Monday, August 31, 2009

The Top Ten List: 2009 Baseball League Sleepers

A bunt's as good as a hit


By Will-He-M


After the Commish started doing his mid-season reports by position, I decided to highlight a few diamonds in the rough - guys who were taken late and have turned into gems. I posted this list on the league Message Board back in mid-July, so the numbers listed as "current" are obviously six weeks old. Anyway, I should have published it here sooner, but heading into the regular season's final week, it's still relevant.



10. Kendry Morales
Drafted by: Gloucester Expos, 16th Round, 317th Overall
Pre-Draft Rank: 297th Overall, 40th among 1B, 40th among RF
Current Rank: 104th Overall, 20th among 1B, 16th among RF
Current Stars: .288 Avg, 24 D, 17 HR, 52 RBI, .888 OPS, 43 XBH



9. Jarrod Washburn
Drafted by: Nepean Hotspurs, 29th Round, 569th Overall
Pre-Draft Rank: 324th Overall, 82nd among SP
Current Rank: 94th Overall, 16th among SP
Current Stats: 112.1 IP, 6 W, 72 K, 2.96 ERA, 12 QS



8. Russell Branyan
Drafted by: Fowl Play, 17th Round, 330th Overall
Pre-Draft Rank: 321st Overall, 42nd among 1B, 40th among 3B
Current Rank: 74th Overall, 15th among 1B, 10th among 3B
Current Stats: .275 Avg, 17 D, 22 HR, 49 RBI, .938 OPS, 40 XBH



7. Brandon Inge
Drafted By: Fowl Play, 20th Round, 391st Overall
Pre-Draft Rank: 314th Overall, 24th among C, 39th among 3B, 38th among CF
Current Rank: 64th Overall, 3rd among C, 8th among 3B, 10th among CF
Current Stats: .264 Avg, 9 D, 21 HR, 58 RBI, .864 OPS, 31 XBH



6. Edwin Jackson
Drafted by: Appalachia Christian, 17th Round, 331st Overall
Pre-Draft Rank: 304th Overall, 80th among SP
Current Rank: 24th Overall, 6th among SP
Current Stats: 121.2 IP, 7 W, 97 K, 2.52 ERA, 14 QS



5. Ryan Franklin
Drafted by: Funky Cold Medina, 19th Round, 372nd Overall
Pre-Draft Rank: 301st Overall, 39th among RP
Current Rank: 22nd Overall, 2nd among RP
Current Stats: 34.0 IP, 2 W, 21 Svs, 27 K, 0.79 ERA



4. Luke Scott
Drafted by: Chesapeake Abyss, 20th Round, 388th Overall
Pre-Draft Rank: 278th Overall, 41st among LF
Current Rank: 107th Overall, 15th among LF
Current Stats: .298 Avg, 11 D, 18 HR, 51 RBI, .957 OPS, 30 XBH



3. Aaron Hill
Drafted by: Toronto Maple Leafs, 15th Round, 294th Overall
Pre-Draft Rank: 288th Overall, 24th among 2B
Current Rank: 36th Overall, 5th among 2B
Current Stats: .289 Avg, 16 D, 20 HR, 60 RBI, .811 OPS, 36 XBH



2. Jason Bartlett
Drafted By: CT Defenders, 23rd Round, 456th Overall
Pre-Draft Rank: 306th Overall, 22nd among SS
Current Rank: 59th Overall, 4th among SS
Current Stats: .343 Avg, 17 D, 8 HR, 39 RBI, 19 SB, .921 OPS, 28 XBH



1. Marco Scutaro
Drafted by: Montreal Royals, 19th Round, 380th Overall
Pre-Draft Rank: 310th Overall, 26th among 2B, 37th among 3B, 24th among SS
Current Rank: 89th Overall, 10th among 2B, 11th among 3B, 6th among SS



As an addendum to this list, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the top undrafted player.

Ben Zobrist
Added by: Montreal Royals on March 30th
Pre-Draft Rank: 307th Overall, 25th among 2B, 23rd among SS, 49th among LF, 41st amonf RF
Current Rank: 34th Overall, 4th among 2B, 3rd among SS, 7th among LF, 5th among RF
Current Stats: .300 Avg, 15 D, 17 HR, 52 RBI, 11 SB, 1.013 OPS, 36 XBH




Monday, August 24, 2009

The Guru Report: Which NHLer is Worse Than Hitler




By Hockey Guru


Tonight!

I paraphrase the famous ten year old question, and put it to a 40-year old veteran: will the real John Smoltz please stand up?

Or Hell, sit down? Or just lay there? Whatever you did before your last game, when the Cards benefitted from your greatness.



Then!

I'll welcome Sierra Menace into the fold. As long as this guy streams his players more than Plano, I'm certain we'll get along.



Finally!

My guest tonight in the studio will be Dany Heatley.

I'll ask him not what he can do for the league, but what the league can do for him. Tonight ... on the Guru Report!



Welcome Nation. I know it's still only Olympic evaluation Camp time, and that hockey season doesn't even kick into first gear for another few couple of weeks, so I'll remember to include some more non-hockey material in tonight's episode. First up, it's Hockey Guru's segment called, "Balls ... for kids (of all ages)!"

Eager to have a top-of-the-rotation arm, particularly one pitching for the Red Sox, I drafted John Smoltz in several leagues this Spring.

His return has been ... shall we say ... less that stellar?

Even when he's getting outs, it feels like it is being done through smoke and mirrors. Why does age have to impact pitchers? Why did Ulf Samuelson's knee have to ruin Cam Neely's career? And why can't I drink and avoid hangovers anymore?

In late July, after Week 16 had ended, the Guru transformed into his alter-ego, Clubber Lang. Witnessing yet another bad week from my man Smoltz seemed to set me off. I responded to the Commish's Week 16 Awards™ with my own recap:

"I pity the fools that performed so poorly in Week 16 that it caused me pain - so much pain that this list is limited to one fool...

John Smoltz

There was more scoring off you this past week, John Smoltz, than there was off Paris Hilton - and don't forget it was Fleet week, fool!

You say you bad? You ain't so bad. You a chump.

All your records and history is made up against creampuff National League opponents, fool.

Now go score yourself some of that HGH - I got plenty of the stuff in Clubber Lang's Laboratory. C'mon fool, you part of the chemistry team, now ..."




Moving on!

We here at the Clubhouse would like to take this opportunity to welcome Sierra Menace to the league. It's always great to see the Yankees rebranded and run outta New York, even if they were a 20th place team this season.

Sierra was joined soon after by another expansion owner, Gloucester Expos, who took over the unfortunately named Gobble Gobble Gobble team.

So to help acclimate them to their new surroundings, the Guru has a few things that you both should know...

  • TRADER DICK ISN'T YELLING WHEN HE POSTS IN ALL CAPS, SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT
  • Billy Bradski is probably not the real Jesus - no miracles have been performed by him to date. Perhaps he is employing his avatar in the hope that we bow down before him and let him win?
  • On your first day, you've already posted more Season-to-date messages than half the league. I apparently missed the memo about the rule that this is supposed to be the OttawaHockeyLeague Library Edition
  • Never disrespect Aaron Hill - it is critical that his value in this league does not get questioned. That issue has the potential to shut the league down, entirely

Anyway, it's great to see someone who can give the Commish a run for his money in the Total Transactions department. Unfortunately for Nepean, he forgot to include that column as a scoring category, which is why he'll never see the Top Ten.



Moving on!

My guest tonight is none other than Ottawa Senators forward, Dany Heatley. Let's give him a hand, Nation - Dany Heatley!!

...

[silence]

...

[*crickets, crickets*]

...

Ummmm, you there STP? Our producer, Spezzal Teams Playa in the booth, everyone ... STP, you there? What's going on? Where's tonight's guest?

He what?!? Just because we took him out of the first segment and replaced him with that John Smoltz piece?

Did you explain to him that he's still an important component of the show? Or that he is guaranteed more than one-third of the air-time AND he is playing the third act, aka the powerplay segment of the show?

And he still won't join us? I don't get it ...

What's that? He was booked to go on The Nightly Show with Plano Flames, then quickly cancelled his appearance in Alberta as well? What a turd. Do we have any video of that? Roll it:






You know what? Screw him. We'll do this segment without him, and probably have better chemistry to boot.

Ladies and gentlemen, Nation, it’s time for the formation of the DHL – the Dany Heatley League. There’s no room for him in the NHL anymore. In fact, the DHL doesn’t need to be limited to hockey players only – it can be a league for all athletes that are simply entitled to everything.

Society has moved so far away from accountability it’s ridiculous. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time nor probably the last time we see this garbage take place.

The outrage, disappointment and utter contempt this creates among fans is like seeing Santa Claus steal your flat screen TV. It’s something that just shouldn’t happen. It’s just plain wrong. Unfortunately, fans will root for him again. He will be loved again – not because of who he is – but merely because of the sweater he’ll pull over his shoulder pads.

His legacy is tarnished forever. He can’t un-ring that bell. Hopefully he’ll never land in the Hall of Fame (if his numbers even end up supporting his case), because voters and fans simply won’t want to honour somebody that brought dishonour to the sport.

Having the talent and opportunity to play professional sports is something that 99% of society can never fully understand. However, that 99% of society spends absurd amounts of money which gets channeled into the pockets of those gifted few.

Dany Heatley capitalized on his skills and abilities and chose to sign a 6-year $45 million dollar contract with Ottawa and required a no movement clause in that contract.

When you sign a contract like that, both you and the team lose the right to move on.

In his August 21st press conference, he claimed that he requested a trade because he felt his role had been reduced in Ottawa. Awwww, poor baby. It's an embarrassment to him, his agent and his parents that he wasn't raised to understand the importance of accountability and responsibility.

He’s guaranteed the money, but you can’t be guaranteed the ice time. That is earned. If you don’t like your role, then bust your ass and improve your role. Dany reduced his own role ever since separating his shoulder against Detroit in December 2007. Since that time, he plays mostly on the periphery looking for the big wind-up slapshot.

If he wanted out of Ottawa, he should have offered to have Ottawa tear up the contract. (Not that that would have been legal in today's NHL, unlike when Daniel Alfredsson cancelled his last contract). At the very least, let Ottawa trade his rights to whichever team makes the best offer. He’s not a free agent and shouldn’t control the process. On the open market he wouldn’t even sniff the contract he is currently paid under.

Now he wants to be given a role that may not be deserved?

Meet me over on camera 3, Mr. Heatley.

Okay, you listening Dany? If you truly love the fans of Ottawa and the city of Ottawa, then bust your ass and earn the role you want to have. Earn your contract. Become an MVP candidate.

Given his life's experiences so far, he shouldn’t be feeling sorry for himself. Rather he should be thanking his lucky stars that he continues to have the opportunities he has, and he should never have requested the trade in the first place.

At this point, there probably aren’t too many NHL teams that really want to bring in an overpaid star that wants his role given to him rather than earning his ice time. It’s the wrong message for an organization to send its players, its’ the wrong message for the league and it’s the wrong message for sports.

The Guru says trade him to the KHL so he can play with his apparent mentor - Alexei Yashin. Or better yet, create the DHL and simply let him go away and rot.




Sunday, August 23, 2009

The Guru Report: Hanoi Jane Says Ted is No Hilton




By Hockey Guru


"Tonight!"

Earlier this summer, in a stunning move, the Atlanta Braves released baseball's winningest pitcher, just when he was ready to return to the big leagues.

I'll find out if the recession has hit Ted Turner, or if he's just being as cheap as Jane Fonda says he is.


Then!

I'll break with baseball tradition and speak openly about that of which we dare not speak.


Finally! I'll recap the standings from our playoff hockey pool. Mmmm....there's nothing like fresh hockey scores in August. Tonight....on the Guru Report....



Welcome, welcome Nation. I trust all nine of you have enjoyed your summers. Here at the Clubhouse, we've taken a few months off to try our hand at baseball, and I just want to say one thing off the top.

Baseball is the best because you never spill your beer no matter how crazy the play is. The annual dry cleaning bill for my fishsticks jersey is enough to send Mr. Lam's daughter to university in Ottawa, so it's nice to be able to sit back and watch a relaxing ball game and get less beer on me, than in me.

But then I remembered that you can't be angry while you're relaxed....unless, of course, you're Charles Bronson. I tried several times, but no dice. So I went to the closet, pulled out my vintage Clark Gillies sweater and got my game face on....well, at first I had to wear my wife's exfoliating mask, cuz after a few months I couldn't remember where my game face was. But then I found it, so it was cool.

Just in time, too, cuz it was NOT cool the way the Braves were treating a legend.

The 43-year-old Glavine, who was coming back from shoulder and elbow surgery, threw six scoreless innings for Class A Rome on a Tuesday night in June and proclaimed himself ready to pitch in the majors again. Instead, the Braves cut him immediately. Just another move that figures to draw the ire of Atlanta fans after the team failed to re-sign John Smoltz during the offseason. Glavine was the winningest active pitcher in the majors with a record of 305-203. The move could be based on financial considerations. Glavine's $3.5 million deal, signed after the start of spring training, included a $1 million bonus when he was placed on the active roster and $1.25 million each for 30 and 90 days on the active roster.

Sounds to me like somebody's paying some extra-high alimony to ol' Hanoi Jane.



Moving on.

Something I noticed this summer on more than one occasion - the MLB Network has, more than once, cut in live to games that are progressing as no-hitters. In the studio, however, there is no avoidance of the phrase "no hitter", which has always been the tradition in the past.

In early June, ESPN sent out text messages alerting people that Beckett had a no-hitter going into the seventh. Dennis Eckersley, on the Red Sox own broadcast, must have said "no-hitter" fifty times.

So of course, in the bottom of the seventh Beckett loses the no-hit bid - and to the guy who Eckersley had repeatedly claimed that Beckett just plain owned. Eck assured us that Curtis Granderson would be an easy strikeout.

I don't think those mentions of a no-hitter or the alerts were the reason the no-hitter was broken up - but I do like the tradition of not talking about it. The tap dance around the term is part of the intrigue to me - just like a shutout in hockey.

Anyhow, I just wanted to see what the opinions of others were.

The closest no-hitter that I saw which really stung when it was broken up:

Curt Schilling versus Oakland, which was broken up with 2 outs in the ninth, I believe. Watching on television is a little bit different from being "live" at an event, but it is still cool to be part of a no-hitter as it occurs. As a Sox fan, I've watched several no-hitters. A few that were awesome and a couple that absolutely sucked.

The first, and worst, of my life? The 4th of July, Red Sox at Yanks. I spent the day watching at my parents' friends' house without air conditioning in about a million degree heat. I'm pretty sure that it was Dave Righetti who threw it. Another shit-tastic no hitter was Chris Bosio for Seattle mowing down the Sox in a late night game on the West Coast. There's nothing better than staying up to see absolutely nothing happen. I wish I could be more open to seeing greatness as a fan, but I hated it. A classic (apparent) no-hitter, which was later taken away, was when Matt Young threw a no-no and lost, giving up about three runs on no hits.

I used to tape almost every one of Pedro's starts - waiting to save his no hitter - but it never came. I did, however, watch and tape the end of the Nomo No-No against Baltimore. Unfortunately, I was out of town for my anniversary, listening to the radio during the Derek Lowe no hitter. I was, and still am, a huge Derek Lowe fan - the guy liked to party and the guy really liked chicks. Finally, the Clay Buchholz no-hitter was unreal, watching it unfold in the September atmosphere of Fenway.

The second closest I ever came to witnessing a no-no live and in person was when Greg Harris threw a 3-hitter against the Yanks and still lost (I think the Yanks' pitcher put up a 2-hitter, himself), but the closest I ever came was a much happier occasion, seeing Crazy Carl Everett break up Mike Mussina's bid.

[At this point, the Guru's brain won't stop playing, "No No No" by Def Leppard. Is anyone else reminded of that song when using the term, "no-no"?]



Moving on.

After trying to pick up the ball from Spezzal Teams Playa, who dropped it when he stopped updating our Playoff Hockey Pool, the Guru also ended up dropping the ball.

It really didn't matter, though.

Since the previous update (my team had Nepean's team in a strangle-hold), I believe my team advanced to the Finals. Yeah. We'll go with that.

(It really, really didn't matter).

Meanwhile, Appalachia Christian had Toronto beat going into Round 2 by virtue of owning the same (and additional) players. Toronto was without a mathematical chance to catch him.

So the Finals pitted Appalachia versus the Clubhouse, but Appie had the series won before it began, yet again.

Therefore, we can safely crown Appalachia Christian as the Ottawa Hockey League Playoff Hockey Pool Champion. Congrats! Well Done! You may drink from the cup!



Well that's about all we have for tonight's installment of the Guru Report. Be sure to tune in regularly for more frequent updates, especially now with hockey season gearing up. And be sure to watch tomorrow's episode, when my guest in the studio will be Dany Heatley.

Heatley? Really? Wow, that's a good guest. Are we sure that he'll be here, Tito? Yeah? He committed to this show the day before last? Cool. I guess that means he's under contract to us and we can expect him to be here, as per that contract, so look for that.




The Top Ten List: The Top Ten Rule Five Draftees



By Will-He-M


In case some of you don't know exactly what the Rule 5 Draft is, I'll explain it.

"The Rule 5 Draft was officially brought in 1959 so that teams could no longer stockpile their prospects and prevent them from reaching the MLB, when another MLB organization was willing to play them in the bigs."


The Rule 5 Draft procedures are fairly simple:

  • Any player selected must remain on the claiming team's 25-man roster for the duration of the season
  • Any player selected cannot be optioned or designated for assignment, without first offering the player back to his original team, without compensation
  • Any player selected ensures compensation of $50 000 to his original team
  • Any player selected who is later offered back to his original team, only ensures a refund of $25 000
  • Any player selected must be left off his original team's 40-man roster
  • Any player selected must have been signed at age 19 or older AND have been with the organization for 3 years, OR must have been signed at age 18 or younger and have been with the organization for 4 years.

So, without further delay, here is my Top Ten Rule 5 Sleepers



10. Dan Uggla (Florida Marlins 2006-present)
573 GP, 2179 AB, 371 R, 562 H, 131 D, 12 T, 111 HR, 332 RBI, 14 SB, .258 AVG

Selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2001 Draft
Selected by the Florida Marlins in the 2005 Rule 5 Draft

TSN National League Rookie of the Year (2006)
2x All-Star (2006, 2008)



9. Josh Hamilton- 2007-Present

Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers

Originally Drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 1999 MLB Draft

Drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 2006 Rule 5 Draft(then traded to Cincinnati Reds for $100
000 dollars)

317 GP, 1184 AB, 185 R, 347 H, 66 D, 9 T, 59 HR, 217 RBI, 19 SB, .293 AVG

2008 Silver Slugger Award
2x All Star(2008, 2009)



8. Joakim Soria- 2007-Present

Kansas City Royals

Originally signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2001

Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 2006 Rule 5 Draft(from the San Diego Padres)

157 GP, 7-6, 2.08 ERA, 78 SVS, 87 SVOPP, 173.0 IP, 48 BB, 187 K

2008 All Star



7. Jeff Nelson- 1992-2006

Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox

Originally Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1984 MLB Draft

Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 1991 Rule 5 Draft

798 GP, 48-45, 3.41 ERA, 33 SVS, 82 SVOPP, 784.2 IP, 428 BB, 829 K

4x World Series Champion(1996, 1998-2000)
2001 All Star



6. Leon "Bip" Roberts- 1986-1998

San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers,
Oakland Athletics

Originally Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1982 MLB Draft

Drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 1985 MLB Rule 5 Draft

1202 GP, 4147 AB, 663 R, 1220 H, 203 D, 31 T, 30 HR, 352 RBI, 264 SB, .294 AVG

1992 All Star



5. Darrell Evans- 1969-1989

Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers

Originally Drafted by the Kansas City Athletics in the 1967 MLB Draft

Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 1968 MLB Rule 5 Draft

2687 GP, 8973 AB, 1344 R, 2223 H, 329 D, 36 T, 414 HR, 1354 RBI, 98 SB, .248 AVG

1984 World Series Champion
2x All Star(1973, 1983)



4. Willie Hernandez- 1977-1989

Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers

Originally signed by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1973

Drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 1976 MLB Rule 5 Draft

744 GP, 70-63, 3.38 ERA, 147 SVS, 190 SVOPP, 1044.2 IP, 349 BB, 788 K

1984 AL TSN Pitcher of the Year
1984 AL Cy Young Award
1984 AL MVP
1984 World Series Champion
3x All Star(1984-1986)



3. George "Liberty" Bell- 1981-1993

Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox

Originally signed by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1978

Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1980 MLB Rule 5 Draft

1587 GP, 6123 AB, 814 R, 1702 H, 308 D, 34 T, 265 HR, 1002 RBI, 67 SB, .278 AVG

1987 AL MVP
3x Silver Slugger Award(1985-1987)
3x All Star(1987, 1990, 1991)



2. Johan Santana- 2000-Present

Minnesota Twins, New York Mets

Originally signed by the Houston Astros in 1995

Drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 1999 MLB Rule 5 Draft(then traded to the Minnesota
Twins for Jared Camp and $500 000 dollars)

309 GP, 122-59, 3.11 ERA, 9 CG, 6 SHO, 1702.2 IP, 473 BB, 1731 K

2006 Pitching Triple Crown
2007 Gold Glove Award
2x Warren Spahn Award(2004, 2006)
2x Player's Choice Outstanding Pitcher(2004, 2006)
2x AL TSN Pitcher of the Year(2004, 2006)
2x AL Cy Young Award(2004, 2006)
4x All Star(2005-2007, 2009)



1. Roberto "Arriba" Clemente- 1955-1972

Pittsburgh Pirates

Originally signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1952

Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1954 MLB Rookie Draft(the original Rule 5 Draft)

2433 GP, 9454 AB, 1416 R, 3000 H, 440 D, 166 T, 240 HR, 1305 RBI, 83 SB, .317 AVG

1971 Babe Ruth Award
1971 World Series MVP
1966 NL MVP
12x Gold Glove Award(1961-1972)
2x World Series Champion(1960, 1971)
12x All Star(1960-1967, 1969-1972)
1973 Hall of Fame Inductee




The Top Ten List: The Top Ten Baseball Positions




By Will-He-M


Well that just about concludes my examination of the best baseball players in history. The only thing left to do now is to compile them all into a Field of Dreams-style All-Star Series.

Imagine someone had built it ... and they had come ... come to play a five-game series that pitted the best players of all time against each other in a National League versus American League format, with the AL serving as hosts.

I'll use the following Top Ten Lists to collect the best possible teams of 25 players, and then fill out the line-up cards.




1. Starting Pitchers
2. Catchers
3. First Basemen
4. Second Basemen
5. Third Basemen
6. Shortstops
7. Left Fielders
8. Center Fielders
9. Right Fielders
10. Relief Pitchers

Honourable mentions go out to the following lists, that missed the Top Ten due to not having their own assigned number:

Designated Hitters
Pinch Hitters
Utility Men
Managers


Thanks to everyone for following along. I had so much fun assembling these lists that I think I'll produce a few more before baseball season ends.

I have already produced a list of our fantasy league's Top Ten Draft Day Sleepers, as well as a trio of Lists detailing MLB's biggest Draft Busts, and a List of the Top Ten Rule 5 Selections. I'll think of a few more before football season gets underway, but then it'll be a solid month (or less) of football-related Lists before hockey season starts.

So drawing from my previous Lists, I present to you my All-Time All-Stars:




National League


CF Willie Mays
SS Honus Wagner
LF Barry Bonds
RF Hank Aaron
3B Mike Schmidt
DH Duke Snider
C Johnny Bench
1B Cap Anson
2B Rogers Hornsby


Starting Rotation

1. Cy Young
2. Randy Johnson
3. Greg Maddux
4. Steve Carlton
5. Warren Spahn


Bullpen
CL Trevor Hoffman
SU Robb Nen
RP Billy Wagner
RP Rod Beck
RP Lee Smith

Dugout
Util Pete Rose
RF Roberto Clemente
2B Jackie Robinson
LF Lou Brock
C Roy Campanella
PH Lenny Harris

Manager: Joe Torre
Bench Coach: Sparky Anderson
Bullpen Coach: Bobby Cox
1B Coach: Walter Alston
3B Coach: John McGraw




American League


CF Ty Cobb
LF Ted Williams
RF Babe Ruth
1B Lou Gehrig
DH Edgar Martinez
C Yogi Berra
3B Brooks Robinson
2B Nap Lajoie
SS Derek Jeter


Starting Rotation

1. Nolan Ryan
2. Walter Johnson
3. Roger Clemens
4. Bob Feller
5. Pedro Martinez


Bullpen
CL Mariano Rivera
SU Dennis Eckersley
RP Tom Henke
RP Francisco Rodriguez
RP John Wetteland

Dugout
1B Jimmy Foxx
3B George Brett
CF Ken Griffey Jr.
LF Rickey Henderson
C Ivan Rodriguez
2B Roberto Alomar

Manager: Joe McCarthy
Bench Coach: Tony La Russa
Bullpen Coach: Cito Gaston
1B Coach: Casey Stengel
3B Coach: Earl Weaver




The Top Ten List: The Top Ten Managers List

Yeahhhh ... okayyyy ... I'm gonna need that Weekly Awards done in triplicate from now on ...


By Will-He-M


Beween 1901 and 1968, teams were either in the American League or the National League. In 1969, the AL East, AL West, NL East and NL West were created. In 1994, the AL Central and the NL Central were added to make six Divisions, which introduced the Wild Card spot.

For the first sixty years of the century, winning a Pennant was a contest between eight teams. In 1961, the American League expanded by two teams, with the National League following suit in 1962. For most of the 60's, winning a Pennant became a ten-team contest.

With another expansion for each league in 1969, winning a Pennant became a 12-team contest in both leagues. Fortunately for managers, Division titles were the new measure of regular season success, and there were four of them. Each Title would initially be contested between only six teams.

In 1977, the American League added two more teams, making each of their Division Titles a seven-team contest. The National League followed suit in 1993, giving themselves only one season of seven-team Divisions. The following season saw six Division Titles contested by either 4 or 5 teams per Division, and the new consolation prizes, the Wild Cards were added to each league.

The National League launched their 4th two-team expansion in 1998, giving them a total of 16 teams in the 38th year of the Expansion Era. Once again, it became a six-team contest to win the NL Central Division (though an AL West Division title could still be had in a four-way race).

So while winning a Pennant has gotten progressively tougher from 1960-1998, winning a Division Title actually got easier between 1993 and 1994.

In addition to chasing Pennants and Division Titles, baseball managers have been awarded individual honours, as well. Between 1936-1985, The Sporting News awarded one Manager of the Year Award for all of baseball. They have since switched to awarding one per league. It wasn't until 1983 that MLB began awarding their own official Manager of the Year trophy, granting one to each league. This award was voted upon by the Base Ball Writers Association of America. By that time, however, there had already been 48 winners of the TSN Award.



10. Leo "The Lip" Durocher 1939-1973
3739 Games, 2008 Wins, 1709 Losses, .540

Brooklyn Dodgers 1939-1946
New York Giants 1948-1955
Chicago Cubs 1966-1972
Houston Astros 1972-1973


Only NL manager to lead two teams during one season (1948, 1972)
3x TSN Manager of the Year (1939, 1951, 1954)
3 NL Pennants (1941, 1951, 1954)
1 World Series Trophy (1954)
Hall of Fame (1994)







9. Earl Weaver 1968-1986
2541 Games, 1480 Wins, 1060 Losses, .583

Baltimore Orioles 1968-1982, 1985-1986

Holds AL record for career Ejections (98)
2x TSN Manager of the Year (1977, 1979)
6 AL East Titles (1969-1971, 1973, 1974, 1979)
4 AL Pennants (1969-1971, 1979)
1 World Series Trophy (1970)
Hall of Fame (1996)







8. Walter "Smokey" Alston 1954-1976
3658 Games, 2040 Wins, 1613 Losses, .558

Brooklyn Dodgers 1954-1957
Los Angeles Dodgers 1958-1976


3x TSN Manager of the Year (1955, 1959, 1963)
1 NL West Title (1974)
7 NL Pennants (1955, 1956, 1969, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1974)
4 World Series Trophies (1955, 1959, 1963, 1965)
Hall of Fame (1983)







7. Casey "The Old Perfessor" Stengel 1934-1965
3766 Games, 1905 Wins, 1842 Losses, .508

Brooklyn Dodgers 1934-1936
Boston Bees 1938-1940
Boston Braves 1941-1943
New York Yankees 1949-1960
New York Mets 1962-1965


Holds MLB record for World Series Trophies (7)
Holds MLB record for Pennants (10)
Holds MLB record for consecutive World Series Trophies (5)
3x TSN Manager of the Year (1949, 1953, 1958)
10 AL Pennants (1949-1953, 1955-1958, 1960)
7 World Series Trophies (1949-1953, 1956, 1958)
Hall of Fame (1966)







6. Anthony "Tony" La Russa 1979-present
4722 Games, 2522 Wins, 2197 Losses, .534

Chicago White Sox 1979-1986
Oakland Athletics 1986-1995
St. Louis Cardinals 1996-present


5th of 5 AL managers to lead two teams during one season (1986)
Won inaugural BBWAA American League Manager of the Year (1983)
3x AL Manager of the Year (1983, 1988, 1992)
TSN Manager of the Year (1983)
2x TSN American League Manager of the Year (1988, 1992)
NL Manager of the Year (2002)
NL Wild Card (2002)
6 NL Central Titles (1996, 2000, 2002, 2004-2006)
5 AL West Titles (1983, 1988-1990, 1992)
3 AL Pennants (1988-1990)
2 NL Pennants (2004, 2006)
2 World Series Trophies (1989, 2006)







5. Robert "Bobby" Cox 1978-present
4295 Games, 2384 Wins, 1908 Losses, .555

Atlanta Braves 1978-1981
Toronto Blue Jays 1982-1985
Atlanta Braves 1990-present


Holds MLB record for career Post-Season Appearances (15)
Holds MLB record for career Ejections (132)
AL Manager of the Year (1985)
3x NL Manager of the Year (1991, 2004, 2005)
Won final TSN Manager of the Year Award for entire MLB (1985)
7x TSN National League Manager of the Year (1991, 1993, 1999, 2002-2005)
In line to win NL's inaugural Wild Card (1994)
11 NL East Titles (1995-2005)
3 NL West Titles (1991-1993)
1 AL East Title (1985)
5 NL Pennants (1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1999)
1 World Series Trophy (1995)







4. John "Little Napolean" McGraw 1899-1932
4711 Games, 2763 Wins, 1948 Losses, .586

Baltimore Orioles 1899-1902
New York Giants 1902-1932


Holds MLB record for Pennants (10)
Holds MLB record for career Games Above .500 (815)
Holds MLB record for Ejections in a season with 13 (1905)
Holds NL record for Seasons Managed (32)
10 NL Pennants (1904, 1905, 1911-1913, 1917, 1921-1924)
3 World Series Trophies (1905, 1921, 1922)
Hall of Fame (1983)







3. "Marse" Joe McCarthy 1926-1950
3487 Games, 2125 Wins, 1333 Losses, .615

Chicago Cubs 1926-1930
New York Yankees 1931-1946
Boston Red Sox 1948-1950


Holds MLB record for career Winning Percentage (.615)
Holds MLB record for World Series Trophies (7)
Won inaugural TSN Manager of the Year Award (1936)
3x TSN Manager of the Year (1936, 1938, 1943)
8 AL Pennants (1932, 1936-1939, 1941-1943)
1 NL Pennant (1929)
7 World Series Trophies (1932, 1936-1939, 1941, 1943)
Hall of Fame (1957)







2. Sparky "Captain Hook" Anderson 1970-1995
4030 Games, 2194 Wins, 1834 Losses, .545

Cincinnati Reds 1970-1978
Detroit Tigers 1979-1995


2x AL Manager of the Year (1984, 1987)
TSN American League Manager of the Year (1987)
5 NL West Titles (1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976)
2 AL East Titles (1984, 1987)
4 NL Pennants (1970, 1972, 1975, 1976)
1 AL Pennant (1984)
3 World Series Trophies (1975, 1976, 1984)
Hall of Fame (2000)







1. Jospeh "Joe" Torre 1977-present
4116 Games, 2218 Wins, 1892 Losses, .540

New York Mets 1977-1981
Atlanta Braves 1982-1984
St. Louis Cardinals 1990-1995
New York Yankees 1996-2007
Los Angeles Dodgers 2008-present


2x AL Manager of the Year (1996, 1998)
TSN American League Manager of the Year (1998)
2 AL Wild Cards (1997, 2007)
10 AL East Titles (1996, 1998-2006)
2 NL West Titles (1982, 2007)
6 AL Pennants (1996, 1998-2001, 2003)
4 World Series Trophies (1996, 1998-2000)







Here are links to the entire 15-part series, The Top Ten Baseball Players:

The All-Time All-Stars
Managers
Starting Pitchers
Catchers
First Basemen
Second Basemen
Third Basemen
Shortstops
Left Fielders
Center Fielders
Right Fielders
Designated Hitters
Pinch Hitters
Utility Men
Relief Pitchers



Friday, August 21, 2009

The Top Ten List: The Top Ten Starting Pitchers




By Will-He-M


This turned out to be, by far, my most thorough List. I began by splitting the Starting Pitchers into four eras, to ensure that I didn't leave anyone out. These periods each had some distinct features, though the dates sometimes overlap:

1850-1939: The Dead-Ball Era
1940-1960: The War Years
1961-1983: The Expansion Era
1984-present: The Power Hitting Era

In the event an individual pitcher's career spans two eras, he gets considered only within the era in which he played the majority of his seasons.

The Dead-Ball Era

I feel that so many aspects of the game have changed that it's especially difficult to quickly cobble together this particular Top Ten List. Even assemblimg ten candidates from this era was tough, with so many greats being left off the final List.

Winning the MVP Award in the days before the Cy Young Award existed wasn't enough to secure a spot on the list for Lefty Grove (1931) or Dizzy Dean (1934). The special Eds, as they weren't really known, or Ed Walsh and Eddie Plank both won championships after the turn of the century, but now it's a hundred World Series-ziz-iz...'s later and neither guy stands out anymore. Winning the Triple Crown wasn't enough to get Tim Keefe (1888) or Charley Radbourn (1884) onto the final draft, especially when I couldn't even make room for four-time Triple Crown winner, Grover Cleveland Alexander (1915-1917, 1920).

The War Years

This was, in my opinion, the weakest era for pitching. I actually only had eleven bona fide candidates for the Top Ten and tried in vain to find a few more guys to add to the mix. There simply were no players in the same class as the top ten or eleven. I think a lot of this had to do with the War itself, which led to many good pitchers retiring after only 3-7 years. Among the guys who did excel, there still ended up being many good players left off the final List.

Guys like Bob Lemon and Whitey Ford, who were each was named the AL's Pitcher of the Year on three occasions. Or how about Hal Newhouser and Robin Roberts who each won the award twice. Jim Bunning was no slouch, but he failed to make the List. One of the most appropriately named and earliest winners of the Cy Young Award was none other than Early Wynn, but that didn't propel him past the final cuts. The same goes for Don Drysdale, who won the following year's Cy Young. Winning the 1940 Triple Crown was impressive, but Bob Feller couldn't find room in the top grouping either. Perhaps the hardest cut I had to make was Sandy Koufax, who owns a veritable showcase of trophies and awards. But no Top Ten Award.

The Expansion Era

This era saw many things change from the earlier days, as the development of bullpens and pitch counts began to alter the way a pitcher made his living. It's very noticable how Complete Game totals began to shrink, though not yet to the degree of today's pitchers. Also, this era saw the development of the 5-man rotation. In years past, teams often went with a 4-man rotation and in some cases, a 3-man rotation.

Judging pitchers from this era against their forefathers was not easy and highly subjective. I was once again forced to leave out several great players, such as Dave Stieb and his World Series ring, or Gaylord Perry and his pair of Cy Youngs. Don Sutton and Jim Palmer dominated the 70's, but couldn't make the all-century rotation. Juan Marichal was an early Latino ace who came close to making the List, but fell just short like his contemporary, Bob Gibson. I couldn't believe that I did not find a place for Fergie Jenkins, but in the end he was off the List as well.

The Power Hitting Era

When attempting to reduce this era's sub-List into it's own Top Ten, I found myself stuck on the top fifteen. Unlike the other eras, where there were clear-cut great pitchers, the Modern Era produced not as many greats, but far more very good pitchers. What hurts this era when it comes to comparisons to earlier days, is the fact that bullpens, pitch counts and 5-man rotations have now become as big a part of the game as starting pitchers themselves, who are no longer relied upon to shoulder the burden.

Not since I compiled the Catchers List, have I felt the extraordinary need to include a long "Honourable Mention" roll call, so that I can at least give some credit to the many, many very good pitchers of this era. One funny thing I noticed with this era's candidates was that the majority of the players I considered had played for the Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, New York Yankees or the Baltimore Orioles at some point.

Guys like Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine, Dennis Martinez, Mike Mussina, Roy Halladay, David Wells, Jimmy Key, John Smoltz, Curt Schilling, Johan Santana, Dwight Gooden, Orel Hershiser, Bret Saberhagan, David Cone, Kevin Brown, Kevin Appier, Andy Pettitte, Chuck Finley, Jose Rijo, Fernando Valenzuela, Jamie Moyer, Sid Fernandez and Mark Langston, to name a select few. The list could go on and on. Literally.

Unfortunately, I was restricted to picking only the Top Ten Starting Pitchers of All-Time:



10. Christy "Big Six" Mathewson (New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds 1900-1916)
635 GP, 373-188, 2.13 ERA, 434 CG, 79 SHO, 4780.2 IP, 844 BB, 2502 K

Won 6th and 7th of 20 National League Triple Crowns; 8th and 10th of MLB's 36 (1905, 1908)
4x National League Wins Crown winner (1905, 1907, 1908, 1910)
5x National League Strikeout Crown winner (1903-1905, 1907, 1908)
5x National League ERA Crown winner (1905, 1908, 1909, 1911, 1913)
Inaugural Hall of Fame class (1936)







9. Tom "Terrific" Seaver (New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox 1967-1987)
656 GP, 311-205, 2.86 ERA, 231 CG, 61 SHO, 4782.2 IP, 1390 BB, 3640 K

Holds MLB record for consecutive Strikeouts with 10 (April 22 1970)
National League Rookie of the Year (1967)
SI Sportsman of the Year (1969)
3x National League Cy Young Award winner (1969, 1973, 1975)
2x TSN National League Pitcher of the Year (1969, 1975)
3x National League Wins Crown winner (1969, 1975, 1981)
5x National League Strikeout Crown winner (1970, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976)
3x National League ERA Crown winner (1970, 1971, 1973)
World Series Champion (1969)
12x All-Star (1967-1973, 1975-1978, 1981)
Hall of Fame (1992)







8. Warren Spahn (Boston Braves, Milwaukee Braves, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants 1942-1965)
750 GP, 363-245, 3.09 ERA, 382 CG, 63 SHO, 5243.2 IP, 1434 BB, 2583 K

4x TSN National League Pitcher of the Year (1953, 1957, 1958, 1961)
MLB Cy Young Award winner (1957)
8x National League Wins Crown winner (1949, 1950, 1953, 1957-1961)
4x National League Strikeout Crown winner (1949-1952)
3x National League ERA Crown winner (1947, 1953, 1961)
World Series Champion (1957)
14x All-Star (1947, 1949-1954, 1956-1959, 1961-1963)
Hall of Fame (1973)








7. Roger "Rocket" Clemens (Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Houston Astros 1984-2007)
709 GP, 354-184, 3.12 ERA, 118 CG, 46 SHO, 4916.2 IP, 1580 BB, 4672 K

Holds MLB record for most Cy Young Awards (7)
Holds MLB record for Strikeouts in a game with 20 (April 29 1986, September 18 1986)
Won 12th and 13th of 15 American League Triple Crowns; 31st and 32nd of MLB's 36 (1997, 1998)
American League MVP (1986)
TSN Player of the Year (1986)
6x American League Cy Young Award winner (1986, 1987, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001)
National League Cy Young Award winner (2004)
5x TSN American League Pitcher of the Year (1986, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001)
4x American League Wins Crown winner (1986, 1987, 1997, 1998)
5x American League Strikout Crown winner (1988, 1991, 1996-1998)
6x American League ERA Crown winner (1986, 1990-1992, 1997, 1998)
National League ERA Crown winner (2005)
All-Star Game MVP (1986)
2x World Series Champion (1999, 2000)
11x All-Star (1986, 1988, 1990-1992, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003-2005)







6. Walter "The Big Train" Johnson (Washington Senators 1907-1927)
802 GP, 417-279, 2.17 ERA, 531 CG, 110 Shutouts*, 5914.2 IP, 1363 BB, 3509 K

Holds MLB record for career Shutouts (110)
Won 3rd, 4th and 5th of 15 American League Triple Crowns; 11th, 14th and 17th of MLB's 36 (1913, 1918, 1924)
2x American League MVP (1913, 1924)
6x American League Wins Crown winner (1913-1916, 1918, 1924)
12x American League Strikout Crown winner (1910, 1912-1919, 1921, 1923, 1924)
5x American League ERA Crown winner (1912, 1913, 1918, 1919, 1924)
World Series Champion (1924)
Inaugural Hall of Fame class (1936)







5. Steve "Lefty" Carlton (St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins 1965-1988)
741 GP, 329-244, 3.22 ERA, 254 CG, 55 SHO, 5217.1 IP, 1833 BB, 4136 K

Won 17th of 20 National League Triple Crowns; 29th of MLB's 36 (1972)
4x TSN National League Pitcher of the Year (1972, 1977, 1980, 1982)
4x National League Cy Young Award winner (1972, 1977, 1980, 1982)
4x National League Wins Crown winner (1972, 1977, 1980, 1982)
5x National League Strikeout Crown winner (1972, 1974, 1980, 1982, 1983)
Gold Glove Award winner (1981)
2x World Series Champion (1967, 1980)
10x All-Star (1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1977, 1979-1982)
Hall of Fame (1994)







4. Greg "Mad Dog" Maddux (Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres 1986-2008)
744 GP, 355-227, 3.16 ERA, 109 CG, 35 SHO, 5008.1 IP, 999 BB, 3371 K

4x National League Cy Young Award winner (1992-1995)
4x TSN National League Pitcher of the Year (1992-1995)
3x National League Wins Crown winner (1992, 1994, 1995)
4x National League ERA Crown winner (1993-1995, 1998)
18x Gold Glove Award winner (1990-2002, 2004-2008)
World Series Champion (1995)
8x All-Star (1988, 1992, 1994-1998, 2000)







3. Randy "Big Unit" Johnson (Montreal Expos, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants 1988-present)
613 GP, 303-166, 3.29 ERA, 100 CG, 37 CG, 4131.0 IP, 1497 BB, 4869 K

Won 19th of 20 National League Triple Crowns; 34th of MLB's 36 (2002)
TSN American League Pitcher of the Year (1995)
American League Cy Young Award winner (1995)
4x National League Cy Young Award winner (1999-2002)
4x American League Strikeout Crown winner (1992-1995)
5x National League Strikeout Crown winner (1999-2002, 2004)
American League ERA Crown winner (1995)
3x National League ERA Crown winner (1999, 2001, 2002)
World Series MVP (2001)
Babe Ruth Award (2001)
World Series Champion (2001)
10x All-Star (1990, 1993-1995, 1997, 1999-2002, 2004)







2. Nolan "The Ryan Express" Ryan (New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers 1966-1993)
807 GP, 324-292, 3.19 ERA, 272 CG, 61 SHO, 5386.0 IP, 2795 BB, 5714 Strikeouts*

Holds MLB record for career Strikeouts (5714)
Holds MLB record for Strikeouts in a season with 383 (1973)
Holds MLB record for No-Hitters (7)
Holds MLB record for career Hits/9 (6.6)
TSN American League Pitcher of the Year (1977)
9x American League Strikeout Crown winner (1972-1974, 1976-1979, 1989, 1990)
2x National League Strikeout Crown winner (1987, 1988)
2x National League ERA Crown winner (1981, 1987)
World Series Champion (1969)
8x All-Star (1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1985, 1989)
Hall of Fame (1999)







1. Denton "Cy" Young (Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Perfectos, Boston Americans, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Naps, Boston Rustlers 1890-1911)
906 GP, 511-316*, 2.63 ERA, 749 Complete Games*, 76 SHO, 7354.2 Innings Pitched*, 1217 BB, 2803 K

Holds MLB record for career Games Started (815)
Holds MLB record for career Innings Pitched (7354.2)
Holds MLB record for career Batters Faced (30058)
Holds MLB record for career Wins (511)
Holds MLB record for career Losses (316)
Holds MLB record for career Complete Games (749)
Won Triple Crown in American League's inaugural season (1901)
Won first three American League Wins Crowns (1901-1903)
2x National League Wins Crown winner (1892, 1895)
National League Strikeout Crown winner (1896)
National League ERA Crown winner (1892)
World Series Champion (1903)
Hall of Fame (1937)







That was the thirteenth installment in the fourteen-part series. To see the other lists, click here:

Catchers
First Basemen
Second Basemen
Third Basemen
Shortstops
Left Fielders
Center Fielders
Right Fielders
Designated Hitters
Utility Men
Pinch Hitters
Relief Pitchers




The Top Ten List: The Top Ten Relief Pitchers




By Will-He-M


My criteria for selecting the best relief pitchers included that he:

- must be dominant; not just consistent; and have the numbers to support that claim
- not necessarily possess the longevity demanded at other positions

Since Closers are a relatively new position, having only been around for 50 years in a game that's been around for 160, it's fairly simple to select the Top Ten of all time. It makes it easy to look deeper than just the Top Ten Saves leaders. ;-)



10. John Wetteland (Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers 1989-2000)
618 GP, 48-45, 2.93 ERA, 330 SVS, 393 SVOPP, 84% SV5, 765.0 IP, 252 BB, 804 K

TSN American League Reliever of the Year (1996)
American League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year (1996)
World Series MVP (1996)
World Series Champion (1996)
3x All-Star (1996, 1998, 1999)







9. Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez (Anaheim Angels, Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets 2002-present)
456 GP, 25-19, 2.35 ERA, 232 SVS, 269 SVOPP, 86% SV5, 500.2 IP, 225 BB, 637 K

Holds MLB record for Saves in a season with 62 (2008)
2x TSN American League Reliever of the Year (2006, 2008)
2x American League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year (2006, 2008)
World Series Champion (2002)
4x All-Star (2004, 2007-2009)
2x DHL Delivery Man of the Month (August 2006, June 2008)







8. Lee Smith (Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, California Angels, Cincinnati Reds, Montreal Expos 1980-1997)
1022 GP, 71-92, 3.03 ERA, 478 SVS, 581 SVOPP, 82% SV%, 1289.1 IP, 486 BB, 1251 K

3x TSN National League Reliever of the Year (1983, 1991, 1992)
TSN American League Reliever of the Year (1994)
2x National League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year (1991, 1992)
American League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year (1994)
7x All-Star (1983, 1987, 1991-1995)







7. Rod "Shooter" Beck (San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres 1991-2004)
704 GP, 38-45, 3.30 ERA, 286 SVS, 341 SVOPP, 84% SV%, 768.0 IP, 191 BB, 644 K

National League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year (1994)
3x All-Star (1993, 1994, 1997)







6. Tom "The Terminator" Henke (Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals 1982-1995)

647 GP, 41-42, 2.67 ERA, 311 SVS, 366 SVOPP, 85% SV%, 789.2 IP, 255 BB, 861 K

National League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year (1995)
World Series Champion (1992)
2x All-Star (1987, 1995)







5. William "Billy The Kid" Wagner (Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets 1995-present)
765 GP, 39-37, 2.40 ERA, 385 SVS, 447 SVOPP, 86% SV%, 818.0 IP, 270 BB, 1066 K

National League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year (1999)
6x All-Star (1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008)
DHL Delivery Man of the Month (June 2007)







4. Robert "Robb" Nen (Texas Rangers, Florida Marlins, San Francisco Giants 1993-2002)
643 GP, 45-42, 2.98 ERA, 314 SVS, 368 SVOPP, 85% SV%, 715.0 IP, 260 BB, 793 K

TSN National League Reliever of the Year (2001)
World Series Champion (1997)
3x All-Star (1998, 1999, 2002)







3. Dennis "Eck" Eckersley (Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals 1975-1998)
1071 GP, 197-171, 3.50 ERA, 390 SVS, 461 SVOPP, 85% SV%, 3285.2 IP, 738 BB, 2401 K

American League MVP (1992)
American League Cy Young Award winner (1992)
TSN American League Pitcher of the Year (1992)
3x TSN American League Reliever of the Year (1988, 1991, 1992)
2x American League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year (1988, 1992)
ALCS MVP (1988)
World Series Champion (1989)
6x All-Star (1977, 1982, 1988, 1990-1992)
Hall of Fame (2004)







2. Trevor Hoffman (Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers 1993-present)
963 GP, 57-67, 2.75 ERA, 578 Saves*, 648 SVOPP, 89% SV%, 1020.0 IP, 284 K, 1080 K

Holds MLB record for career Saves (578)
3x TSN National League Reliever of the Year (1996, 1998, 2006)
2x National League Rolaids Relif Man of the Year (1998, 2006)
7x All-Star (1998-2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2009)
4x DHL Delivery Man of the Month (May 2005, September 2006, May 2007, May 2009)







1. Mariano "The Sandman" Rivera (New York Yankees 1995-present)
895 GP, 69-51, 2.27 ERA, 512 SVS, 574 SVOPP, 89% SV%, 1068.1 IP, 250 BB, 984 K

5x TSN American League Reliever of the Year (1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005)
4x American League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award winner (1999, 2001, 2004, 2005)
World Series MVP (1999)
Babe Ruth Award (1999)
ALCS MVP (2003)
4x World Series Champion (1996, 1998-2000)
10x All-Star (1997, 1999-2002, 2004-2006, 2008, 2009)
2x DHL Delivery Man of the Month (April 2008, July 2009)







That was the twelfth list in the series. To see the other installments, click here:

Catchers
First Basemen
Second Basemen
Third Basemen
Shortstops
Left Fielders
Center Fielders
Right Fielders
Designated Hitters
Utility Men
Pinch Hitters



The Top Ten List: The Top Ten Pinch Hitters List




By Will-He-M


I found this list to be quite interesting, when compiling it. For instance, did you know that Drew Hansen, one of the best pinch hitters of all time, was only a career .233 hitter as a PH?

I didn't use too many requirements for this list. I just took whoever was successful, and used regularly as a PH. I used a stat called Pinch Hit Leverage Index (PH-LEV), which purports to judge the importance or context of each pinch hit attempt or plate appearance. A player who scores above 1.0 indicates that he faces, on average, higher pressure situations than the league average. Anything below 1.0 indicates a lower-than-league-average situation, pressure-wise.

Please note the format difference with this list. I'm not using a player's complete career numbers, rather his career pinch hitting line.



10. Stephen "Steve" Braun (Minnesota Twins, Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals 1971-1985)
393 AB, 113 H, 5 HR, 51 RBI, .288 AVG, 1.63 PH-LEV

World Series Champion (1982)
Finished 6th in American League in Walks with 80 (1977)
2x Finished 8th in American League in OBP with .389, .384 (1975, 1976)
Finished 12th in career Pinch Hits (113)



9. John Vander Wal (Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds 1991-2004)
528 AB, 129 H, 17 HR, 64 RBI, .244 AVG, 1.36 PH-LEV

Holds MLB record for Pinch Hits in a season with 28 (1995)
Only added 7 Hits as a starter (1995)
Finished 7th in career Pinch Hits (129)



8. Jose Morales (Oakland Athletics, Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers 1973-1984)
352 AB, 123 H, 10 HR, 59 RBI, .349 AVG, 1.96 PH-LEV

Finished 8th in career Pinch Hits (123)
Retired as 9th oldest player in National League (39)
Finished 0-for-2 in post-season



7. Mark Sweeney (St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers 1995-2008)
679 AB, 175 H, 15 HR, 75 RBI, .258 AVG, 1.27 PH-LEV

Finished 2nd in career Pinch Hits (175)







6. Rusty "Le Grand Orange" Staub (Houston Astros, Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers 1963-1985)
356 AB, 100 H, 8 HR, 71 RBI, .281 AVG, 1.93 PH-LEV

Holds MLB record for consecutive Pinch Hits with 8 (1983)
Holds share of MLB record for Pinch Hit RBI in a season with 25 (1983)
6x All-Star (1967-1971, 1976)
Finished 18th in career Pinch Hits (100)
Led National League in Doubles with 44 (1967)



5. Willie "Stretch" McCovey (San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics 1959-1980)
257 AB, 67 H, 16 HR, 52 RBI, .261 AVG, 2.14 PH-LEV

Holds MLB record for career Pinch Hit Grand Slams (3)
2x National League Rookie of the Year Award winner (1959)
TSN Player of the Year Award winner (1969)
National League MVP (1969)
3x National League Home Run Crown winner (1963, 1968, 1969)
2x National League RBI Crown winner (1968, 1969)
All-Star Game MVP (1969)
6x All-Star (1963, 1966, 1968-1971)
Hall of Fame (1986)







4. Gerald "Jerry" Lynch (Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds 1954-1966)
414 AB, 116 H, 18 HR, 64 RBI, .281 AVG, 1.69 PH-LEV

Holds share of MLB record for Pinch Hit RBI in a season with 25 (1961)
Finished 10th in career Pinch Hits (116)
Finished 22nd in National League MVP voting (1961)
Traded straight-up for Bob Skinner (1963)



3. Forrest "Smoky" Burgess (Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Redlegs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox 1949-1967)
418 AB, 145 H, 15 HR, 94 RBI, .347 AVG, 2.25 PH-LEV

World Series Champion (1960)
6x All-Star (1954, 1955, 1959-1961, 1964)
Finished 4th in career Pinch Hits (145)
Finished 6th in National League Batting with .368 (1954)



2. Manuel "Manny" Mota (San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Dodgers 1963-1982)
494 AB, 150 H, 4 HR, 96 RBI, .304 AVG, 2.11 PH-LEV

All-Star (1973)
Finished 3rd in career Pinch Hits (150)
Retired as oldest player in MLB (44)



1. Leonard "Lenny" Harris (Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Colorado Rockies, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, Florida Marlins 1988-2005)
804 AB, 212 H, 5 HR, 75 RBI, .264 AVG, 1.28 PH-LEV

Holds MLB record for career Pinch Hits (150)
Holds MLB record for career Pinch Hit At-Bats (804)
Holds MLB record for Pinch Hit At-Bats in a season with 83 (2001)
Holds MLB record for Pinch Hit Games Played in a season with 95 (2001)



That was the eleventh list in the series. To see the Top Ten installments of the baseball Top Ten Lists, click here:

Catchers
First Basemen
Second Basemen
Third Basemen
Shortstops
Left Fielders
Center Fielders
Right Fielders
Designated Hitters
Utility Men