Eliott Kalb and the MLB Network Research Dept.
First, it’s not me thinking anything today except Wow … another great, memorable season of baseball. The ten things in today’s post are thought by Elliott Kalb, Senior Editorial Director of MLB Network, and the MLB Network Research Department. I received this research packet just moments ago, as I and a limited number of privileged recipients have done each morning throughout the season. These routinely brilliant packets are designed to be particularly useful to those of us thinking about the day ahead, making us appear especially brilliant. The 2019 regular season has now passed into history … my turf. It is my privilege to share with a wider readership the sort of pleasure I get every day. Here’s Elliott:
Most of you know the drill with “10 Things I Think I Think.” It’s a chance for me and my team of brilliant researchers to expand, expound, and explain anything we think of while watching the baseball postseason. The daily column owes much to the style and tone of Pro Football writer Peter King and Mike Lupica. If you like anything in this edition — or any subsequent edition — it’s likely a reflection of the great work of the staff, especially Research Department Manager — and editor of 10 Things — Nate Purinton. If you disagree or dislike with anything, it’s probably on me. These views of mine are informed by expertise, research, debate, and longstanding values. They are not absolute facts. I hope people disagree with most, some, a few of my opinions. Let me know. But respond to just me. I’ll listen, and present other viewpoints.
10 Things I Think I Think for the 2019 season. Also in the column:
· The highs and lows of the last weekend of the regular season, including the wonderful at-bat between Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner
· Home run records, near records, and more home run records than you would ever want or need, compiled by Lee Sinins.
· As we head into the postseason — nearly always punctuated by discussion/debate about umpires — we feature our researcher Matt Couture to dig into the umpiring trends of the 2019 season.
· And Matt Baker looks into relievers; Marc Adelberg does an analysis of the Astros offense; and a whole lot more. This is going to be a fun month.
Let’s start with this.
Most Unbelievable Game: Angels 13 Mariners 0 on July 12: Of the 2,429 major league baseball games, the most unbelievable was played on July 12 in Anaheim. It was the first game coming out of the All-Star break. The Angels were using an Opener (Taylor Cole) and with Felix Pena to come in and pitch the bulk of the game.
The game was the first in Anaheim since the death of Angels starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs. Skaggs died on July 1 in a Texas hotel room. And the game was played a day before what would have been Skaggs’ 28th birthday.
Prior to the game, Debbie Skaggs, Tyler’s mother, threw the ceremonial first pitch right down the middle. Mike Trout hit a home run in the first inning, looking up at the Skaggs family as he crossed home plate. Matt Thaiss, a rookie third baseman playing his fourth major league game, kept a combined no-hitter alive in the sixth inning with a diving play. Would you believe that Cole and Pena combined for a no-hitter?
After the final out, the Angels walked out to the pitcher’s mound, where they laid their №45 jerseys down together as a grieving team.
Subsequently, we returned to real life. After the combined no-hitter, Felix Pena had an ERA of 5.31. Taylor Cole had an ERA of 7.90 after the magical game.
And less than two months later, Skaggs was found to have opiods fentanyl and oxycodone along with alcohol in his system when he was found dead.
Maybe, just maybe, the Skaggs tragedy will lead to the two sides getting together and testing for opiods, a national crisis.
Game I wish we could have saved for October (AL version): Yankees 14 Twins 12 on July 23: With the bases loaded and a two-run lead with two-outs in the tenth inning, Max Kepler did the most exciting thing you can do in baseball: he put the ball in play. Aaron Hicks went airborne. At full speed, he dove back toward the wall and robbed Kepler of what would have almost surely been a game-winning three-run double.
It was Hicks who hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth to give his team the lead. Jorge Polanco tied the game up in the bottom of the ninth. There were five lead changes or ties in the final three innings. Gleyber Torres had a run-scoring single in the top of the 10th. Hicks made it stand up with his catch.
The same Aaron Hicks that started his career with the Twins, until he was traded for John Ryan Murphy after the 2015 season.
Now, here’s the thing that sticks with me about this game. Aaron Hicks (only 59 games, .235/.325/.443 with .769 OPS and 103 OPS+) was very ordinary this season, mostly due to injuries (he’s currently out with a right flexor strain). Didi Gregorius (only 80 games, .240/.279/.445 with .724 OPS and 89 OPS+) was even worse. I mean, there were at least 12 or 13 Yankees that had better seasons than Hicks and Gregorius. But on this night in Minnesota, when Gary Sanchez went 0–5 AB with a double-play as well — and Aroldis Chapman blew a save — Didi/Hicks combined to go 7–10 AB, with 2 HR, 9 RBI, and a spectacular game saving catch.
Game I wish we could have saved for October (NL version) Dodgers 6 Brewers 5 on April 21 at Miller Park: These teams met in the NLCS last year, with the Dodgers winning Game 7. This year, the teams met seven times (and April 21 was Game 7 on Sunday, April 21). Once again, the Dodgers won the seventh game.
Baseball doesn’t get many of these mano-a-mano games. On this April day, Cody Bellinger and Christian Yelich played the game at the highest of levels.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, with the Dodgers up 5–2, it looked like Christian Yelich hit a home run off Pedro Baez, but Cody Bellinger made a great catch (reaching over the fence and bringing it back). But then Ryan Braun and Yasmani Grandal singled, and Dave Roberts brought in Kenley Jansen for a four-out save.
Eric Thames hit a three run homer to tie the game off of Jansen.
In the top of the ninth, Craig Counsell brought in his best pitcher, Josh Hader.
Corey Seager struck out swinging. Justin Turner struck out swinging. Cody Bellinger hit a home run. Max Muncy struck out swinging.
Jansen struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth.
After that game, Bellinger was batting .424 with 11 HR, 28 RBI in 23 games. Yelich was batting .353 with 13 HR, 31 RBI in 23 games.
Best series in the middle of the season: Was the Padres/Rockies series on June 13-June 16 the craziest series you can remember?
Padres at Rockies:
Thursday: Rockies 9–6; Blackmon 4 hits include 2 HR, triple
Friday: Padres 16–12 (12 innings); Padres down 6 runs in 9th, come back and win!
Saturday: Rockies 14–8; Ian Desmond grand slam, 5 RBI
Sunday: Padres 14–13; Padres down 3 in 9th, come back and win!
There were 92 runs in the four games. The Rockies scored 48 runs (and batted .401/.451/.663) and only split the series! The Padres scored 44 runs (and batted .356/.411/.626) and only split! The 92 runs set a record for runs in a four-game series (breaking a 1929 record by the Dodgers/Phillies).
Fernando Tatis Jr. in series: .526 (10–19 AB), .947 SLG (2 doubles, 3 triples)
Hunter Renfroe in series: .381 (8–21 AB), 1.095 SLG (5 HR, 8 RBI)
Charlie Blackmon in series: .625 (15–24 AB), 1.292 SLG (2 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HR, 10 RBI)
And this: Manny Machado hit three home runs, drove in six, scored 10 and batted .526 (10–19 AB) in the series, and almost gets overlooked!
Blackmon had 15 hits in the series, setting the major league record for a four-game series. Buck Jordan of the 1934 Braves and Bill White of the 1961 Cards had 14. Blackmon came close to Milt Stock’s record of getting four hits in four consecutive games (Stock did it with Brooklyn in 1925). But it’s not just the silly numbers. That series endured three delays (two weather, one because a water main broke down the right field line, flooding the warning track.
And with thanks to mlb.com writer A.J. Cassavell for chronicling how bizarre this series was: The Pads and Rox endured three delays (two weather, one because a water main broke down the right field line, flooding the warning track).
Most Interesting 1st Inning: Yankees 6 Red Sox 6 in first inning on June 29 in London.
In the first inning, there were 12 runs scored, 20 men batted, and 92 pitches thrown. The first inning took nearly an hour to play.
It was the first time since June 23, 1989, that two MLB teams both scored six runs or more in the first inning. In that game, the Blue Jays scored seven in the top of the first and the Athletics got six in the bottom of the inning. Toronto won, 10–8.
D.J. LeMahieu singled. Aaron Judge hit a deep fly ball to right-center. Gary Sanchez walked. Luke Voit doubled in a run. Didi Gregorius doubled in two runs. Edwin Encarnacion doubled in a run. Aaron Hicks hit a 2-run homer.
And Masahiro Tanaka could not hold onto the six-run lead. It was an amazing hour of baseball when Michael Chavis hit a 3-run homer in the bottom of the inning.
The game went 4:42 and the Yankees would hold on and win 17–13.
Most Interesting 9th inning: Mets 5 Nationals 7 on September 3 at Nats Park.
The Mets had a 5–4 lead entering the top of the ninth. The Mets tacked on five runs in the top of the ninth, which included a mental lapse from Trea Turner, who failed to turn a double play because he forgot how many outs there were.
The Mets had a 10–4 lead entering the bottom of the ninth. Victor Robles started with a single. Howie Kendrick flied out. Turner drove in a run with a double. Cabrera and Rendon had back to back singles. Juan Soto singled through the infield, loading the bases. Zimmerman had a two-run double. And then Kurt Suzuki had a walk-off home run.
Teams leading by six runs or more entering the bottom of the ninth had been 274–0 this season prior to Suzuki’s walk-off. The Nationals won 11–10.
1. Things I liked about the final weekend of the season:
a) In his final game as a manager, Ned Yost picked up his 746th victory Sunday with the Royals, and 1,203rd of his career. This victory was a walk-off win.
b) The staged drama in San Francisco’s fifth inning Sunday, when Clayton Kershaw came into the game in relief and a few batters later Madison Bumgarner stepped out of the dugout to pinch-hit. Bumgarner — in likely his final appearance with the Giants — tipped his helmet to thunderous applause. After Kershaw got Bumgarner to line out to retire the side, Clayton walked off the mound and tipped his cap to retiring manager Bruce Bochy. And that — more than any walk-off victory — is a perfect way for Bochy to leave.
c) I liked Cole Hamels’ performance in St. Louis on Saturday. He pitched four scoreless innings (8 K, 0 BB). He had his previous start skipped because of shoulder fatigue. He wasn’t good in the second half. He’ll be a free agent after the season, and it was more of a showcase for him. But what I liked was his attitude. When his pitch grazed Yadier Molina, Hamels didn’t back away. He’ll be 36 years old in December, and his last good year was 2016. I have a hunch we’ll see him pitch for a fourth team in the postseason in 2020, joining the Phillies, Rangers, and Cubs.
d) Felix Hernandez, on the other hand, is probably done. On Thursday night, he started a game for the Mariners for the 418th time. When his manager Scott Servais came to the mound to remove King Felix, he gave his pitcher a hug. Hernandez gave a round of hugs to the infielders and walked off with tears in his eyes. He’s been around so long, it’s hard to believe he’s only 33.
With Felix walking off the mound, and CC getting so much love in his final weeks before retirement, it made me look back to the first year of MLB Network, when the A.L. Cy Young race was made up of four outstanding pitchers.
2009 A.L. Cy Young vote
1. Zack Greinke, KC (16–8, 2.16 ERA, 229.1 IP)
2. Felix Hernandez, Seattle (19–5, 2.49 ERA, 238.2 IP)
3. Justin Verlander, Detroit (19–9, 3.45 ERA, 240 IP)
4. CC Sabathia, Yankees (19–8, 3.37 ERA, 230 IP)
e) Not to go all Jayson Stark on you or anything, but it is kind of cool that on Justin Verlander’s 3,000th strikeout, Kole Calhoun reached first base on what was ruled a wild pitch. Oddly enough, this marked just the third of Verlander’s 3,006 strikeouts in which the batter reached first base. Not for nothing, but strikeouts are generally boring. So if there’s a wild pitch and a runner getting on base — I love it!
f) Even cooler is that all 300 of Verlander’s strikeouts this year (and every one of his 223 innings) were caught by Robinson Chirinos. Chirinos started all 34 of Verlander’s starts in 2019.
g) Pete Alonso breaking the rookie home run record of Aaron Judge Saturday. I like everything about this kid. How about his consistency? His home runs by month went like this (9, 10, 9, 6, 8, 11). I liked the fact the Mets let him start the year in the big leagues. I liked the 9/11 tribute. I liked his emotion. And it wasn’t just me that loved this Polar Bear.
h) Love the fact that the Cubs picked themselves up and defeated the Cardinals on Friday and Saturday and didn’t roll over. Love the fact that Trevor Story’s opposite field home run gave the Rockies a Saturday victory in a heartbreaking loss. I hate it when teams that are out of it roll over for their opponents.
i) In non-baseball things I liked this weekend, I found myself bingeing on Ken Burns’s documentary on Country Music. I’m not much of a country music fan, and maybe because of that I learned so much and was so entertained. I’m not to judge if he made a good editorial call on devoting so much time to Johnny Cash and/or Garth Brooks, but I’m so glad he did. Storytelling at its finest.
Things I didn’t like the final weekend:
a) There’s no two better baseball men — two better men — than Joe Maddon and Clint Hurdle, two men that lost their jobs within minutes of each other Sunday. It was inevitable, but it stung. Maddon is that rare cat, able to connect with people. I’ll never forget discussing Pat Conroy novels once with him. And Hurdle’s daily emails inspire so many. The Cubs and Pirates will have new managers establishing what they like to call a new “culture” in the clubhouses. How they’re going to improve on those guys is beyond me.
b) Mike Minor had a nice season, striking out 199 batters legitimately. Red Sox manager Alex Cora was not happy the Rangers dropped a foul pop so Minor could get his 200th strikeout in the ninth inning on Thursday. And Cora is exactly right.
c) Well, this: Philadelphia fan Robert Dunphy showed up at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday.
d) The Marlins loss to the Phillies on Saturday night ensured that the Marlins (56–105) will have the №3 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. The Tigers and Orioles of course get the first two picks. The Royals only get the fourth overall pick.
I have trouble when teams benefit by losing games. The following isn’t an original idea — former Braves great Dale Murphy proposed it last year in an article for “The Athletic” — but why are we tied to the worst team having the top pick, and picking in inverse order? Lets give the team that was last eliminated the first pick. Reward teams for not losing.
I love the fact that the Diamondbacks (who were eliminated from the postseason Monday), the Phillies (eliminated Tuesday), the Cubs and Mets (both eliminated Wednesday) and the Indians (eliminated Friday) fought tooth-and-nail to get into the postseason. Remember, the Mets didn’t sell at the All-Star break. The Indians traded Trevor Bauer, but held on to their closer Brad Hand, and added power hitting outfielders Yasiel Puig and Franmil Reyes.
Those teams shouldn’t be stuck in “no-man’s land” between a playoff spot and a bad spot in the draft. If it was up to me, the draft order would be this next June. Jayson Stark tweeted the other day that Saturday was the first day the Indians will play a meaningless game in 667 games (counting the postseason) back to October 4, 2015. The Cubs just finished their first week of meaningless games in Joe Maddon’s five seasons.
It reminds me of the Derek Jeter number: According to Elias, Derek played in exactly one game in his entire career, in which his team was mathematically eliminated from some sort of race (division/wild card)
The Indians won 93 games this year. Pretty good. One more word — actually several — on the Indians before the postseason starts. And those words go to the pride of Wellington, Ohio (a small town in Northeast, Ohio) — researcher Marc Matcham.
Matcham: The most impressive thing to me this year was the All-Star Game in Cleveland, including the HR Derby. Vlad Guerrero, Jr. put on a record breaking performance with his 91 HR in the derby. Vlad, Jr and Joc Pederson had an epic dual in their semifinal, each crushing 29 HR before Vlad Jr. won it after multiple swing-off’s, 40–39. Pete Alonso ultimately won the $1 million prize, winning each of his rounds with just seconds remaining in walk-off fashion, including the final against Vlad, Jr. Overall, it was a HR derby for the ages.
The All-Star game itself featured a first pitch thrown out by former Indians All-Star, CC Sabathia, to Sandy Alomar, Jr., who won the 1997 All-Star Game MVP in Cleveland. An emotional moment took place during the Stand Up to Cancer initiative — All-Star teammates Francisco Lindor, Carlos Santana, Shane Bieber, Brad Hand and manager Terry Francona showed their support standing alongside Carlos Carrasco, who is battling leukemia. Bieber, who was a late add to the roster, struck out the side in his inning of work. He became the third player in history to win the All-Star Game MVP in his own park, joining Alomar, Jr. (1997) and Pedro Martinez (1999).
Cleveland represented itself very well during all the festivities, receiving rave reviews. NL All-Star manager Dave Roberts said, “I thought the city of Cleveland did a fantastic job. The logistics, the city, the weather, the fans [during] the parade, during the game, attentive, cheering for past and present Indians and they were just really engaged.
“So Major League Baseball and the city of Cleveland got it right.’’
Yes, they did Match. Yes, they did.
2. The 2019 season can be summed up in two words: home run. Lee Sinins has the mind-numbing totals. Lee, take it away.
· There were 6,776 home runs in 2019 (previous record: 6,105 in 2017).
· A record 549 different players homered (previous record: 536 in 2018).
· A record 745 different pitchers allowed homers, including position players (previous record: 703 in 2018).
· A record 273 players hit 10+ homers (previous record: 242 in 2017).
· A record 129 players hit 20+ homers (previous record: 117 in 2017).
· A record 58 players hit 30+ homers (previous record: 47 in 2000).
· 15 teams set or tied their franchise records for home runs hit:
· 17 teams set their franchise records for home runs allowed:
· Two players set their franchise records for home runs in a season:
o Jorge Soler: 48 home runs (old record: 38 by Mike Moustakas in 2017)
o Pete Alonso: 53 home runs (old record: 41 by Todd Hundley in 1996 and Carlos Beltran in 2006)
· No players set their franchise records for career home runs. Ryan Braun (322 to 344) and Ryan Zimmerman (264 to 270) extended their franchise records.
· A record 116 players hit their first MLB home runs (old record: 105 in 2015).
· Home run breakdown:
· Home runs by position:
· Home runs by month:
· Home runs by batting order position
· Home runs by inning:
· There were 24 teams that hit 200+ home runs (previous record: 17 in 2017).
· Prior to the 2019 season, there were only six teams that hit 250+ home runs. There were seven in 2019.
· Prior to 2019 season, the 2016 Reds (258) were the only team to allow 250+ home runs. Six teams did it in 2019.
· There were a record 193 first-inning leadoff home runs (old record: 159 in 2017).
· The Giants led the major leagues with 24 players who hit home runs (MLB record: 25 by 2001 Rockies, 2011 Diamondbacks, 2016 Mets, 2017 Giants).
· The Yankees had a record 14 players with 10+ home runs (old record: 12 by the 2018 Yankees).
· The Twins had a record eight players with 20+ home runs (old record: 7 teams had 7).
· The Twins set a major league record with five players with 30+ home runs (old record: 12 teams had four).
· There were a record tying 22 three home run games (2001).
· There were a record 453 multi home run games (old record: 396 in 2017).
3. Relief Pitching, preseason predictions, and why the two don’t mix.
Matt Baker: Relief pitching has always tended to be the most volatile and the toughest for future projections. This year was an extreme example. Relief pitching as a group struggled. The MLB bullpen ERA of 4.47 this season is the highest since 2000 (4.58).
Here’s a look at the main three lists from the Top 10 Relief Pitch show earlier this year.
2019 Top Ten Relief Pitcher Right Now Lists
When focusing specifically on the Shredder’s Top 10, you can see just how much the big names from 2018 have struggled this year:
Expect massive turnover from this past year’s list. Out of these ten, it’s likely that only two will be on the Shredder’s list next year (Hader and Chapman).
4. If you think it’s tough to make preseason predictions on relief pitchers, try making preseason predictions on rookies. Matt Orso (who had a career season for the Research Department, by the way) sheds some light on the rookies.
There were 440 rookies to play in 2019.
There were 261 players who made their MLB debut.
The oldest player to make his MLB debut was Mariners’ first baseman/outfielder Ryan Court. He made his debut on July 26 at 31 years, 59 days old. He spent nine years in the minors with four different organizations (D-backs, Red Sox, Cubs, and Mariners). Court lined out in the ninth inning as a pinch hitter. He finished the season batting .208 (5–24 AB) with a homer, five RBI in 12 games.
The youngest player to make his MLB debut this season was Blue Jays’ right-handed pitcher Elvis Luciano. He made his debut on March 31, at 19 years, 44 days old. He’s the first player born in the 2000s to make the major leagues. Luciano was born February 15, 2000.
Here are five of my favorite rookie moments from 2019:
a) Eloy Jimenez homers twice at Yankee Stadium (April 12). It was the first two homers of his career.
b) Yusei Kikuchi makes his MLB debut in Japan (March 21).
c) Mike Yastrzemski homers at Fenway Park (September 17)
d) Pete Alonso sets rookie home run record (September 27)
e) Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Alonso shine at Home Run Derby
5. For years, our Research Department has received astronomical production from Marc Adelberg, so it is fitting that we tapped him to do analysis on the Astronomical production of Houston’s lineup.
The bats of the Houston Astros were the best in baseball this year. And there is a slew of statistics which suggest the Astros hitters formed one of the best groups in MLB history.
The best way to score runs? Don’t make outs. The Astros led MLB with a .352 on-base percentage, 10 points higher than any other team (Nationals, .342). With all those runners on base, how to move them along? Houston led MLB with a .495 slugging percentage (setting an MLB record). Increase efficiency at the plate? Minimize strikeouts. The Astros struck out fewer times than the rest of MLB. The Astros also drew more bases on balls than any other team — the first team in history to strike out the fewest times and walk the most!
Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) measures total offensive contribution in one number, adjusted for a team’s home park and the league average. The league average is 100. Since the beginning of divisional play in 1969, only the 1976 Reds had ever been 25 percent better than the league until the 2019 Astros.
Highest Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+)
Divisional Era (Position Players only)
1976 Reds 130
2019 Astros 126
2017 Astros 122
1971 Orioles 122
OPS+ is a similar statistic to wRC+. Using that metric, and focusing on players instead of the team, we can show that no team has ever boasted more than the Astros’ seven hitters performing 25 percent better than league average (min. 300 PA).
Houston Astros
2019 OPS+ Leaders
Yordan Alvarez 173
Alex Bregman 162
George Springer 150
Carlos Correa 137
Jose Altuve 131
Yuli Gurriel 126
Michael Brantley 126
Let’s put a few of these individual performances into context.
The last rookie with a higher OPS+ than Alvarez (173) was Shoeless Joe Jackson who had a 193 OPS+ as a rookie for the Cleveland Naps 108 years ago (MIN: 300 PA).
(Yes, we know that OPS wasn’t a thing then. It’s still a mind-boggling statistic.)
Alex Bregman may not be the American League’s most valuable player, according to voters. But there is an argument to be made. How often does a third baseman reach base 42 percent of the time while hitting 40 home runs? Not very often. And when it does occur, the player is usually recognized as his league’s most valuable.
.420 OBP and 40+ Home Runs by a Third Baseman
Last 50 Years
It makes sense that an AL center fielder is seen as the league’s most valuable player despite missing significant time to injury. Indeed, George Springer could be the AL’s best player in 2019. He was well above average defensively (+11 defensive runs saved) and was one of the best power hitters, too (1 HR every 12.28 AB).
6+ WAR while Playing in No More than 75% of Team’s Games
Among Center Fielders — Last 100 Years
6. Umpires…always a lively topic in October. And this year, the Research Department has someone that studies umpires, umpiring trends, and, you know, the rules. Matt Couture has plenty of say — and I’m saving the bulk of it — but here are some notes he put together on the Umps (and sometime in the next day or two, Couture’s notes about ejections reaching the highest mark since 2006; the continued ball/strike information gap, and the latest in electronic strike zone tests).
Matt Couture:
1. The staff umpires who worked the majority of the season and had the fewest overturned calls, entering baseball’s final week, per data kept by Close Call Sports: Manny Gonzalez, Bill Miller, and Chad Whitson (2); Doug Eddings, Mike Muchlinski, Laz Diaz, Jeff Nelson, Kerwin Danley, D.J. Reyburn, and Brian Knight (3). A low number of overturned calls is one of the key factors in determining postseason assignments, so expect to see most of these guys on the field in October.
2. The umpiring crew with the fewest ejections by its four regular members: Gary Cederstrom (crew chief), Marvin Hudson, Adrian Johnson, and Quinn Wolcott (1 ejection — Cederstrom’s heave-ho of Eric Thames in Game #2 of the season).
3. One of the better moments of the year for the umps was big league umpire #68 Chris Guccione, a native of Colorado, hosting 13-year-old Colorado youth umpire Josh Cordova at Coors Field in June. Cordova was the only umpire on the field when a fight erupted between two 7-year-old teams’ fan bases in Lakewood, Colorado. Guccione, along with crew chief Laz Diaz, Tony Randazzo, and fellow Coloradoan Cory Blaser, hosted Cordova at the plate meeting with the two managers and outfitted him with black and blue MLB umpire uniforms. UmpsCare Charities, the charity of major league umpires, made it possible. Through the charity, crews also visit hospitals in big league cities and hold Build-A-Bear workshops for sick kids throughout the year.
4. This is a contract year for the umpires, meaning Major League Baseball Umpires Association president Bill Miller will be hard at work this offseason negotiating a new deal for his members.
5. Joe West worked another full, healthy season and was flipped only five times on replay. That puts him in line to break Bill Klem’s all-time record of 5,369 games umpired next season if health cooperates.
7. Stats we like:
Doug Mittler:
Favorite statistic: Players used: 1,410
That is the total number of players used in the majors in the 2019 season entering Tuesday’s games. It is a major league record for a seventh straight season and 126 more players used than just seven years ago in 2012. The inflated rosters reflect how front offices are manipulating the injured list and farm systems more than ever.
Eric Nehs: The 2019 Houston Astros did not issue an intentional walk in 2019 — becoming the first team not to issue one since intentional walks were first tracked in 1955.
Lee Sinins: Every team in the major leagues hit more HR/game in 2019 than they did in 2018. There had never been a season in which every team in the majors exceeded (or matched) their HR/game from the previous year. The closest we had come was 1977, when every team but the Mets did it.
Elliott Kalb: Marcus Semien had 747 plate appearances, most in MLB this year. Beginning with the 2009 season, only one player (Rickie Weeks with the 2010 Brewers, with 754 PA) had more. Yes, I love players that play 162 games. As we get into the A.L. Wild Card game, we’ll go more into Semien, but let me give you his line this year: 343 total bases (a figure topped only by Rafael Devers, Cody Bellinger, and Pete Alonso). Semien slashed .285/.369/.522 for OPS of .892 — almost 200 points better than he performed in 2018. He cut his strikeouts from 131 to 102. He increased his walks from 61 to 87. He had 83 extra-base hits, including 33 homers.
In a league with great young shortstops (Correa, Lindor, Bogaerts, etc) Semien has proven himself.
Jeff Lombardi: My favorite stat is comparing the Yankees collectively against the Baltimore Orioles this year with Ken Griffey, Jr. stat line from 1997, his best season.
Griffey, Jr in ’97/NYY in 2019 vs. O’s
Sam Anthony: Gleyber Torres had 8 multi-HR games this season. In the history of the New York Yankees, the only other players to match that in a season were: Babe Ruth in 1927, Mickey Mantle in 1961 and Alex Rodriguez in 2007, which is some pretty great company.
Matt Couture: We had two rare no-hitter facts this season that nobody’s talking about: James Hoye was the second base umpire for Mike Fiers’ no-hitter in May against Cincinnati. Hoye was also the second base umpire for Fiers’ no-hitter back in 2015 with the Astros. He became just the fifth umpire to be at the same position for the same pitcher’s no-hitter since 1900. The others: Silk O’Loughlin, Ed Vargo, John Shulock, and Eric Cooper.
And while we’re discussing some of our favorite numbers from the 2019 season, I wanted to ask Matt Searle about his experiences in 2019. Searle — and another freelance researcher on our team, Jon Baron — worked Mets home games.
Matt Searle: 2019 marked my rookie season as a scoreboard statistician for the New York Mets. For all 81 home games at Citi Field, I was tasked with providing up-to-date, relevant statistics to display on the scoreboard during at-bats and other key moments during the game.… In essence, my job is to enrich fans’ ballpark experience by providing additional context for each moment within the game.
One lesson I learned from my 2019 Citi Field experience is that the fans are not the only ones who pay attention to scoreboard graphics. Mets players are aware of the notes and numbers that we feature on the board, and usually they receive a confidence boost from this type of acknowledgement. However, there was one occasion where a Mets player in the midst of a significant streak informed the entertainment division that he did not want his streak to be mentioned on the board. Although I wanted to let the fans know which records this player had a chance to break, it was ultimately more important to respect the player’s wishes. Rather than “jinx” the player by highlighting a streak that could come to an end soon, I made sure to display numbers that would be less objectionable.
Ultimately, my rookie season as a scoreboard statistician taught me that fans derive entertainment from a wide variety of stats and historical notes. While some may wish to see advanced metrics like xWOBA and bWAR when a player comes to bat, others are more receptive to traditional standards like batting average. Sometimes, simply informing the fans that a player is celebrating his birthday is enough to inspire applause.
8. Quotes of the Year
“When you’re hitting a lot of bombas, everybody’s hitting bombas, everybody’s happy.” Twins outfielder Eddie Rosario in May, to explain the Twins hot start
“Please don’t let me die. I’m a good man,” David Ortiz reportedly told an emergency room doctor June 9
“Where the F*** is Toro?” Justin Verlander was spotted saying immediately after completing his third career no-hitter. After both teams were scoreless through eight innings, Abraham Toro hit a 2-run homer in the top of the ninth with two outs to give Justin a chance to close things out. Toro handled the 27th out. September 1.
“See you tomorrow, Mickey.” Newsday reporter Tim Healey to Mets manager Mickey Callaway following a tough loss. Callaway — who had just been grilled by reporters in the postgame press conference about using a reliever who gave up a home run — ordered Healey to be thrown out. Jason Vargas then had to be restrained from going after Healey, yelling that he was going to “knock you the f** out, bro.”
“I first got to hear him when my dad was traded here. I was in high school. Listening to those games was the most important thing in my life. It was three hours of escape. He made it really matter.” Reds manager David Bell on retiring Reds announcer Marty Brennaman.
“I’m definitely not as good as I was, but in big moments, I’m the guy, still. I still want that opportunity.” Ryan Braun after a crucial September grand slam.
“The guys were like, ‘We’re here for you, not the other way around.’” Terry Francona, after a team meeting at which Carlos Carrasco told his teammates of his leukemia diagnosis.
“I took trains and buses to see his ball games. Back then, he was a superhero for me. He was my idol. Every time I saw him, I was very nervous with butterflies in my heart and chest. It is the greatest gift for me to be able to spend time with him…. I’d like to make the best use of this experience throughout my career.” Yusei Kikuchi on making his major league debut in Tokyo with teammate Ichiro Suzuki. March 21.
“It’s been a joy,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said to Pablo Sandoval as he came into the dugout after receiving a standing ovation that matched the one he got when his name was announced over the PA. Bochy gave Sandoval a final at-bat three days before Tommy John surgery in what was likely the Panda’s final at-bat with the Giants. September 1.
9. The Bomba Squad: Minnesota native Craig Nordquist is digging these Twins.
Craig Nordquist: Few teams these days earn a collective nickname that lives on for years within a fan base. A few of the greats instantly come to mind — Murderers’ Row, Gashouse Gang, Whiz Kids, Harvey’s Wallbangers, and Miracle Mets all conjure images of a team preserved in history as a collective unit. They all accomplished great things together and earned a moniker worthy of that level of play. Now let me tell you a little about this year’s “Bomba Squad” from the Twin Cities.
This nickname referring to the 2019 Twins stems from an Eddie Rosario soundbite way back in late May during Minnesota’s hot start to the season: “When you’re hitting a lot of bombas, everybody’s hitting bombas, everybody’s happy.” In case you couldn’t tell, ‘bomba’ is Spanish for bomb — a term that is often associated with home runs in baseball jargon.
The Bomba Squad name caught on like wildfire and can be seen everywhere in Minnesota these days. The team sells shirts, coffee mugs, stickers, and pins emblazoned with the official “Bomba Squad” insignia. The Twins placed a “Bomba Counter” in the right field corner to help fans keep track of the team’s chase of the MLB team home run record throughout the season. The Minneapolis Police Department even sent two of its Bomb Squad members to Target Field to present a bomb-shaped award to the Twins after they broke the single-year home run mark.
Last year, the Twins ranked 23rd in the majors with just 166 homers. This season has re-written our expectations as it has baseball fans throughout the league, but few teams personify that as much as the Bomba Squad:
· They broke the single-season team home run record before the calendar flipped to Sept.
· They became the first team in MLB history to have 5 different players hit at least 30 HR.
· On any given day, their lineup can boast 8 players with 20+ HR and a rookie hitting .340.
The joy of watching this team comes not only from their success in the win column, but the way that they absolutely mash their way into the record books. This franchise has played a total of 119 seasons between its days in Washington DC and Minnesota — none of which featured this many runs or home runs. The Twins have won three AL pennants since moving to Minnesota nearly six decades years ago…this year’s team had outscored each of them by the end of August.
I’ve followed the Twins at an unhealthy level now for the better part of two decades — a run that has featured seven playoff teams and a whole lot of losing in the rebuilding years. In my mind, only a couple of Twins clubs in that span came close to building the level of excitement that surrounds this team in Twins Territory.
The Turnaround Twins of 2001 overcame the threat of contraction, followed up by a 2002 run that brought the team its first postseason berth since the 1991 World Series. In 2006, The Piranhas — a nickname referring to the team’s pesky offense in 2006 that was bestowed by White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen — rode a late-season surge to dethrone the Tigers on the final day of the regular season.
But this team feels different from the rest. For the longest time, the Twins relied on fundamental baseball to win games — small ball, control-oriented pitchers, and sound defense. Now they can mash with the best of them. And they have a smashing nickname to boot!
10. You say goodbye, and I say hello. Hello/Goodbye
In 2019, we said goodbye to longtime players, managers, broadcasters, even WGN, the Chicago station synonymous with the Cubs (don’t worry, Cubs fans…the Marquis Network is coming soon led by former MLB Network’s Mike Santini).
Doug Mittler takes a look at some of the noteworthy goodbyes.
Bruce Bochy announced back in spring training that the 2019 season would be the last of his 25-year managerial career. He took well-deserved bows around the league. And his team rallied around him — winning 17 of 20 games at one point in the first three weeks of July — which gave hope to one last pennant chase. Boch is that rare manager that’s never been fired.
CC Sabathia is one of the two New York athletes that have come to the end of their playing days with a mandatory question attached to them: Should they be inducted into the Hall of Fame? (Eli Manning being the other). Boy, did the Yankees — and Yankee fans — show their love to CC this year. He was given a proper sendoff last Sunday.
Marty Brennaman: Marty is retiring after 46 seasons as the voice of the Reds, only the eighth broadcaster to work for the same team that long. He was there when Hank Aaron homered off the Reds’ Jack Billingham in 1974 to tie Babe Ruth’s home run record. He was there during the Big Red Machine, and when Pete Rose was banned from the game. He was there long enough to work alongside his son Thom.
Steve Blass: After 34 seasons behind the microphone, Blass is retiring from the Pirates booth. Blass will forever be a legend within the Pirates organization after six decades with the organization. His greatest moment was his shutout in Game Seven of the 1971 World Series as the Pirates downed the Orioles.
Ichiro Suzuki: The 45-year old left the game where it all began for him, during the Mariners’ season-opening series against the A’s in Tokyo in March. He is the all-time hit king … to some.
Ned Yost: The 65-year-old Yost has been manager of the Royals since 2010, the second longest tenure behind Bruce Bochy in San Francisco, and led Kansas City to an AL pennant in 2014 and its first World Series title in 30 years in 1985. Yost has a 22–9 postseason record — that .710 winning percentage leads all managers with at least 20 postseason games. It ends a lifetime in baseball for Yost, who was drafted out of Chabot College as a catcher in 1974 and played parts of six seasons with the Brewers, Rangers, and Expos before moving into coaching.
Globe Life Park: The Rangers bid farewell to their home park since 1994 and move to a new retractable roof facility adjacent to their current home. Globe Life hosted two World Series, the 1995 Al-Star Game, a perfect game by Kenny Rogers in 1994, and the first-ever interleague game in MLB history between the Giants and Rangers in 1997.
WGN: After 72 seasons, the longest television partnership in baseball ends this season. WGN broadcast its first Cubs game in 1948 and enjoyed exclusive rights to all but their nationally broadcast games until the 2015 season, when local networks ABC Chicago and Comcast’s regional sports network — now known as NBC Chicago — were given rights to many Cubs games. WGN was a pioneering superstation, giving the Cubs a national audience and helping make Harry Caray even more of a household name.
Kalb: When the playoffs start Tuesday, I’m going to take a deep breath. I’ll be able to listen to the Yankees games on radio, and hear John Sterling. That wasn’t a given after he missed four games in July, marking his first absence from the booth since 1989 (5,060 consecutive games). Sterling didn’t look or sound himself midseason, and his return is so, so welcome.
When the playoffs start with the N.L. Wild Card game, I’m going to be able to tune in and see Ron Darling. That is always great news, even better this October after he was forced to take a leave of absence earlier this season to attend to his thyroid cancer. Ron learned of the diagnosis in May. “Listen, everyone has their health challenges and this was just mine,” Darling said before calling his last regular season game in Washington.
Oh man, I can’t wait to listen to Sterling — to Darling — to Big Papi (who we almost lost when he was shot in the back on June 9).
Enjoy the postseason. There’s a lot to look forward to.
10 Things I Think I Think for Monday, September 30 was originally published in Our Game on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.