General Baseball Archives (C70 At The Bat)

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The Long National Nightmare Is Over

Posted on July 14, 2010 at 8:25 AM

It finally happened. It'd been years in the making. I was about to start my senior year of college the last time. Finally, finally the National League won the All-Star Game.

Nice to see a little Cardinal influence on the win. Of course, former Redbird Scott Rolen going first to third was the big thing, but he was doing that on Matt Holliday's hit and Holliday wound up scoring the winning run. Then Adam Wainwright worked around Holliday's miscue in the outfield (what it is about Holliday and fielding on a national stage) to keep the game at 3-1.

Loved the Quotemeister's comment after the game: "They've won every time I've come here."

What was disappointing, however, was the early removal of Yadier Molina and especially Albert Pujols. I could understand Molina's, because it was a baseball decision--the NL had runners on and a chance to get on the scoreboard. You hate to see Molina go out that early, but notwithstanding his hit earlier in the game, it's not been a great offensive year for him.

Pujols, though, was much less defensible. When it's a game that "counts", the best player in baseball is done after the third inning? Really? While the days of the starters getting four at bats and pitchers throwing three or more innings seem to be dead, is that really the way things should be?

It all goes back to the argument that this is the fans' game, not the players or MLB's. The fans voted in a starting lineup--that lineup should get the majority of the playing time. If someone doesn't get into the game, that's tough. They're getting paid millions and likely got some sort of bonus just for making the squad. That'll have to do.

The whole reason we are in this "This Time It Counts" mess is because managers can't actually manage an All-Star Game. When Mike Mussina didn't get into the 1993 game at Camden Yards, fan reaction was strong and set baseball on the path toward using all the players, which bit them in the 2002 Milwaukee tie. I do believe the local representation needs to get into the game, but other than that, if players don't get in, they don't get in. As Evan of Rhino Rant stated last night when we talked on BBA Baseball Talk, you wind up with Omar Infante instead of Albert Pujols facing Mariano Rivera, and that's not playing the game to win.

Tom Verducci makes a lot of the same comments that I was making last night during the game. The way the game ended for the AL should be reason enough to get back into some sort of real baseball mindset for these games.

Get the game back to 25 players. Let the starters get into the sixth and let some of them play the whole game. You'll have a better baseball game and maybe one that lets the best team win.

The other news of yesterday was, of course, the passing of George Steinbrenner. As a National League fan in the middle of the country, I only was aware of Steinbrenner from afar. While it was sometimes frustrating to see the Yankees stockpile or snag a player that the Cards might have used, you had to at least respect that Steinbrenner was trying. The charges sometimes leveled at St. Louis ownership by a section of the fanbase--that they are more about lining pockets than trophy cases--never was made in New York.

With the passing of long-time stadium announcer Bob Sheppard this week as well, it reminds me of that week in June 2002 when St. Louis lost Jack Buck, then Darryl Kile. It's different, of course--neither NY death compares to the shock of losing Kile--but having two big losses right on top of each other is a difficult thing to deal with.

Another day off before the Cards get back to the grind, facing Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers. At least Chris Carpenter's going, because that's a tough assignment to get a good second half started against!

Filed Under: General Baseball | St. Louis Cardinals Comments (1)

Stephen Strasburg Ruined My ITouch

Posted on June 21, 2010 at 9:25 AM

Stephen Strasburg is an incredible pitcher. He's taken the baseball world by storm, living up to the hype, setting records virtually every time out. Yet this weekend, he was indirectly responsible for me frying my iPod Touch.

Let me preface this by saying while I enjoy doodads and gizmos, I don't have a lot of them. The budget doesn't let me be much of an early adapter. However, back in March, I was able to finally purchase a Touch. While one of the big reasons I got it was to be able to use MLB.tv, I expect that would have to wait until 2011 due to the price of the annual subscription. However, I was able to get in on the vaunted $20 sale right before the season started and had the best of both worlds.

Now, I tend to do my best to take care of things like this, because one, I don't have the money to fix or replace and two, I tend to live a Murphy's Law-type of life at times. It seems like if something can go wrong with something, especially if I've spent money on it, it will.

So the whole family has gotten to where they enjoy using the Touch. They play the games, download different apps, the whole deal. I use it to check my e-mail and Facebook and, of course, watch games. It's been worth the money and really a lot of fun.

Then Stephen Strasburg comes along.

I'm a huge pitching fan and have been excited to see Strasburg since he reached national promenance last year. I missed his first start because I had a softball game at the same time. His second start was on TBS, so I could lay on my couch and watch that one. His third start, though, wasn't televised in my area. (My cable company won't get MLB Network, to my lasting sorrow.)

I started out watching Strasburg on the computer while the family was finishing up dinner. However, I had to get the kids bathed up because I was heading out to my bi-weekly poker game soon. I didn't want to miss his start, though. What to do?

You can see where this is going.

It worked out fine when my son got his bath. I made sure to keep it well away from the tub and moved it away from the sink when he was brushing his teeth.

Then, my daughter's bath. Again, things were going well until she says, "I want to see the baseball game." So I turn it toward her to show her the game.

I'm still not sure exactly what happened. I wasn't over the tub when I showed her. I thought I was well enough away from it. However, apparently I wasn't. The Touch slipped from my hand, bounced against the side of the tub, and landed face up in her bath water.

The image of the game being viewed through a thin layer of water will stay with me a long time. After freezing for a second in utter disbelief, I lunged for the Touch, got it out and wrapped a towel around it.

Perhaps if I were more electronic-savvy (or actually have been able to think), I'd have first gone to the internet and looked for answers. If I'd done that, I'd have seen that I shouldn't turn it on or use it at all. Of course, that's not what I did. Everything seemed to be OK, there was just no sound. Maybe I was in time.

Then it shut off.

Restarting it, I rushed for the headphones (since when I turned the volume up and down, that was the volume it said it was adjusting) to see if I could get the sound back on. That's when the screen stopped responding.

After some texting with my brother-in-law, I did the "submerge it in rice" thing this weekend. When we finally got it out yesterday, after some major work, it seems to actually work somewhat. The apps will come up, the touch screen is responsive, everything is good.

Except the wi-fi. That option is completely ghosted out.

At least it works in part. The family can still play a lot of their games. It still syncs up with the computer.

But no more watching Strasburg or any other game on it. I hope he's happy.

Filed Under: General Baseball | Washington Nationals Comments (1)

Book Review: Joe Cronin, A Life In Baseball

Posted on March 11, 2010 at 9:30 PM

One of the perks of being a baseball bloggers is, at times, you get a chance to get a free baseball book on the off-chance that you'll write about it to an audience that may care what you have to say. I've had four or five of these opportunities come directly to me, but this time, it came through my association with Seamheads. (Which is another one of those luck things. Take a look at that author roster. There's no way I have any business being there, but they humor me.)

Anyway, there came around an e-mail looking to see if someone was interested in reading a new book called Joe Cronin: A Life In Baseball, by Mark Armour. I have read enough baseball history to know the name of Joe Cronin, but I didn't know a lot of the details about him. A baseball book is a baseball book, however, and I quickly volunteered to take a look at it. Let me tell you, I'm extremely glad that I did.

This book had me hooked from the prelude, which was set at the end of Cronin's life when he was being honored at Fenway Park with Ted Williams. The description of Cronin as an affable guy that loved to talk baseball at any opportunity intrigued me and made me identify with him more than I expected too.

Name a job and a time in baseball and Joe Cronin had something to do with it. He broke into baseball with Pittsburgh in 1925. At least, that's where he got his first job. He wound up spending most of his tenure in Pittsburgh in their minor league system. When he ran out of options, he was traded over to Washington, where he actually made a name for himself.

Cronin was an All-Star shortstop, which in and of itself might have gotten him into the Hall of Fame. However, it wasn't too many years before Cronin found himself named player-manager of the Senators, something that wasn't all that common even in those days, though was a little more prevalent at the time due to the Great Depression. An owner could get two jobs done for the price of one, basically.

Before reading this book, I'd heard the story that Cronin had been traded by his father-in-law, which is not something that often happens. Clark Griffin was actually Cronin's uncle by marriage, though he had basically adopted Cronin's wife and people thought of her as his daughter. However, what's less well known is that Cronin had the final say there and was willing to go to Boston.

Boston was a great move for him. He was player-manager for a few more years before gradually siding into more of a traditional manager role. He then moved up the ladder to GM during a time where the Red Sox built their way out of also-ran status to at least a competitiveness with the Yankees. Cronin was also in Boston for the infamous dash by Enos Slaughter, something Cardinal fans remember very fondly.

What else did Cronin do? How about rewriting the rule book--literally. He headed up the committee that formalized and codified the rules of the game. He was the American League President (back when the two leagues had their own identity) and presided over franchise shifts and expansion teams. He even was in the running to be commissioner for a time, though he was skipped over for an outsider in his best chance at it.

Armour weaves a fascinating tale, examining each year of Cronin's baseball life, from his time starring in the sandlots of San Francisco to his passing in 1984. Watching how baseball changed and seeing Cronin in the middle of the changes allows for a great look at the history of the game.

Armour does come across as an apologetic for Cronin in places, but it is nothing too egregious. Cronin dealt with charges of racism, as the Red Sox were the last team to integrate with black ballplayers. He received criticism as league president as well, and Armour takes pains to explain Cronin's side of things even while outlining the charges against him.

If I hadn't been asked to review this book, I might not have ever picked it up. While I enjoy reading baseball tomes, I might have passed this one by due to it being an American League book when I have a National League focus. That said, I'd have been missing out not to have read through this one. If you are a person with an interest in baseball history or know someone that does, this book would be a wonderful addition to their library.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of the book being reviewed by the publisher, but received no payment or other consideration for this review.

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Friday Link Dump

Posted on February 12, 2010 at 9:34 AM

It's Friday, the last Friday before pitchers and catchers report. As such, there's not just a ton to write about, so we'll clean out the inbox and give you the information and links that get sent to me on occasion.

--You may have read about this elsewhere, but Ernie Harwell is receiving the Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award. As someone (I believe it was Matthew Leach) noted on Twitter, it's rare you receive an award named for someone still alive and actually a decade younger than you are. Harwell obviously is a deserving recipient, having been the voice of the Tigers for so many years. It's great to see how involved with baseball he still is, even though he's gotten away from the microphone on a regular basis.

--The Society of American Baseball Research giving away a book. Do I really need to say more? Check out their website for a free download of The Emerald Guide to Baseball 2010. Put it this way: if you wanted the print version, it'd run you about $25, so it's a heck of a bargain. I downloaded it last night and gave it a quick look through, but there's a ton of stuff there. It runs over 500 pages, so if you want to get prepared for the coming season, I'd suggest downloading it sometime this weekend.

--If you haven't, you should check out Fanbase. Fanbase is like an encyclopedia of sports knowledge put together by fans. If you check out the Cardinal page, you'll see a lot of the posts from this blog, but there's other information there as well. It's a great way to have a real-time look at players, something that could be really valuable in the years to come, to look back and see what they were saying about Player X in his prime. Plus there are discussions, pictures, the whole gambit.

--Not to be confused with Fanbase, there is a FanPulse application now available for the iPhone. I personally don't have an iPhone, though often wish I did. This is one of those times. You have your scores plus you have blog commentary available right there at the touch of your fingertips. The first 2000 who download are eligible for a drawing for $50 iTunes gift cards, so if you haven't, check that out and see if you like it.

--The Baseball Bloggers Alliance is branching out into podcasting! The first episode of BBA Baseball Talk will be Tuesday night at 10 PM Central over at Blog Talk Radio. Yours truly, as founder of the BBA, will be hosting the first edition along with Ron from Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf. We'll have a look at baseball in general, how the divisions shape up, and hopefully have some callers to talk ball with us.

--Speaking of podcasting, the United Cardinal Bloggers are going to be interviewing Cardinals minor league director John Vuch next Saturday. More details to come.

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Book Review: Heading For Home

Posted on January 17, 2010 at 9:12 PM

A few weeks ago, I got an e-mail from a man named Kent Stock. He asked if he could send along his book about a historic high school baseball season and the movie it inspired. Now, one of the major benefits of this blog thing is getting free baseball books. I love reading them, so I quickly responded with my address.

What I received was Heading For Home: My Journey from Little League to Hollywood. The movie in question was called The Final Season and it starred Sean Astin. While I vaguely recalled hearing that title, I thought, I was a little surprised it wasn't clearer in my head, something that was clarified as I read the book.

The main situation that this autobiography is based around is the 1991 Norway (Iowa) high school baseball team. As happens sometimes in states, Norway was a small town but it kept churning out state titles in its classification and would play up in class during the season with great success as well. However, with cutbacks going on all over the country, Norway was forced to consolidate with a nearby school. The legendary coach of the team quit over the whole thing, leaving assistant coach Stock, who had never coached baseball at that level, to be the "lame duck" for the last season.

Stock, the kids, everyone involved wanted to go out with Norway's 20th state title, and even though the talent level wasn't as high as it had been in past years, they kept pushing on until they reached the title game. After taking a lead, they found themselves in the top of the seventh, their final inning, down a run with two outs and no one on base.

Now, being that there likely wouldn't have been a book about the season, much less a movie, if Norway didn't win the game, there's not a lot of suspense there now. However, it was a remarkable thing and a wonderful way for a place like that to finish up.

Stock also writes about his background, how he grew up and his love of baseball, especially the Cardinals (one of the reasons he selected this blog to communicate with!). He then gets into his post-Norway life, including the eventual development of the movie. It was a home-grown effort, not a "major motion picture", so the advertising and other related monies just weren't there, but it's out on DVD now and, after reading this book, I'm thinking about renting it to see the story unfold. It was pretty good on paper!

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Postseason Playing Pepper: Los Angeles Dodgers (Part II)

Posted on October 7, 2009 at 11:23 PM

If you were reading this blog before this season started, you may remember a series I did called "Playing Pepper", where I asked five questions of a blogger covering each major league team. With the season coming to a close, I thought I'd tap into the talents of the newly formed Baseball Bloggers Alliance and ask five new questions of the bloggers covering the postseason teams.

Yesterday, I posted the answers I got to my Dodger questions from Matt at Feeling Dodger Blue. I also asked Chris from Dodgerfan.net the same ones and got his responses today. So as the Cards battle the Dodgers, here's another angle on the opponents.

C70: What is the Dodgers' strength going into October?

DF: The strength of the Dodgers is definitely their offense. Andre Ethier has had a truly breakout year, and Matt Kemp is right behind him.Interestingly, Ethier struggled all year against left-handers, but fortunately for the Dodgers, St. Louis' rotation is full of righties.

The other key element of the Dodgers is their pitching. Kershaw and Wolf give the team two strong starters heading into the playoffs. They're not elite, but they can both get through six innings. This is key because the Dodgers bullpen is one of the best in the majors with Kuo, Sherrill and Broxton anchoring the last third of the game. If the Dodgers have a lead going into the 7th, chances are they will hold it. .

C70: What worries you about the team?

DF: The rest of the starting pitching. Vicente Padilla has been tapped by Joe Torre to start Game 3 over Chad Billingsley who has struggled as of late when the game enters the sixth inning. Padilla has pitched very well for LA, including notching 10 strikeouts on Sunday against Colorado, but he's still Vicente Padilla. Kuroda is still hurt, which is a real loss for this team in the NLDS.

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Postseason Playing Pepper: Minnesota Twins

Posted on October 7, 2009 at 11:08 PM

I'll admit it. I started contacting bloggers about the time the Tigers had just finished splitting with the Twins, so I didn't even contact those diehard Minnesota guys. Silly me! Seth of Seth Speaks, though, didn't hold it against me and filled me in on those AL Central champs.

C70: What is the Twins' strength going into October?

SS: The strengths of this team are in three of their left-handed bats. Denard Span is the definition of a leadoff hitter. Jason Kubel has taken his play to another level, hitting right around .300 with 27 home runs and over 100 RBI. And obviously Joe Mauer is the AL MVP. He led the league in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage this year. He is the perfect hitter, and a very good defensive catcher. The other thing that the Twins have going for them is that they have been playing playoff games for the last couple of weeks. They have already been playing must-win games. Oh, and Michael Cuddyer had an amazing September, and even Delmon Young has been a major contributor of late.

C70: What worries you about the team?

SS: The Twins haven't beaten the Yankees in like 13 years (slight exaggeration), but that isn't my biggest concern should the Twins make the playoffs. The fact is that their late season run (won 16 of final 20 games) was so amazing and so unlikely, I would be worried that they accomplished what they could and could take a deep breath. Also, because of their late season run, their pitching staff has really been used and will not be set up as they would want for the playoffs.

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Postseason Playing Pepper: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Posted on October 7, 2009 at 9:14 PM

The Angels are in the postseason again, though like the Cardinals of '02, they've got a fallen teammate on their mind. I asked Tony from Go Halos about this squad.

C70: What is the Angels' strength going into the postseason?

GH: Most obvious - Deep Starting Pitching. Less Obviously - Deep relentless lineup.

C70: What worries you about this team?

GH: Our bullpen situation with Brian Fuentes not always a sure bet. Also how the team will respond against the Red Sox. Will their nerves get the best of them again?

C70: What player left off or added to the postseason roster would surprise casual observers, if it happens?

GH: Nothing obvious, But possibly Brandon Wood making the roster rather than Rob Quinlan.

C70: Who is the key player for the Angels, the player that, if they don't go well, the Angels go home early?

GH: John Lackey. He's has got to be an ace in the playoffs and win game 1.

C70: Are there high expectations for this team? Is it where the playoffs are enough, the fans expect them to get past the first round, or is anything less than the Series a disappointment?

GH: Anything less than a World Series would be a disappointment, but fans will not be too confident until we finally get past the Red Sox.

Thanks to Tony for the info!

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Postseason Playing Pepper: Colorado Rockies

Posted on October 6, 2009 at 10:58 PM

The Rockies had a rush this season, coming from way back to almost take the NL West title, before settling for the wild card. David from Rockies Review and Miles from Inside the Humidor let us know what's going on with the rare air team.

C70: What is the Rockies' strength going into October?

ITH: The Rockies strength this year going into October is pitching, with Cook, Jimenez, and De La Rosa. But even stronger than the pitching in my belief is management, Jim Tracy's ability to manage the game and remove guys when things are not going well or substituting the right guys to gain an advantage. His trust in his team shows and he allows them to play the game and they knowledge of his support is evident. So I would say the real strength is Jim Tracy.

RR: The Rockies strength going into October is their depth. They scored the second most runs in the league, yet didn't have a single player with more than 92 RBI's (Troy Tulowitzki). They have four starters in the outfield, meaning one will always be ready on the bench if needed, and Ryan Spilborghs as their fifth outfielder who is pretty formidable. Their defense is also a strength. Clint Barmes and Troy Tulowitzki are possibly the best middle infield combo in the league. They have great range and great arms. With the extra outfielders, plus the addition of Jason Giambi, the Rockies have no shortage of talent.

C70: What worries you about the team?

RR: If there is a spot on the Rockies team that is worrisome it is their strikeouts. This team does way too much striking out. In fact, in 2009 they set a club record for strike outs. With runners on base this team struggles to move the runner over and play small ball. While they lead the league in sacrifice flies, they seem to leave runners on base all the time do to the extreme number of K's.

ITH: Right now the biggest worry is Jason Marquis, but also I worry about consistency at the plate. Can the offense consistently produce runs and not leave 8-10 men on base?

Filed Under: Baseball Bloggers Alliance | Colorado Rockies | General Baseball Leave a Comment

Postseason Playing Pepper: Los Angeles Dodgers

Posted on October 6, 2009 at 10:43 PM

With the Cardinals taking on the Dodgers in this first round of the playoffs, I caught up with Matt from fellow Blogs By Fans blog Feeling Dodger Blue to get his take on the Redbirds' opponent.

C70: What is the Dodgers' strength going into October?

FDB: It's hard for me to even admit they have a strength right now, but I guess I would have to say their bullpen. Broxton has been mostly untouchable as the closer and Sherrill has been great since the trade. With Troncoso and Belisario, this team has a way of shortening up a game if they have a lead.

C70: What worries you about the team?

FDB: This team has way too many concerns to be considered a serious contender this year. For one, the starting pitching is about as makeshift as it gets. Sure, the starter's ERA this year has been good, but it has been very piecemeal. Finding two or three shut down guys to match up with other teams' shut down guys is going to be hard. For me, though, the biggest concern is getting hits with runners in scoring position. When that happens, this team is rolling, and when it doesn't they look as mediocre as they've looked the last eight games.

Filed Under: Baseball Bloggers Alliance | General Baseball | Los Angeles Dodgers Leave a Comment

Also on the Network:

√ Doing It The Hard Way [C70 At The Bat]

√ Bobby Jenks Saves Sox's Win Over Seattle [Tremendous Upside Potential]

√ Deadline moves [Feeling Dodger Blue]

√ Manny's impact [Feeling Dodger Blue]

√ Shea Stadium Plays Citi Field [Loge 13]

√ Frustration Revisted [C70 At The Bat]

√ Not So Fast, T-Mac [Tremendous Upside Potential]

√ Payroll breakdown [Feeling Dodger Blue]

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Recently in General Baseball Category

The Long National Nightmare Is Over

Stephen Strasburg Ruined My ITouch

Book Review: Joe Cronin, A Life In Baseball

Friday Link Dump

Book Review: Heading For Home

Postseason Playing Pepper: Los Angeles Dodgers (Part II)

Postseason Playing Pepper: Minnesota Twins

Postseason Playing Pepper: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Postseason Playing Pepper: Colorado Rockies

Postseason Playing Pepper: Los Angeles Dodgers

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