Larkin in the National League.
9. Don Mattingly – The ultimate WHAT IF guy. Had he never been hurt we’d not be having this discussion as he would have had 3000-plus hits, 500-plus homers, and 2000-plus RBI. Unfortunately he was hurt, and while he will never make the Hall, he is one of my all-time favorite players and I would vote for him.
10. Tim Raines – Suffers from Reggie Miller or Clyde Drexler disease. He is the second best leadoff hitter of all time, and of his era. He just happened to be behind the greatest ever in Rickey Henderson, just as Reggie and Clyde were overshadowed by some guy named Michael Jordan.

I wouldn’t vote for Dale Murphy because his numbers just died off for the last three or four years of his career and it seemed like he was just collecting a paycheck instead of walking away with dignity. Sorry.

I am also not buying the greatest pitcher of the 80s discussion for Jack Morris simply because his career was neatly framed. Ron Guidry was a better more dominate pitcher for a 10-year streak and, arguably, so was Dwight Gooden from 1984 to 1993. So was Orel Hershiser. I wouldn’t put any of them in the Hall, but I’d put all of them in before I’d put enshrine Morris … even though Morris had, in my opinion, the single greatest game pitched in postseason history.

Mark McGwire and Sammy “steroid” Sosa were nothing without the juice just like Rafael Palmeiro. Curt Schilling, I’m sorry you lost all of your money on a bad investment. But bloody sock and all you were just not good enough for Cooperstown. Sorry.

The post BBP’s Beneke posts his hypothetical Hall of Fame ballot appeared first on BrushBackPitch.com.

WE WERE WRONG!

My biggest fear with the Wild Card to begin with was that it would water down the play, but we’ve seen so many wild card teams win the World Series now that it’s easy to see that the BEST TEAM for 162 isn’t the best team when the chips are on the table and it’s all on the line.

The additional playoff spot saved the Rangers and their fans from having to endure one of the most EPIC collapses in MLB history, up five games with eight games left to play, and now after Friday night’s game against the Orioles … the offseason plans are now in full effect in Arlington.

Without the extra playoff spot the Cardinals wouldn’t have been in last night’s game to allow the umpires to make a bad call. And before you or I, or anyone else gets all excited … umps make bad calls all the time, and they also make a lot of great calls that you or I wouldn’t be able to do in the heat of the moment at game speed so remember to breathe and remind yourself this isn’t the NFL… MLB officials do the job right!

As a lifelong Pirates fan I had hope this year until the end of August. That’s longer than I’ve had hope since 1992, or roughly five years before my 15-year-old son was even born. That’s right. All of you who are under 20-years-old might not believe it, but it’s true. The Pirates weren’t always bad.

There was drama in the AL East to see who would win the division up to the last day. The divisional race was not quite as dramatic in the central, but was tightly contested until the final week before number two became number one, and the White Sox were left at home. As for the AL West, that was what makes legends. That was simply outstanding baseball — unless you’re a Rangers fan.

The NL East wasn’t that much of a race, but as the Strasburg situation unfolded and the team continued to win and actually draw fans for a change, they kept it interesting. The Braves won 94 games and had to settle for second. Thanks to the wild card system we were able to see Chipper Jones one more time, and the nation got to say good bye to him together on Friday night.

All of that thanks to some bad umpire calls? No, hardly, it was due to the Cardinals outplaying the Braves. Speaking of St. Louis, the Cards were tenacious yesterday, and came out of nowhere to win the second wild card away from the Pirates, who folded and the Dodgers, who couldn’t buy it. That’s what the baseball playoffs should be all about.

The post Admit it, You were wrong: An argument for the new wild card appeared first on BrushBackPitch.com.

I come away with three observations.

1 – I can totally understand why teammates, fans, former players and even Strasburg himself might be upset by this situation (though it’s arguable just how upset they are). Players’ careers are short and chances to go deep into the playoffs don’t come along every year. Look how often the Atlanta Braves of the 1990s appeared to be the league’s best team only to falter in the postseason.

2 – That said, I think it’s admirable that the Nationals are looking out for the best interests of their player. Like it or not, they’ve put the long-term interests of Strasburg’s career ahead of the chase of one World Series trophy. People can say it’s a misguided call, but in this day and age, facing down the potential wrath of many, it appears as though Washington’s baseball operations plan to stick to their guns. There is truth to the argument that these opportunities don’t come around all that long, but it’s also likely the Nationals have the young talent to make this journey a number of times in the next few years. Right or wrong, that they’ve got this long-term view is intriguing.

3 – The Nationals may be better set to deal with the loss of an ace than any team in baseball right now. I was going through the team stats in USA Today Sports Weekly the other day. Holy Cow is this team deep in the starting rotation.

Sure, the Nationals have a better shot of knocking off any potential opponent with Strasburg in the mix. But how many teams could lose him and still be able to send out a three-man rotation of Gio Gonzalez (3.23 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, as of last weekend), Jordan Zimmermann (2.38, 1.09) and Edwin Jackson (3.69, 1.17)?

If they make it past the first round they’ll likely need a fourth starter. They have the option of going with Ross Detwiler, whose pedestrian 7-6 record is overshadowed by a 3.25 ERA as of today. If they don’t want to go that route, they can go with John Lannan, who was the team’s opening day starter in 2009 and 2010 and who has come up from the minors twice for spot starts, going 2-0 with a 3.46 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP.

A sixth-starter in Washington, Lannan would be a middle-to-top-of-the-rotation starter for several teams in the league.

Sure, there are other teams with depth in the rotation. San Francisco runs Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, Ryan Vogelsong and Barry Zito out there every five days, but the Giants are often going to struggle to score runs, particularly following the Melky Cabrera fiasco.

And should Washington reach the World Series, they’d potentially face deep rotations in Texas, Chicago and Tampa Bay.

But the Nationals are deep enough in the rotation where even sans-Strasburg, they will not have to shy away from anyone.

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In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants competed for the top honors, trading respectively for outfielders Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence on deadline day. I’ll give the trading period edge to the Dodgers due to their additional acquisition of Hanley Ramirezfrom Miami.

In the American League, the Rangers trumped the Dodgers at the deadline by acquiring Chicago Cubs starter Ryan Dempster. But the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim had already made their big rotation move, adding Zack Greinke.

One similarity among all those teams is HUGE new television contracts that are dwarfing the numbers being housed by teams in the Midwest. The Dodgers were purchased for $2.15 billion in March by Magic Johnson and Mark Walter in a deal that stunned sports industry observers.

Part of what made the deal work, according to the Wall Street Journal, is the opportunity the team will have in 2013 to either launch a regional sports network in the second largest market in the country or “hold an auction for the rights to telecast Dodgers games.”
Recent rights deals signed by the Angels and Rangers are reportedly worth $150 million a year. Lee Berke, a sports media consultant, told the Journal the Dodgers’ status as the top brand in the market could command even more than $150 million annually – perhaps as much as $300 million annually, according to the Journal’s story.

It’s no coincidence that with these new windfalls, the West Coast teams have been splurging. Albert Pujols joined the Angels for $240 million over 10 years this offseason, spurning offers to stay in St. Louis. The LA Angels of Anaheim also added Texas starter CJ Wilson; the Rangers countered by adding Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish, spending $111 million to do so.

The Giants don’t have the same windfall as the Rangers, Angels and Dodgers, but they do get 30 percent to 33 percent of total revenues generated by Comcast Sports Net under a 25-year deal signed with Comcast Sports Net before the 2008 season, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Compare these deals to teams in the Midwest. The Minnesota Twins, a team with a new stadium that that has generally been fairly successful for the last decade up until last year, get roughly $29 million per year for their television rights.

The Detroit Tigers – big spenders compared to many Midwest teams – in 2009 inked a 10-year deal with FSN Detroit that will net them $400 million through the life of the deal.

The Milwaukee Brewers lost star Cecil Fielder to Detroit and just traded Greinke to the Angels, in part, because their television rights don’t generate enough to make the nine-figure offers it takes to retain such star power. Fox Sports Wisconsin reportedly pays the Brewers about $12 million per year for broadcasting rights. Cleveland gets about $30 million per year from SportsTime Ohio, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Certainly there are more “haves” and fewer completely hopeless “have-nots” than there were a few years ago when the payrolls of the Yankees and the Red Sox would annually dwarf those of the rest of the league’s other 28 teams. But as long as Major League Baseball teams are able to negotiate hefty local television rights deals based on market size, parity in baseball will be a long, long way off.

And the deals struck by those West Coast clubs as Tuesday’s July 31 non-waiver trade deadline expired just emphasized that fact.

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Jones is one of those rare baseball stars who truly warrant the farewell tour gifts he’s being given in most cities the Atlanta Braves pass through this season. And he’s likely just shy of six years away from having a bronze bust in Cooperstown.

That bust will be placed alongside those of several other players known more by their nicknames than by the name on their birth certificates, but unlike George Herman “Babe” Ruth, “The Mick” Mickey Mantle, “The Splendid Splinter” Ted Williams, “Mr. October” Reggie Jackson or even “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, who belongs in the Hall of Fame, but is apparently banned in his afterlife as he was during the latter days of his life.

Not many people know Chipper Jones by his real name. And because he’s generally kept such a low profile during his career, many also are not aware how much he also had game. He’s not going to be a 3000-hit club member, or a 500-homerun club member.  He certainly won’t be next to Brooks Robinson, Roberto Clemente or Ozzie Smith, all of whom were known for their amazing defense as much if not more so than their hitting prowess.  He’s only won one Most Valuable Player award and one batting title.  He’s only won one World Series title. 

But dare I say I believe he’s going to get a higher percentage of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America vote than most of the players above him on the page?

He currently ranks 67th all-time with 2670 hits and currently sits at 33rd in career homeruns with 460. Chipper’s also 35th all time in Runs Batted In which puts him in the Hall of Fame, but not as a guy who will get 90 percent plus votes.

I also see him as arguably the fourth best switch-hitter in the history of the game behind Mantle, Eddie Murray, and Pete Rose. He will finish third all-time for switch hit homers behind Murray and Mantle.  The closest guy active behind him is St. Louis Cardinals’ first baseman Lance Berkman, who is a heck of a ballplayer, but is not a Hall of Fame candidate.

But Chipper arguably wasn’t the most valuable player on his own team for most of his career being that he was blessed to be overshadowed by Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Greg Maddux, while he was still with the Braves.

Two of those three also are potential  first-ballot Hall of Famers, arguably all three though I personally wouldn’t vote for Smoltz. Manager Bobby Cox  is Cooperstown bound at some point as well. Is it glory by association?

Chipper carries a career .304 batting average which always looks nice, but is hardly enough to make him a lock for Cooperstown by itself.  He will most likely finish with just the one batting title and there are dozens of batting champs that couldn’t sniff that small town in New York. He was consistently very good, and occasionally great, and he benefited far more from the great pitching staffs he played with than vice versa.  All of the data says “he’ll get in on his second or third ballot.”

So Why?

Ted Turner is why.  Not because he was the owner of the team when Chipper was drafted, but because Turner owned WTBS which is one of the biggest cable superstations in the country.  Small town kids as well as large city men and women around the country watched as the Braves became a staple to millions.

I remember the first time I watched him play.  Announcer Skip Caray had hyped the kid to death for two or three years and as a baseball card collector I’d already heard the name.  America got to watch him grow up, we saw his personal struggles, and we saw his amazing batting champion season, and every year between and after.

Simply put Chipper Jones was our basic cable big brother, and whether we always get along with our older brothers it’s hard not to pull for family.

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Another look this morning shows that things might be normalizing a bit. The Yankees have edged into third, overtaking Toronto. But the Red Sox remain in last and the Orioles still top the East, although just 4.5 games separate the top from the bottom.

So with a questionable starting rotation and injuries to David Robertson, Mariano Rivera, Michael Pineda and Brett Gardner hampering their season so far, just exactly where will the Yankees ultimately end up? We enlisted the assistance of Brandon C., co-manager of Pinstripe Alley, to provide some insight. Here’s what he had to say:

Brushbackpitch: What were your expectations for the Yankees heading into the season and what are they now?

Brandon C: My expectations going into the season were a division win and losing in the AL Division Series. Right now my expectations are the same, considering the Tampa Bay Rays aren’t exactly blowing the Yankees away, and I do not believe the Orioles can keep it up.

Brushbackpitch: How much have the injuries to Mariano Rivera, David Robertson and Brett Gardner hurt the team and what are you hearing about timetables for Robertson and Gardner returning?

Brandon: Gardner is a mystery, it seems like every time he tries to come back he fails. He’s such an important part of the Yankees offense considering he creates runs by his legs, and the Yankees could really use those runs. Curtis Granderson has not gotten a day off yet this season because Gardner is hurt. Robertson is such an important part of the bullpen, and should be the closer when he returns.

Brushbackpitch: A look through the stats so far indicates starting pitching has been a problem. What are the team’s options outside of those currently on the roster?

Brandon: There aren’t many options outside of the rotation, and the team shouldn’t need those options anyway. I’m confident the current rotation will figure out their problems.

Brushbackpitch: Was signing Andy Pettitte a desperation move or does he appear to have a year or two of good pitching left?
Brandon: At the time the signing was nothing more than a depth move, actually. Pettitte was available and Cashman couldn’t say no. Now it seems like he is a huge part of the rotation. And the way he has pitched so far he looks like the Pettitte of old.

Brushbackpitch: How would you assess the competition in the AL East at this stage? Particularly with the Orioles and Blue Jays – are they that improved or will they cool off after hot starts?

Brandon: I think the Blue Jays are for real. I said before the season I thought they would be a top three team in the AL East, and I still think they will be. Brandon Morrow has ace potential. I think the Orioles are getting there, but this isn’t their year.

Brushbackpitch: A poll on your site seems to indicate that readers are split on whether the Steinbrenners will sell the team within five years or never — what are your thoughts on rumors that the team might be for sale?

Brandon: I think the Steinbrenner’s won’t sell the team anytime soon, but it would be a wise financial decision.

The post How good are the Yankees of 2012? appeared first on BrushBackPitch.com.

His slurve along with a dominating fastball were practically unhittable.

I remember the first time I saw him pitch. It happened to be his 20-strikeout game on WGN. I was late for work because of it.  The only hit he gave up in that game should have been an error.  The wicked break of that slurve brought back shades of Dwight Gooden and Bert Blyleven’s curveballs. He won the Rookie of the Year award despite being shut down for the last month of the season with a tender elbow.

That turned out to be a sign of things to come. He missed all of 1999 because of Tommy John surgery.

Wood came back, but his arm was a dual-edged blade: it devastated batters, fans, and Wood himself.  The torque he generated when he was younger was so devastating he ended up on the disabled list what seemed like every year of his career.  He only had 30 starts or more twice and never won more than 14 games in a season.

He moved to the bullpen in 2007, ostensibly to save wear and tear on his arm. And when he made the transition to closer it seemed like he was going to become the next Dennis Eckersley. But that was short-lived as well.  He ended up just being a seventh-inning guy at the end, which in baseball terms are a dime a dozen. He finished his career fittingly last week the way he began it – with a strikeout.

And so now the rehashing can begin. He ended up being the first pitcher in history with 75 wins, 50 saves and 10 strikeouts per nine innings, according to Sports Illustrated. If you projected out his winning percentage when he was a starting pitcher from age 21 to age 29 when he had his second reconstructive surgery and the fact that he had four 200-plus strikeout seasons in his first five years, you’re looking at a guy who was being compared to Roger Clemens and Nolan Ryan. When he came up, 250 wins and 4000-plus strikeouts would not have been obscene projections. That’s how dominating he was, and could have been …

But he couldn’t stay healthy.

For someone who didn’t follow his career, looking at his overall numbers, one might just tip their cap and say “nice career.”  Wood never won more than 14 games in a season and, as a reliever, only had three years of double-digit saves.  He did lead the league in strikeouts one time and his short stint with the Yankees in 2010 was as dominating a stretch as he probably had since his rookie campaign.  But all told, he only had 86 wins and 63 saves.

So why all this fanfare upon his retirement?

He says he has no regrets. And he shouldn’t – he gave it everything he had through the ups and downs for 15 years. But with the measurable he had coming into the league, perhaps no pitcher in history more warrants a write-up on the question: “What if…?”

The post Kerry Wood: What if? appeared first on BrushBackPitch.com.