The Last First Day

Tuesday's opener was perhaps bittersweet for Boston's David Ortiz, who announced this past offseason that 2016 would be his last. However, it was also a triumphant one for the 40 year old slugger; who has been a staple of the past decade's leaderboards. In the 9th inning against Cleveland's Trevor Bauer, Ortiz launched a two home run into the right field bleachers to help seal a 6-2 victory. The blast was the 504th of his 20 year career; tying Hall of Fame member Eddie Murray for 26th on the all time list.

There have been several instances in recent memory when Ortiz's performance appeared to be severely declining. He obviously was no longer driving in over 130 runs, as he did during his peak in the mid 2000's; but Ortiz had spurts where he played like a shell of his former self. In 2015, "Big Papi" answered his critics by following a dreadful first half by his standards (.231 Batting Average/15 Home Runs/43 RBI over 340 plate appearances) with a spectacular second half (.325 BA/22 HR/65 RBI in just 274 appearances). 

After concluding 2016's Spring Training with just 4 hits in 35 at bats, it was fair to bring up the same questions once more. But on a frigid 34 degree day in Cleveland, he managed to silence those critics for what may be the final time. "When the lights go on, Papi goes on," he told the media after the game.

On the day of his 40th birthday, November 18th; Ortiz announced via The Players' Tribune his impending retirement after the 2016 season. Much like Chipper Jones in 2012, Mariano Rivera in 2013, and Derek Jeter and Paul Konerko in 2014, Ortiz will more than likely be serenaded for all of his career accomplishments by the Red Sox and his closest competitors over the course of the season. The fanfare and spotlight is warranted, but the ultimate question diehard baseball fans must eventually answer is whether he belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame or not.

From an offensive statistical standpoint, it's easy to see Ortiz giving an induction speech in Cooperstown one day. However, the catch to his Hall campaign is that he has played a whopping 1888 of his 2258 games as a Designated Hitter; the most controversial offensive position as far as comparisons go. 

The DH position was instilled in baseball's American League in 1973 to replace the pitcher in the lineup. By allowing this, pitchers were able to focus on what they were brought to their respective teams to do; rather than possibly embarrass themselves at the plate. At the same time, older players known for their offensive production were able to stay in the lineup while not having to play in the field. 

The Yankees' Ron Blomberg was the American League's First DH

Ortiz's defensive weaknesses forced him into the full time designated hitter role when he signed with Boston in 2003, and he's held the position ever since. He has become the most prolific and lethal DH the game has seen since the position's debut with the possible exception of Seattle's Edgar Martinez. But since he's mostly played half of every game, how could he be considered for the Hall of Fame?

Former White Sox great Frank Thomas played approximately 56% of his career at DH, and was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2014. Meanwhile, over 87% of Ortiz's professional plate appearances came in the DH role. The difference in this percentage is crucial to Ortiz's candidacy because Thomas proved he could be relied on to play in the field when called upon. Playing only 277 games at first base in 20 seasons makes Ortiz a one dimensional player: a very good one, but still lacking the skills necessary of being an all around ballplayer.

The Hall has kept out Martinez for his first seven years on the ballot thus far. Because of a rule change in 2014 that effectively reduced candidate's appearances on the ballot from 15 years down to 10, Martinez's time is running out. Ortiz may have better power numbers than the Mariners fan favorite, but the jury is still out for whether DH's will get the same treatment as other dominant position players of their time.

Being a one dimensional star has not always been an issue for Hall of Fame's voting process. Perhaps the most famous example is Ozzie Smith; the former St. Louis Cardinals shortstop. Smith was a slightly above average offensive player at best but shined brightest in the field. "The Wizard" spent much of his 19 year career dazzling fans with highlight reel plays; charisma; and, of course, his celebratory backflips. Smith cruised into Cooperstown in 2002 on his first year on the ballot; thus proving you don't always have to be a five tool talent to receive baseball's biggest honor.

While Smith was making acrobatic plays to keep fans on the edge of their seats, Ortiz was doing the same with his bat. After all, he played an integral part of the Red Sox's 2004 World Series Championship; which broke their infamous 86 year drought otherwise known as "The Curse of the Bambino". He batted .409 with 5 home runs and 21 RBI throughout the 2004 Postseason while batting in the heart of the Sox's lineup. His ability to perform under pressure was rewarded by the Red Sox in 2006, when he was given a plaque proclaiming him to be their greatest clutch hitter in franchise history. Ortiz also was crucial for the Sox in 2007 and 2013, when they won their 7th and 8th World Series titles.

Ortiz crossing home plate after his clutch 2004 ALCS Game 4 Walkoff Home Run

It hasn't always been smooth sailing for Ortiz, which leads to another critical component of his case. In 2009, a New York Times article cited he and fellow Boston star Manny Ramirez were part of a group of over 100 players who tested positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED's). The MLB Players Association quickly shot down the article, and Ortiz has slammed them ever since for attempting to hurt his reputation of being a "clean" player. Depending on what side you choose to believe, the fact that his name was mentioned may keep him out of the Hall until more is known (similar to what Jeff Bagwell has been facing).

But when David Ortiz comes to bat for the final time, baseball fans will cherish his memories just as they would with any of today's modern day sports icons. Whether you love him or hate him, he will go down in history as one of the finest baseball has ever seen. The Hall of Fame may not agree at first, but his statistical comparison to Frank Thomas makes his case all the more interesting. 

Until his judgment day comes, it's been a hell of a ride Papi.

Ten for Tuesday - Strange Milestones

Hey guys, Drew back here! This Tuesday's topic came by way of my Grandpa Roy, who called me last week asking who I thought achieved career milestones with the strangest teams. For example, people tend to not view Michael Jordan for his days with the Washington Wizards, and instead see him as a Chicago Bull. Towards the end of most players' careers, they may bounce around from team to team, causing confusion when we look back and think about who achieved what with what team.

With that in mind, I thought I would take this Tuesday to share with you all who I view are the Top 10 Strangest Milestone Teams in baseball history. For this, I only used the four major stat categories that contain select groups: Wins, Strikeouts, Home Runs, and Hits. Baseball is famous for numbers upon numbers that have been able to rank generations of talent, and 3,000 strikeouts/hits, 300 wins, and 500 home runs are monumental accomplishments that only a select group of players can say they're members of.

Top 10 Strangest Milestones

Honorable Mentions -
Gaylord Perry's 3000th Strikeout with the Seattle Mariners
Don Sutton's 300th Win with the California Angels
Eddie Murray's 3000th Hit with the Cleveland Indians

10 - Dave Winfield's 3,000th Hit with the Minnesota Twins

Image Source

Dave Winfield kicks off this week's Top 10 list with his 3,000th hit that took place on September 16th, 1993 against fellow Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley. But the thing about Winfield's great career that was odd when this moment occurred was the fact that he was not in a Padres or Yankees uniform at this time. He played his first 16 and a half seasons between those two teams until his involvement in a controversy involving George Steinbrenner's temporary ban from baseball caused the Yankees to trade him to the California Angels midseason.

9 - Phil Niekro's 300th Win and 3,000th Strikeout with the New York Yankees

Image Source

There is no way to leave a player off this list who played twenty seasons with one particular team, which is what Phil Niekro did between the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves. Niekro played between 1964 and 1983, and became known as the best knuckleballer in baseball history throughout his southern stint. If you remember, I actually included him on my list of the 10 Hall of Fame players who are least deserving of their achievement, however I do not think he was a bad pitcher by any means.

Niekro was 45 years young when he first arrived in pinstripes, aging similarly to a player you will later see on this list who was a Yankee past their prime. However, he was not over the hill in his first season in the Big Apple, as he won 16 games and made his final All Star team. He threw a complete game shutout on October 6th of 1985 for his 300th career victory, to go along with his 3,000th strikeout he recorded the July prior. Not many remember "Knucksie" for his appearances with any team that wasn't the Braves, but he collected his largest achievements with the Yankees.

8 - Don Sutton's 3,000th Strikeout with the Milwaukee Brewers

Don Sutton was another player from last week's list, and also came close to making this list for collecting his 300th win with the California Angels. He played fifteen seasons with the Dodgers before releasing him following the 1980 season. Sutton won 230 games in Los Angeles before leaving, and went on to play with Houston in 1981, Milwaukee between 1982 and 1984, Oakland in 1985, and the California Angels between 1985 and 1987. In this time, he struck out his 3,000th batter in Milwaukee on June 24th, 1983. Despite his multiple teams, he is mostly regarded for his time with the Dodgers, which is why he makes an appearance on this list alongside Niekro.

7 - Frank Thomas' 500th Home Run with the Toronto Blue Jays

Image Source

"The Big Hurt" was known for hurting his opponents, but he himself was hurt by his most recognizable club, the Chicago White Sox; following their World Series victory in 2005. Thomas was injured throughout the postseason that year, and did not get to play in the World Series, and seeing how the team could get through the playoffs without his aging bat in the lineup, GM Kenny Williams released him shortly after. He said he was never made aware of his release, which certainly was not fair to a player who had given his heart and soul to the organization for 16 years. He won two MVP awards with the Sox in back to back seasons, in addition to three more top 3 finishes for the prestigious award.

After a year in Oakland, Big Frank traveled up north to Canada to become the designated hitter for the Toronto Blue Jays. On June 28th, 2007, he hurt his 500th career home run off of Carlos Silva of the Minnesota Twins. Believe it or not, this was also the same day Craig Biggio collected his 3,000th career hit with the Astros.

6 - Gary Sheffield's 500th Home Run with the New York Mets

Image Source

The only reason Gary Sheffield, who never really had a team during his great 22 year career; is ahead of Frank Thomas on this list, is because people are going to forget where Sheffield was when he hit his 500th career jack. Sheffield played for Milwaukee, San Diego, Florida, LA Dodgers, Atlanta, NY Yankees, and the Detroit Tigers all before he landed in Queens. He was consistent everywhere he went, but no team was willing to hold onto him, as he did test positive for PED's and wasn't the best regarded clubhouse guy. However, Sheff managed to hold on to play into his age 40 season, and pinch hit on April 17th for his milestone achievement.

5 - Rickey Henderson's 3,000th Hit with the San Diego Padres

Image Source

The allmighty Rickey Henderson played a bit too long, but that's excusable because he's Rickey. Of his 25 seasons included four stints and a total of 14 years with the Oakland Athletics, and that is where most baseball fans associate him with. But towards the later part of his career, his speed became a commodity for many teams, and he swapped uniforms almost annually, occasionally returning back to Oakland as a pit stop. Henderson played for the Padres between 1996 and 1997, but it wasn't until his second go round with San Diego in 2001 when he achieved his 3,000th hit. An interesting tidbit I learned about his hit, recorded on the final day of the season, was that it was Tony Gwynn's final game. By joining the 3000 Hit Club that day, Henderson and Gwynn became the first pair of teammates to each have 3,000 hits at one time since Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker played together in 1928.

The more you research Rickey's historic career, the more you realize just how deserving he is of the credit he gave himself.

4 - Randy Johnson's 300th Win with the San Francisco Giants

Image Source

Man, the free agency era has really brought confusion to the milestone lists. Randy Johnson has been widely regarded as perhaps the greatest left handed pitcher of all time, and he was prominent for several teams during his storied 22 year career. But which team did he win his 300th game with? Not the Seattle Mariners, where he transitioned into the unhittable southpaw he became, or with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he cemented his place among the greats with his tremendous 2001 postseason. Not even the New York Yankees, who traded for his 41 year old arm in a 2005 blockbuster. Instead, the recent "dynasty" San Francisco Giants is the answer to this question.

"The Big Unit" was given a one year contract in 2009 at the age of 45 to pitch for the Giants, and it would be his final season in the big leagues. He won his 300th game on June 4th of that year against the Washington Nationals, the team that stemmed from Montreal, where Johnson was drafted and began his career.

3 - Wade Boggs' 3,000th Hit with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Image Source

You may have thought seeing Wade Boggs leave from Boston to New York in 1993 was weird, but what's even weirder was how he hit number 3,000 with a fellow division rival, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Boggs was the first player to hit a home run for his 3,000th lifetime hit, and Derek Jeter joined the club in 2011. He was a pivotal part of the Yankees late 90's dynasty, but soon after he fled to Tampa to become a part of their newly formed team.

The strangest part of this ritualistic legend's career actually came after his retirement, when he was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2005. It was then revealed that there may have been a clause in his contract with Tampa Bay that they would pay him to choose their logo for his hat featured on his Hall of Fame plaque. This didn't end up happening, but it gave the Hall of Fame the right to decide from that point on which team would be featured on each new inductee's plaque. If Boggs was shown with a Tampa Bay hat on his plaque, he would be number one on this list, with relative ease.

2 - Tom Seaver's 300th Win with the Chicago White Sox

Image Source

It was 1984, and Tom Seaver was fresh off of returning to his New York Mets after spending six years with the Cincinnati Reds. They had planned to resign their marquee ace, even at 39 years old, but lost him as part of a free agent compensation draft to the Chicago White Sox. Seaver could either retire a Met or join the White Sox, and chose against his former team that had partially given up on him, claiming to still have more left in the tank. He would go on to win 15 and 16 games respectively in his two seasons in the Windy City, and would retire the following year. On August 4th of 1985, he threw a complete game victory against the Yankees for his 300th career win.

It wasn't all bad for the Mets however, and despite having history with the organization, it was probably for the best to let Seaver go. In doing so, they were able to call up Dwight Gooden from the minors, who would win that year's Rookie of the Year, a Cy Young the next season, and become a key contributor of their 1986 World Series victory.

1 - Eddie Mathews' 500th Home Run with the Houston Astros

Image Source

This leaves us with this week's number one. Raise your hand if you remember anything about Eddie Mathews' tenure with the Houston Astros. Mathews has been a rather underrated Hall of Famer throughout time, but the 12 time All Star and 2 time World Series champion was known for fifteen incredible seasons on the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves. But between his years with the Braves and a year and a half stint with the Detroit Tigers that resulted in his second World Series ring was a half season in Houston that many seem to completely overlook. And it was in Houston where, on July 14th, 1967, Mathews quietly slugged his 500th home run. Houston's team was tanking in the standings that season, so they moved him to Detroit to attempt to start over. Today, he is the poster boy for this type of list, and easily ranked at the top spot.

As you can all see from these 10 moments in time, miracles don't always happen in baseball. Either way, these players all accomplished some very special things that should be regarded highly in baseball lore, but it is pretty strange to see them in uniforms you wouldn't normally associate with them.

Do you agree with this week's list? If you thought I left anyone out, feel free to start the debate in the comments below!

¡Felíz Cinco de Mayo! See Ya!

2013 All Star FanFest Recap! Part 1!

Hey guys, Drew back here! I have to tell you all, first and foremost, that Monday, July 15th was probably the longest day in my entire life. But even with that, it was definitely one of the best days I've had in a long time as well. Back in 2011, my good friend Mike happened to be on vacation in Arizona around the same time that the All Star festivities took place at Chase Field, the home of the Diamondbacks. We convinced him to go to some of the events for his own sake, and he came home with autographs from Josh Hamilton, Earl Weaver, and Miguel Cabrera from Fanfest, and witnessed New York's beloved second baseman Robinson Cano win the HR Derby in person. I was really happy to see him do well there, but from that point forward I was determined to do a similar trip when I got the chance. Sure enough, the All Star festivities took place at Citi Field in Queens, and FanFest was at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan! Once I heard of this news, I got tickets for some of the events, and I anticipated heavily for the day to arrive. Finally, July 15th came, and it started right at the crack of dawn. From 5:00 AM, we were ready and prepared to go to MLB FanFest. My Dad and I, along with my good friends Mike and Vinny were excited for a day we would hopefully never forget.

Transportation wasn't very difficult on the way to the Javits Center for us, and we successfully arrived as the doors were being opened. We got the commemorative patch as a giveaway for Military Appreciation Day, and we entered what was the largest baseball arena we've ever seen.

Immediately as we walked through the doors, we came across what Fanfest considers "the world's largest baseball", signed by many of the greatest players to ever live. While we promised ourselves that we'd go back to it later, we got a small glimpse of it as we walked past it. We had a goal in mind, and we wanted to be there before anyone else got there. 

At "The Diamond" field we went to, Andrew McCutchen was scheduled to run a Tee Ball clinic for the younger kids. We got there 15 minutes before it started and claimed a great spot along the side of the field. McCutchen, as many of you know, is one of my PC players and perhaps my current favorite player, so I was really excited at the chance of possibly adding a signed ball of his to my collection. Sure enough, Cutch arrived, and we watched the whole clinic, in which he joined the Kids team, taking on their parents. He was great with the kids, and I gained even more respect for him.

As the event was wrapping up, we got all of our stuff out and ready to go. McCutchen signed for the kids afterwards, and it was beginning to look unlikely that he would come over to us. A lady working for Fanfest actually took our balls and tried bringing them to him to have him sign them, but security refused to let her in and she brought them back. As he left, we followed the direction of the crowd and found our way to the front of the group. Security was wrapped around him like a blanket but at one point I managed to have an opening between him and I, and tried to take advantage. "Mr. McCutchen, you're my favorite player, I'm wearing your jersey!" He didn't even acknowledge me. I wasn't quiet, and I was certain he heard me. I was probably 2 feet away from him, side by side, and he didn't turn, wasn't appreciative or anything. At that point I didn't even want his autograph, I just wanted some sort of response, and I don't know how much security played into that but I feel like I lost some respect for him through the encounter.

Despite our early failures, we knew we had to bounce back because we still had a full day ahead of us. We roamed around the building for a while, but we stopped when we realized we were near the presence of a baseball player that probably could've played football. Through the crack in the MLB TV station, we saw "The Big Hurt", Frank Thomas!

Frank was in the midst of a lengthy conversation with a member of MLB TV, but when things simmered down, Vinny asked him if he could sign for us. He said he would in about an hour, as he was about to go on air. We started a line right by the station, and tuned in to the show that was about to begin! 

A minute or two into the show, we realized that Big Frank wasn't the only star on set, as former great Jack Morris joined him on set for the interview/Q&A session! We knew at that point that we needed to stay right there and wait for them to wrap the show up. Immediately following the show, MLB set up a quick table, and we were one of the first people in line! 

Yes indeed, all 4 of us added a Jack Morris and Frank Thomas autograph to our collections, and since Dad isn't a collector, I ended up with 2 of each! I told both of them as they signed for me that I can't wait for them to make it into the Hall of Fame, and they said they can't wait either. I told them I have my fingers crossed for them and that by signing they made me an even bigger fan. They were really awesome to us and they made up for the way McCutchen was. I still don't know how much security impacted all of that, but I still was a little disappointed my favorite player couldn't say hello to me at FANfest. Oh well.

 

Thanks so much to Jack Morris and Frank Thomas! Part 2 of the FanFest recap is coming up soon, so stay tuned!

See Ya!

TTM's 86 & 87! Two Pirates Greats!

Hey guys, Drew back here! So, this week I've done nothing but work at a baseball camp, which has led to my absence. Fortunately though, I finished my one and only week being a CIT for the summer, and I'm back to deliver to you all the latest in my card collection! Before I began camp, I decided to send a bunch of TTM's out to some guys I haven't gotten yet. The batch was evenly divided with new and old players, because I like them all, simply put. Yesterday, two of them came back, only taking 7 days, and boy was I content with the results! Take a look:

"Dear Drew,

Received your letter along with the cards you sent me to sign. The only thing Drew you only sent me $5 and my policy for signing is $5 for each card. Therefore I only signed the one card for you and sent the other back to you unsigned. (some sentences I can't read) (something about doing what he has to do) I do hope you understand.

I will be donating your money to "Happy Days and Special Times, The Loving Answer for Children with Cancer". Those people give tomorrow's happiness today to the children suffering with the dreadful disease. (not sure on the last sentence again)

I'm enclosing another signed card I give to fans who donate to my charity. Hope you like it. 

Also Drew I am now selling 8x10 colored and also Black and White photos for my charity (not sure). If you are interested in purchasing any of these let me know and I will send you all the self explained information and an order form. 

Again thanks Drew and God Bless You for Your Kindness.

Sincerely,

Frank Thomas

"The Original One"

1951-1966"

I have to say I was astounded when I opened the envelope to find a letter from "the Original" Frank Thomas, who swatted 286 home runs in his 15 year career throughout the 1950's and 60's! Despite him not being able to sign the other card and index cards I sent him, it really meant a lot that he wrote out a full letter explaining why he couldn't, although I couldn't decipher his handwriting at times. I don't know if I'll be buying any additional items from Mr. Thomas, but the gestures were very nice and I'm glad he puts the money towards a good cause. 

As I mentioned, Thomas played 15 seasons in the big leagues for a whole lot of teams, but his biggest career stint took place between 1951 and 1958 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Those teams weren't all that good, however during his prime he managed to hit 20 home runs or more in 9 of 10 seasons! He made 3 All Star teams and also placed 4th in MVP voting in 1958, after he had perhaps his best season of his career. 

The other success I received didn't contain as much writing, but I was still more than content with the result! Former Pirates pitcher Bob Friend signed a 1988 Pacific card as well as an index card for me! Friend was a very underrated pitcher, mainly due to the fact that he pitched for a lot of mediocre Pirates teams during his career. However, as you can see on the inscription on the index card, he did finally get his chance to help his team get into the spotlight, as Pittsburgh rose to the top over my Yankees in the 1960 World Series. Overall, the 4 time All Star certainly deserved better than a career winning percentage well below .500, but sometimes you can't really control where your career will take place. Unless Felix Hernandez can escape Seattle, his career numbers could turn out similar to someone like Friend, where, well, they should look a lot better.

So if you guys haven't gotten an opportunity to send to these guys yet, I strongly recommend that you do. Both of these men were definitely under the radar their whole careers, as well as true class acts, as you can see with how well they treated my autograph requests! Thank you to both Mr. Thomas & Mr. Friend!

See Ya!