I've been seeing Miggy's home run tally creeping, ever so slowly, toward that 511-512 neighborhood. Another thing I am eyeing: his career OPS is now .900. Will he stay at the threshold? I think so --- that home run helped clinch it. He's at .9003 when you take it to the next decimal, 73rd all-time and in this Dodger neighborhood (Mookie Betts, 72nd, is .9005 and Freddie Freeman, 70th, is .9021). Since OPS is a better overall metric than batting average, it just feels right and proper to keep tabs on this data point.
Here's the all-time list (Miggy is 10th among active players):
Glad to know I'm not the only one who can't stand the LiMu Emu ads (and really all the Liberty Mutual commercials). They're like if you told ChatGPT to create insurance commercials in the style of Geico or Progressjve - just no human touch.
Not sure if you are aware in the States or if ESPN or anyone has covered it but the most amazing story today saw an American win the AFL Grand Final (Aussie Rules Football)
Mason Cox was an ex college basketball player in the States who made the transition to AFL Football and is now a Premiership player for the biggest club in the competition, well worth looking into his story if u haven’t heard anything
My sister talks nonstop, and people have said that she must’ve been vaccinated with a phonograph needle. I think Joe may have been vaccinated with a quill pen when he was just a little young one. How fortunate are we? Yes
During Thursday's game, the Cubs' announcers were still pretty snarky about the Acuna tribute the night before.
"This pitcher also played football in high school, and once threw an 85-yard pass."
"If he does it again tonight, maybe they could stop the game and play a video montage."
Awfully petty. And yet, I found myself agreeing, and I think I know why.
We stop the game and celebrate a player reaching a major career milestone. 500 home runs. 3,000 base hits. 3,000 strike outs. But single-season records don't get the same treatment. You get a curtain call or a standing ovation, and that's about it. If someday some player were to hit in 57 consecutive games, or rack up 74 non-steroid fueled home runs, I could see doing something more elaborate. But otherwise, it just seems gratuitous.
And especially for the 40-70 club, which isn't even a record. It's just a statistical fluke. Plenty of players have hit 40 home runs. Plenty have stolen 70 bases. Neither is a stop-the-game moment. Acuna is the first to do both in a single season, and good for him. But these combinatorial achievements are really just trivia questions. Joe has already poked fun at fans who highlight "the first player with 40+ home runs / 100+ RBIs / 6 or more triples / and 18 sac flies." This is only a step or two removed from that.
I wonder if Mookie Betts just picked up a few MVP votes.
I am an admirer of umpires, most of whom do a great job with too little credit (it's like Don Denkinger and Jim Joyce--they'll be remembered for a big call each blew, not for being excellent for 30+ years. But Angel Hernandez does seem to be a special case. The umpires the players and managers dislike are the inconsistent ones--if your strike zone is permanently high and outside, they know it and can handle it--and the ones who seem to look for a confrontation. Some get over that (Ed Montague and Jerry Crawford were examples). Hernandez ... sigh.
So after watching the clip of the Mariners walk off last night, it made me think of Edgar’s double. Not exactly the same, but fairly close. And it inspired me to re-watch the double again. My oh my!
And watching the clip of Rodriguez’s home run in the 4th- almost caught- and did the fielder inadvertently give the ball an extra boost to get it over the yellow line and make it a homer?
I know its easy to bash anything about the Mets and despite how much I like Joe, it's one of his weaknesses too, but the rains from Ophelia are FAR beyond anything that was expected even though the rains were supposed to come through. There was no reason to cover the field Friday, FOUR days before the Miami game was scheduled. Apparently the field is NEVER covered in that circumstance ordinarily. And what happened last night, if it was anyone's fault it was the umpires who started the 9th inning in a downpour but chose not to finish it.
If the Marlins sweep Pittsburgh, all this fruha is nothing and if they don't and somehow get beat Monday and miss out -- Boo hoo - win more games and you don't face this position. What's their record against the Mets this year? 4-8. Mets struggled this year. win more games!
Commenting here because there's no post for the poscast, and I wasn't sure how to submit a brilliant reader question. But I just had to get something off my chest. I just don't see how Acuña is even in the 80th percentile for hugger. Maybe above average, but not that high.
I got to think schwarber has to be right up there with Mookie. And that got me thinking, what would an all hugger team be?
Well, "embellished" to me means something like the last day of the 1910 season when the Browns manager had his third baseman play on the outfield grass so that Napoleon Lajoie could catch Ty Cobb for the batting title. Lajoie went 8 for 8 with 6 or 7 of the hits being bunt singles. The Commissioner "found" two extra hits for Cobb and gave him the title. Puhols still had to make contact well enough to hit the balls out of the park. I haven't seen anything that seems to seriously suggest the pitchers were grooving their pitches to help Albert. Remember Ted Williams? Hit hit a home run in his final at bat. The game was in Fenway. It was a feel good moment for the fans. Ted hit it, and true to form, refused to tip his cap to the fans or come out for a curtain call. This despite a 4 minute ovation by the fans and Ted's teammates trying to get him to take a curtain call. Endings are what they are.
Perhaps embellish wasn’t the right word I was searching for exactly how to say he added to his résumé a bit. As if it really needed any but it was kind of cool seeing him go over 700 and especially go past ARod. It was not just the last couple of games but the last like 20 or 30 when he got hot and just seem to be OK little bit like his old self. Nothing but kudos for a fantastic career for Pujols.
I saw a him hit a home run in person. I’ve probably only seen ten major-league games in person my entire life. Went to the game in St. Louis when they were playing the Astros and my son who really isn’t a Baseball fan was kind of admiring Jeff Bagwell. I got a two run homer from Puhols to win the game 3-2 I believe.
Happy for the experience the two of you were able to share. Going to games with my boys was always the best. Unfortunately no daughter to take to a game but you can't have everything. I watched a lot of Albert on TV when he was with the Angels and was.happy to see his resurgence in Saint Louis when he could get sufficient rest and hit primarily against left handers. It was difficult to see him struggle due to leg injuries but he was and is a great player and person.
There are only 4 ways that a player can get on base. Getting on base after striking out because the catcher dropped the ball is one of the only ways of getting on base.
I wouldn't consider the 70s Orioles to not be star-studded. Heck, Robinson brothers, Palmer was as famous as anyone back then, Blair, Grich, McNally, Boog, Belanger. Seems like quite a few stars.
Yes three HOF players plus Grich who Joe pounds the table for every other month along with the others you mentioned, if that’s not star studded I would hate to see it.
I've been seeing Miggy's home run tally creeping, ever so slowly, toward that 511-512 neighborhood. Another thing I am eyeing: his career OPS is now .900. Will he stay at the threshold? I think so --- that home run helped clinch it. He's at .9003 when you take it to the next decimal, 73rd all-time and in this Dodger neighborhood (Mookie Betts, 72nd, is .9005 and Freddie Freeman, 70th, is .9021). Since OPS is a better overall metric than batting average, it just feels right and proper to keep tabs on this data point.
Here's the all-time list (Miggy is 10th among active players):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_career_OPS_leaders
Glad to know I'm not the only one who can't stand the LiMu Emu ads (and really all the Liberty Mutual commercials). They're like if you told ChatGPT to create insurance commercials in the style of Geico or Progressjve - just no human touch.
Not sure if you are aware in the States or if ESPN or anyone has covered it but the most amazing story today saw an American win the AFL Grand Final (Aussie Rules Football)
Mason Cox was an ex college basketball player in the States who made the transition to AFL Football and is now a Premiership player for the biggest club in the competition, well worth looking into his story if u haven’t heard anything
Speaking of rainouts, the Mets and Phillies game is rained out tonight.
Which has me wondering.....
What happens if one team has to play TWO "makeup" games - against two different opponents - because they BOTH have playoff implications?
How can one man make so much writing?
My sister talks nonstop, and people have said that she must’ve been vaccinated with a phonograph needle. I think Joe may have been vaccinated with a quill pen when he was just a little young one. How fortunate are we? Yes
During Thursday's game, the Cubs' announcers were still pretty snarky about the Acuna tribute the night before.
"This pitcher also played football in high school, and once threw an 85-yard pass."
"If he does it again tonight, maybe they could stop the game and play a video montage."
Awfully petty. And yet, I found myself agreeing, and I think I know why.
We stop the game and celebrate a player reaching a major career milestone. 500 home runs. 3,000 base hits. 3,000 strike outs. But single-season records don't get the same treatment. You get a curtain call or a standing ovation, and that's about it. If someday some player were to hit in 57 consecutive games, or rack up 74 non-steroid fueled home runs, I could see doing something more elaborate. But otherwise, it just seems gratuitous.
And especially for the 40-70 club, which isn't even a record. It's just a statistical fluke. Plenty of players have hit 40 home runs. Plenty have stolen 70 bases. Neither is a stop-the-game moment. Acuna is the first to do both in a single season, and good for him. But these combinatorial achievements are really just trivia questions. Joe has already poked fun at fans who highlight "the first player with 40+ home runs / 100+ RBIs / 6 or more triples / and 18 sac flies." This is only a step or two removed from that.
I wonder if Mookie Betts just picked up a few MVP votes.
I am an admirer of umpires, most of whom do a great job with too little credit (it's like Don Denkinger and Jim Joyce--they'll be remembered for a big call each blew, not for being excellent for 30+ years. But Angel Hernandez does seem to be a special case. The umpires the players and managers dislike are the inconsistent ones--if your strike zone is permanently high and outside, they know it and can handle it--and the ones who seem to look for a confrontation. Some get over that (Ed Montague and Jerry Crawford were examples). Hernandez ... sigh.
Serious question, could the Mets just forfeit the rain-delayed game and avoid this Monday nonsense?
So after watching the clip of the Mariners walk off last night, it made me think of Edgar’s double. Not exactly the same, but fairly close. And it inspired me to re-watch the double again. My oh my!
And watching the clip of Rodriguez’s home run in the 4th- almost caught- and did the fielder inadvertently give the ball an extra boost to get it over the yellow line and make it a homer?
Those clips- Why I love baseball.
I suggested on Molly Knight's page that Dave Niehaus is working on this.
I know its easy to bash anything about the Mets and despite how much I like Joe, it's one of his weaknesses too, but the rains from Ophelia are FAR beyond anything that was expected even though the rains were supposed to come through. There was no reason to cover the field Friday, FOUR days before the Miami game was scheduled. Apparently the field is NEVER covered in that circumstance ordinarily. And what happened last night, if it was anyone's fault it was the umpires who started the 9th inning in a downpour but chose not to finish it.
If the Marlins sweep Pittsburgh, all this fruha is nothing and if they don't and somehow get beat Monday and miss out -- Boo hoo - win more games and you don't face this position. What's their record against the Mets this year? 4-8. Mets struggled this year. win more games!
Commenting here because there's no post for the poscast, and I wasn't sure how to submit a brilliant reader question. But I just had to get something off my chest. I just don't see how Acuña is even in the 80th percentile for hugger. Maybe above average, but not that high.
I got to think schwarber has to be right up there with Mookie. And that got me thinking, what would an all hugger team be?
I feel like catchers are generally the best huggers, every time you see a pitcher close it out in the 9th they have a great hug waiting for them!
Good point! But who'd be the best hugging catcher? Cal Raleigh? Sean Murphy? Actually thinking Salvy Perez would be #1 there.
I wouldn't be too hard on your Cub-hating Cardinal fan friend. I mean, the poor guy was born in St. Louis -- life has punished him enough.
Joe,
It'd be super-fun to get some of those awesome celebrities and people you admire a lot to send in pics of their signed books. ;-)
Hurray for Miguel Cabrera. Here's hoping he can squeeze out one or two more in the final three games
Kind of like how Puhols hit some home runs to embellish his resume even more at the end off last season.
Well, "embellished" to me means something like the last day of the 1910 season when the Browns manager had his third baseman play on the outfield grass so that Napoleon Lajoie could catch Ty Cobb for the batting title. Lajoie went 8 for 8 with 6 or 7 of the hits being bunt singles. The Commissioner "found" two extra hits for Cobb and gave him the title. Puhols still had to make contact well enough to hit the balls out of the park. I haven't seen anything that seems to seriously suggest the pitchers were grooving their pitches to help Albert. Remember Ted Williams? Hit hit a home run in his final at bat. The game was in Fenway. It was a feel good moment for the fans. Ted hit it, and true to form, refused to tip his cap to the fans or come out for a curtain call. This despite a 4 minute ovation by the fans and Ted's teammates trying to get him to take a curtain call. Endings are what they are.
Perhaps embellish wasn’t the right word I was searching for exactly how to say he added to his résumé a bit. As if it really needed any but it was kind of cool seeing him go over 700 and especially go past ARod. It was not just the last couple of games but the last like 20 or 30 when he got hot and just seem to be OK little bit like his old self. Nothing but kudos for a fantastic career for Pujols.
I saw a him hit a home run in person. I’ve probably only seen ten major-league games in person my entire life. Went to the game in St. Louis when they were playing the Astros and my son who really isn’t a Baseball fan was kind of admiring Jeff Bagwell. I got a two run homer from Puhols to win the game 3-2 I believe.
Happy for the experience the two of you were able to share. Going to games with my boys was always the best. Unfortunately no daughter to take to a game but you can't have everything. I watched a lot of Albert on TV when he was with the Angels and was.happy to see his resurgence in Saint Louis when he could get sufficient rest and hit primarily against left handers. It was difficult to see him struggle due to leg injuries but he was and is a great player and person.
The fact you see something two different ways doesn’t make both of them correct.
I hear and read “one of the only” all the time which is absurd. You can be one of a few or you can be the only. You can’t be one of the only.
It’s checked swing and there is no hyphen.
For all intensive purposes, I could care less, but Joe really needs to get untracked.
There are only 4 ways that a player can get on base. Getting on base after striking out because the catcher dropped the ball is one of the only ways of getting on base.
I know you're just giving an example of that expression, but I'm gonna be pedantic and point out that there are 7 ways a batter can reach base
In fact, one is the loneliest number.
Ture, but two can be as sad as one.
My lucky number's one.
I wouldn't consider the 70s Orioles to not be star-studded. Heck, Robinson brothers, Palmer was as famous as anyone back then, Blair, Grich, McNally, Boog, Belanger. Seems like quite a few stars.
Yes three HOF players plus Grich who Joe pounds the table for every other month along with the others you mentioned, if that’s not star studded I would hate to see it.
glad I scrolled down a little--was going to say the exact same thing.