Hits and Runs IV

May 01, 2023

(Meme. Found on the internet. Assuming Public Domain.)

From time to time my blog notes pile up and I know (or at least suspect) they won’t become full posts, so they end up here. Of course, they are still fun to read, or at least I feel they are. I hope you do as well.

The Pittsburgh Pirates (20-9) signed outfielder Bryan Reynolds to an eight-year $106.75 million contract on April 25,2023 and left a very small list behind. The Oakland Athletics (6-23), the Kansas City Royals (7-22) and the Chicago White Sox (8-21) are now the only teams who have never signed a player to a 9-figure contract. Hmm?

“Baseball is the perfect of games, solid, true, pure, and precious as diamonds. If only life were so simple. Within the baselines anything can happen. Tides can reverse; oceans can open. That’s why they say, “The game is never over until the last man is out.” Colors change, lives can alter, anything is possible in this gentle, flawless, loving game.” ~ W.P. Kinsella, “Shoeless Joe”.

Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom has been placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow information after leaving his start on Friday, April 28^th. He now has five games in his career where he’s allowed no runs but only lasted between 2 and 4 innings. There’s no one with more of these games in all of MLB history. Let’s hope it’s not serious.

“Either he (Sandy Koufax) throws the fastest ball I’ve ever seen, or I’m going blind.” ~ Ritchie Ashburn, former MLB player and announcer.

Frank Umont played guard for the New York Giants football team during the 1940s. He later became an American League umpire serving from 1954 to 1973. On April 24, 1956, he became the first umpire to wear glasses in a regular season game.

“I became a good pitcher when I stopped trying to make them miss the ball and started trying to make them hit it.” ~ Sandy Koufax, Hall of fame Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodger Pitcher. I think he was a tad better than “good”. His nickname was the “Left Arm of god.”

Hall of Famer Carl Yastrezemski, known as “Yaz” was primarily a left fielder for the Boston Red Sox (1961-1983). He also played 33 games at third base; late in his career he played first base and was used as a designated hitter. He had 3,419 hits, 452 home runs and his batting average was .285 for his career. In the 1980 movie, “The Shining”, Shelley Duvall’s character “Wendy Torrance” uses a Louisville Slugger Carl Yastrezemski model bat to defend herself.

(Shelley Duvall in a still from the movie, “The Shining”. Found on the internet. Assuming Public Domain.)

(Carl Yastrezemski’s Bat, Model W-125 and Plaque in Louisville, KY. Author’s Collection.)

Roberto Clemente played a record 2,305 game in right field for the Pittsburg Pirates. Vin Scully, the famed baseball announcer once said, “Clemente could field the ball in New York and throw out a guy in Pennsylvania.”

How good was Tony Gwynn? Willie Mays was a .301 career hitter. Gwynn was a career .302 hitter with two strikes. His career batting average was .338. Tony faced Pedro Martinez 36 times, he faced Greg Maddux 107 times, neither one ever struck him out. Last year, Kyle Schwarber led the NL with 200 strikeouts, Eugenio in the AL struck out 196 times; Tony struck out 188 times in the whole decade of the 1990s.

“Look at him. He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke, he doesn’t chew, he doesn’t stay out late, and he still can’t hit .250.” ~ Casey Stengel, speaking about New York Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson.

Babe Ruth was ejected from his pitching start for the Boston Red Sox on June 23, 1917, against the Washington Senators, after walking the first batter, Ray Morgan. He got into an argument over the call and hit umpire Brick Owens with a glancing blow; both were known for their quick tempers. Ruth was escorted off the field by a policeman and his catcher, Pinch Thomas was also ejected. Ernie Shore was brought in as a relief pitcher, Morgan was thrown out trying to steal second by Sam Agnew who replaced Thomas behind the plate. Shore ended up retiring the next 26 batters he faced and threw a “Perfect Game” with the Red Sox winning 4-0. It is now considered a “combined no-hitter”. Ruth was fined $100, suspended for ten games, and had to issue a public apology.

“Each baseball game has 12,386, 344 possible plays. And somewhere around 10 times as many sunflower seed shells.” ~ Zach Pumerantz, Bleacher Report

Hall of Fame second baseman, Nellie Fox, struck out 216 times in 10,351 plate appearances with a .288 career batting average. He played with the Philadelphia Athletics (1947-1949), the Chicago White Sox (1950-1963) and the Houston Colt .45s / Astros (1964-1965).

“Ninety percent of my salary I’ll spend on good times, women and Irish whiskey, the other 10% I’ll probably waste.” ~ Tug McGraw, former MLB pitcher and father of country singer, Tim McGraw.

In 1927, Lou Gehrig batted 60 times after Babe Ruth had cleared the bases with his home runs. Lou still had 173 runs batted in.

If you are new to “Comments” feel free to browse the Archives for past articles. If you enjoyed this one, please click on the previous posts of this theme, “Hits and Runs”, “Hits and Runs II”, and “Hits and Runs III”.

Lastly, some sad news, Mike Shannon, former St. Louis Cardinals third baseman and right fielder, who also was a 50-year member of their broadcast team passed away Saturday at the age of 83. He was a good, solid player and had a smooth, friendly announcing style, he was summer baseball. My sincere condolences to his family, friends, and the Cardinals organization.

Thanks for reading.

~ Coach Mike

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