Griffey Injured

This is terrible news.

For the past month, I have been like an addict, counting how many games Ken Griffey, Jr. plays for the Cincinnati Reds. Each night, I'd check ESPN to see if the Reds game was over and if Griffey played. He had a long stretch of games in early and mid-September, and he made it in all of those games. The closer he got to big numbers, the more I anticipated each game for him.

Why has this been a source of interest for me? Look at the following chart, since he joined the Reds in 2000:

Year Games Played

2000 145

2001 111

2002 70

2003 53

2004 83

2005 128

2006 109

2007 144

I have been eagerly anticipating him playing the most games this year for the Reds since joining the club. Games played is not in itself a crucial stat. But where Griffey is concerned, considering his history of injuries, the more games he racked up this year, the more it would signify, to me and others, that he has found a pace that suits him in his 37th year of life--and that he has remained injury-free all season, no simple task where he is concerned.

He was so close to breaking 145 games. He had already passed his 127 games of his rookie year (1989), 128 (2005, when he seemed on the mend), 142 (1992), and 140 (1996, when he hit 49 homers--his third-best year).

The switch to the less-demanding right field position (a move he detested) and pacing himself better have helped Griffey remain healthy all season long. Also, his pursuit of 600 home runs was a chase that people followed until the end of August, when it was clear he didn't have much of a chance of breaking that milestone.

Well, wait until next year.

Not only will Griffey not join the 600 club this season, but he is likely done for 2007. At 144 games. One shy of the most he has played since joining his hometown Reds 8 seasons ago.

He had little chance of getting close to the next series of most-games played--154 in 1991, 155 in 1990, and 156 in 1993. Given the number of games left in the season (about 10) before he was injured, coupled with the Reds' schedule against terrible teams (Houston and San Francisco), the Reds said they'd sit Griffey for several games starting today to give him rest and also see some of the young talent in the club. So, he would have likely ended 2007 with about 150 games played, which would have been the most he'd have played since 160 in 1999.

He also has not had an injury-free September since about 2000.

He has his day of rest today, but it's not the way anyone envisioned it coming about. It's just sad and disappointing for several reasons. Griffey should be a fixture of late-season baseball. He has been a marquee player before. But he'll never be a late summer/early fall phenom while with the Reds. We're entering the hottest stretch of the baseball calendar, and it's too bad that Griffey won't be making his mark along with the pennant races, single-season record chases, etc.
At least his injury wasn't to his groin or hamstring. Godspeed, Junior! I can't wait to see you in 2008. I plan on a road trip to Cincy to see you play in person.

Answers to Quiz #1

The only two current starting pitchers who have won a World Series title with at least two different teams?

How about Boomer and the Old Blowhard Himself.

David Wells won a World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1992 (the first Canadian club to win the title, and their first of two straight championships) and the 1998 New York Yankees, one of the greatest teams ever fielded.

Curt Schilling, meanwhile, after toiling through some terrible Philadelphia Phillies teams (how many Phillies teams are good?), jetted out to the Southwest, where he helped lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to become the modern-era team to win a World Series title in the fewest years since its founding. Of course, Schill also took a starring role with the "Idiots" of the 2004 Boston Red Sox, who erased 86 years of New England psychosis with a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals.

***
Now, if I had a vote for the Baseball Hall of Fame, neither Wells nor Schilling would have their slot darkened on my sheet. Yes, Schilling has over 3,000 strikeouts, which in the past was automatic. But he didn't catch fire until the late 1990s, when he finally figured out that he needed to take better care of his body. He gets props for his considerable charity work. He was the main attraction for the pivotal Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees (the "bloody sock" game).

But he can't keep his trap shut, has openly spared with at least two nationally known baseball writers (SI's Jon Leyman and the admittedly insufferable Mike Celizic of MSNBC), and racked up 5 seasons of double-digit losses, among other blots. Was Schilling dominating for a long stretch of his career? In my mind, the answer is no. He has 2001, 2002, and 2004 on his record as phenomenal years, but he also has hoe-hum years in '03, '05, and '07.


Wells, to me, is even less of a vote-earner. He did not hit anything close to a stride until he was about 35. He was dominant in '98, when he hurled a perfect game (and later admitted, much to Commissioner Bud Selig's delight, no doubt, that he was terrificly hung over during the milestone), and with Toronto in 2000, going 20-8. Wells certainly shined in New York (68-28 in 123 starts), reveling in being on the biggest stage in the game. He is a tough-as-nails pitcher when his back isn't bothering him, and while he isn't dominating, he is intimidating.

It is the rest of his career that is so uninspiring and, to me, doesn't warrant highlighting in Cooperstown. Instead, we'll be left with his entertaining personality and some key moments from his career. "Key" moments include getting fined by Bud Selig for inappropriate comments, posting a letter in his locker, in full view of reporters, from Selig warning Wells, and getting into altercations with fans. Let's not forget that Wells alleged that he was misquoted in his autobiography, either.

Friday Quiz

What two current starting pitchers who have won a World Series title with at least two teams?

Here's a hint: Though both have been around for a bit and racked up some impressive stats, neither are shoo-in's for getting elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, and certainly not on the first ballot.

If I had a vote, I would not vote for either of them.

Answer coming on Monday.

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In other news, on this day in 1990, my childhood baseball hero, Dwight Evans, hit what would become his last home run with the Boston Red Sox. "Dewey," who had played with the Sox since 1972, hit 379 with the Sox and a paltry 6 with the Baltimore Orioles in 1991, the season he finally hung up the cleats.

The man with the rifle right arm, one of the most famous and interesting batting stances in baseball history, and a man who should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame: Dwight Evans! He led the American League in homers in the 1980s, and perhaps all of the negative attention on homers hit during the Steroid Era will create more appreciation for homers manufactured the right, hard way, as "Dewey" hit them.

Almost 400 homers and about 2,500 hits, a right arm that made runners on third think twice about going home, and a 5-tool player (hit for average, hit for power, smart baserunning, fielding skills, and throwing ability).

All-Steroids Team's B-Squad

Excellent last post from Teddy! I nearly lost my lunch looking at the picture of Canseco. Add to his rap sheet the fact that he bedded Madonna, volunteered to pitch an inning of baseball and ended up needing season-ending surgery, and also once gave up a home run--off his head--and you have all the trimmings you need for his first-ballot, second-to-none induction into the "All-Steroids Hall of Shame."


Now, in case any or all of the starting 9 in Ted's post tear a hamstring, can't find a jock strap small enough to encompass their manhood--due to 'roid-induced shrinkage--or just go berserk, here are some guys the All-Steroids Team can call upon in a pinch:


1. Juan Gonzalez, OF. An RBI machine while with the Rangers in the late 1990s, he effectively dropped off the face of the earth after the Yankees passed on taking him mid-season in 2000. Here is a hilarious update, courtesy of Bill Simmons, on "Juan Gone" since then:

"In 2000, the Tigers offered Juan Gonzalez a $150 million contract that would have destroyed them for the rest of the decade if he wasn’t dumb enough to turn it down. It’s almost like the entire franchise had a near-death experience … Meanwhile, Juan Gone is playing in the Independent League along with my buddy JackO’s pal from home, and after JackO drove to Jersey to catch one of his friend’s games, they stopped at a Subway for dinner afterwards, and who walked in but Juan Gonzalez? That’s right, the two-time MVP Juan proceeded to sit down at a table and eat a Subway sandwich by himself. These are the things that happen when you turn down a $150 million contract. I feel like you need to know these things.)”

2. Jason Varitek, C. Come on, Sox fans...Is it coincidence that 'Tek's lumberjack legs withered to their current state at the same time that the game started testing for 'roids?!

3. Johnny Damon, OF. Simply put, no other reason, to me, would explain why he takes every opportunity to jab the Red Sox and go on ad nauseum about how happy he is to be with the Yankees.

4. Manny Alexander, IF. While with the Red Sox, he had an envelope with his name on it in his car when it was pulled over in 2000. Manny wasn't in the car, but what was inside the envelope were syringes and steroids. Basta!

5. Brady Anderson, OF. Exhibit A: 50 homers in 1996, a staggering 26 more than he hit in his next best season, 1999. His slugging % that year is also about 150 points above his next best year.

6. Andy Pettitte, P. Too many things line up in Pettitte's life/career with Clemens: teammates with the Yankees in the late 1990s/early 2000's, then teammates in Houston, and finally reunited (and it feels so good) with the Yankees. Rumored to be hard-core workout buddies.

7. Miguel Tejada, IF. I'm not sure about any guy on this list, and I'm the least sure about Miggie. Still, he did go off on an obnoxious tirade against Red Sox pitcher Derek Lowe after D-Lowe pitched the Sox past the A's in the 2004 post-season, screaming about how Lowe's victory celebration was not "family-friendly" and that his son was in the stands. Maybe it was juice-induced?!

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One problem with using stats when pointing to someone (like Brady Anderson) as having a potentially very abnormal season and extrapolating the data to attribute it to performance-enhancing drugs is that baseball history is likely scattered with non-steroid era guys who also (like Anderson) had startling single-season run production, wins, homers, etc., when the rest of their careers were less sensational or jaw-dropping.

Don't believe me? Try Roger Maris on for size.

He hit 61 homers in 1961, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season home run record, one of the game's most hallowed stats (until McGwire and, later, Bonds squashed it). The year before, he hit 39 homers, the second-most he ever hit in a single season. His 61 in 1961 were 22 homers more than his runner-up best.

Again, there is no hard evidence that any of these guys juiced. But there is much speculation. Some names I threw on here for that reason. Some names I threw on here for fun. And this is perhaps the saddest commentary on the steroid era: Many guys got away with using; many guys are suspected users; and others, clean guys, have been caught up in the whirlpool of allegations and hysteria.

All Steroids Team

I’m sorry, but Tim’s last post brought up the fantastic idea of an “all juiced team.” That’s just too good to pass up. Without further ado:

C: Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez

1B: Mark McGuire

2B: Brett Boone

3B: Mike Lowell (Sorry Boston Fans: have you ever seen a picture of him when he played with the Marlins?)

SS: Nomar Garciaparra

OF: Samuel Sosa. No speaka da English.

OF: Jose Canseco (Almost too easy)

OF: Barry Bonds (Ditto)

SP: Roger “The 28 Million-Dollar Man” Clemens

On the Bench: Jason Giambi, (tough ommission from the starting line-up) Gary Sheffield, Rafa Palmero, Steve Finley, Paxton Crawford, Jason Grimsley.

Canseco serves as Captain of the squad (Bonds is co-captain) and is in charge of getting the team out of bed every morning and to the gym for the morning bench-press and vitamin-drink session.

Obviously that’s a pretty good team. You’ve got home run leaders and batting champions there. The pitching is a little weak after the VERY obvious starter, but that’s because pitchers tended to not blow up their bodies to comic book superhero-level proportions. Until then I will settle for the decidedly mediocre Grimsley and former Sox farmhand Crawford out of the ‘pen.

Article on Mitchell investigation in ster*ids

And how appropriate that this is the unlucky 13th post in Rollie Fingers' Mustache! Here is an SI article about a possible major break for the Major League's George Mitchell-led investigation into ster*ids in the game.

Mitchell inquiry.

Man oh man, wouldn't it be fantastic to actually see the names that former New York Mets clubhouse help, Kirk Radomski, turned over to the investigators? That would undoubtedly be a sad time for the game, but would also corroborate people's suspicions about many certain ballplayers. I imagine something like those movie scenes of spinning, twirling newspapers, halting just in time to blare guilty parties' names across the banner.

You could easily compile a starting 9 of all the players Ted and I think have used steroids. I'll leave that lineup for another post.

Still, it's only a matter of time before someone starts besmirching Radomski's name and credibility in an attempt to discredit his tips. I really wonder how insightful Senator Mitchell's final report will be.

All-Time Gold Glove Team

Yet another "all-time" list, the kind of thing that I devour like Vienna Fingers.

All-Time Rawlings Gold Glove Team.

1. An unabashed Ken Griffey, Jr. fan, I am a little puzzled that Griff barely beat out the third outfield spot over Jim Edmonds. To be sure, Edmonds will long be remembered for a series of incredible plays in center. He has 8 Gold Gloves, and if he had won in '99, he would have had a run of Gold Glove awards from 1997 until 2005.

2. I never got a chance to see Joe Morgan in his prime. Still, his inclusion elicited some strong debate. I loved the line from one commenter that "How Joe Morgan even made the cut from 250 to 50 finalists, unless he was heading the panel, is beyond me." I'd vote for Roberto Alomar over Morgan: a record 10 Gold Gloves, and he played in an era of power hitting, not all of which was hallmarked by balls driven out of the park.

3. Derek Jeter continues to benefit from the New York/national media attention and several admittedly phenomenal, jaw-dropping plays. Here's a smart article and brief analysis of Jeter as an infielder:

Jeter's fielding. And the attention continues even on this blog, as I devoted as much type to Jeter as he warrants in the original article linked at the top.

Overall, there are no glaring, credibility-shattering omissions from this list. Keep in mind, though, the Gold Glove is a post-WWII era annual acknowledgement, so we are missing everyone who played the game from the first half of the modern era and before it, too.

Friday Night's Sox Game

Well, with less than 24 hours between the end of my bachelorhood and my wife and daughter's return on Saturday, I took a friend up on an invite to Friday night's Red Sox-Angels game at the old ballpark. Josh Beckett against Ervin Santana. The Sox, behind rookie pitcher Clay Buchholz's Major League debut, had won the afternoon make-up game, 8-4. It was a beautiful night for a game.

Our seats were in the right field grandstand, which, in World War I-era Fenway Park design "ingenuity," means that the seats face directly toward center field--not toward home plate or, dare one hope, even the infield. It's a gas to pay $27 for the privilege of craning your upper half of the body 45 degrees to the left while your lower half is squished into a crevice of 1-inch-by-2-inches between your knees and the back of the seat in front of you.

Still, right field grandy's aren't the worst seats in the joint.

This is.

Anyhow, it was a decent pitching match-up. So good, in fact, that the game moved incredibly fast. It was 8:30 p.m. and we were through the first 5 innings, after only 90 minutes. That is a rare treat these days.

And then the bullpens came in. It was 4-1 Anaheim (oops, I mean California...no, wait..Los Angeles) going into the bottom of the 8th. The Angels brought in wunderkind closer Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez.

K-Rod's wind-up is fascinating to watch. Clutching the ball in his glove, he brings his legs together and squats almost like a batter' stance, then spaces them apart a bit, tilts his body back toward second base (away from home plate), lifts his left leg, then slams his left, front leg forward before delivering the ball. All of this motion is so violent and driven that, once the ball is heading toward the catcher, K-Rod's momentum carries him toward first base, his right side exposed to the batter and catcher.

Well, all of this force and momentum meant nothing, as the Sox rallied to score 4 runs off him in the 8th. David Ortiz, "Big Papi," drove in 2 runs and the place went nuts! I've been to Fenway probably 50 times in my life, and I fail to recall a time that I've ever heard it as loud as it was that moment. On K-Rod's very next pitch to Manny, he drove in Ortiz and the park went bonkers again.

Wait 10 minutes, and in comes the Sox's most questionable move of the season, Eric Gagne. He stank up the joint, thanks in part to being gassed after hurling 13 pitches to the first batter he faced, who fouled off a slew of his offerings. He was booed terribly. What a disaster he was. The Sox ended up losing, 7-5. Still, it was an exciting few moments when they rallied to go ahead, 5-4.

I'm hoping to get to one more game in September, when the Minnesota Twins come to town. Oddly, they are the only American League team I've never seen in-person.

This Day in Baseball History

August 16, 1957: 50 Years Ago Today

The Philadelphia Phillies' Richie Ashburn, battling in an at-bat against the New York Giants--who were playing their last year in New York before relocating to San Francisco--hit spectator Alice Roth twice on foul pitches--once as she was watching the game, and a second time, on the very next pitch after play resumed, while she was being removed from her seat on a stretcher.

All-time home run chart

The New York Times today has a neat feature that allows one to track the trajectory of home runs by each of the 22 players in the history of the game who have hit 500 home runs:

500 Home Run Hitters' Chart.

There are several quick take-aways from this cool chart:

1. It corroborates Teddy's comment in his Pedro post about Rafael "I take a base-on-balls. I take Viagra" Palmeiro's career: consistent player, but nothing dramatic or dominant, like Bonds (2000-present), or Foxx.

2. Griffey's home run pace between 25 and 30 years of age is sick! And none of it was done with the help of steroids or human-growth hormone (HGH). Critics have long alleged that Griffey showed, unfortunately, less (rather than more) interest in maintaining his physique, which is partly why he was "walking wounded" over long stretches of each season from 2001 through 2004. Now at 590 at age 38, Griffey would have been closer to 670 or so, had he been healthy in the prime of his career.

3. Predictions about the next "home run king," whether made today or at any time since Ruth, are destined/were destined to not come to fruition. Injuries (Foxx, Mantle, Griffey, even Thomas), war-time service (Williams, Mays), or other factors (Mays didn't make the big show until 20, after toiling in the Negro Leagues in his late teens, while guys like A-Rod and Foxx were in the Majors--even if not full-time--in their late teens) creep up at any point in a player's career and derail one's chances.


I really want to do posts profiling, separately, each of the guys in the 500 Home Run Club. That might wait until after the World Series, when things are quieter.