Have You Seen Goldie Play?

Too often for those of you who live in the Eastern or Central time zones, ball scores and box scores from teams in the West simply are not available for a couple of days in the local newspapers. In the case of USA Today, it may not show up until Monday’s edition. Nothing that finishes past 8PM in the West rarely makes the Eastern or Midwestern papers.

That’s a shame because there are a number of things that are happening in the West this season that are really exciting stories. There’s a kid who was just called up for the Dodgers  this past week who is leading off, becoming one of only two players ever to hit 4 home runs in their first 5 games and is batting .435. His name: Puig…Yasiel Puig.

Then there is a fellow from the Valley of the Sun who is making everyone understand that this is the cornerstone of the Arizona franchise. And his team is leading the Western Division of the National League. His name is Goldie: Paul Goldschmidt.

It seemed nearly improbable that the San Francisco Giants would pitch to Paul Goldschmidt in the bottom of the 8th on Friday evening. They had just relieved a masterful Matt Cain for Jeremy Affeldt and proceeded to pitch to the National League’s RBI leader and potential MVP with runners on 1st and 2nd base. Miguel Montero was in the on deck circle. Montero was suffering with a .199 batting average and surely the Giants would pitch to Goldschmidt but with great care, probably walking him to load the bases and with a one run lead, hope that Miguel would hit into a double play.

But just when you think you have this game figured out, baseball managers more times than not, have brain cramps. Bruce Bochy, raise your hand.

On a 1-2 pitch, instead of tempting the odds, Affeldt released the pitch and (cue up the ‘The Natural‘ soundtrack) over the right centerfield fence the fastball landed in D’Back Heaven. Goldie then led the National League in RBI’s with 57 and the Diamondbacks padded their first place position in the Western Division.

Goldschmidt is batting .327, 74 hits, 15 home runs and 58 RBI’s.

This is the third season for the 25-year-old first baseman of the D’Backs, who came up with the team on August 1, 2011. The numbers he is putting up is no fluke. He led the minors in home runs before he was called up (30) and in his first game, coincidently against the Giants and Tim Lincecum, he blasted his first home run. Last night he batted in his 58 RBI which was the eighth straight game in which he has driven in a run, tieing the Diamondback’s record set by St. Luis Emilio Gonzalez (his miracle came on that beautiful November evening 2001, driving in the World Series, game 7 winning run off of New York Yankees great Mariano Rivera).

Paul Goldschmidt is the real deal. For all of you back East, put the name Goldschmidt on your All-Star ballot. He’ll be this years National League MVP early season leader.

Play Ball!

Blame It On San Francisco.

 

At the beginning of the season, here were the predictions:

National League Playoff Teams:  Atlanta, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Milwaukee.

American League Playoff Teams: New York, Detroit, Texas, Anaheim, Boston and Chicago.

“It ain’t over ’till it’s over”, rings in our ears, Yogi. I can’t tell you what happened with Philadelphia. In Milwaukee it was the bullpen or lack thereof. Or it might have been the Prince factor. But there might be another reason. Blame it on San Francisco.

Why blame it on a team from “I Left My Heart Town”?

On April 2, 2012, San Francisco Giants signed Matt Cain to an eight year, $139.75 million contract, where in 2018, he will receive $21 million, which is a team option. For this season, he went from $7.3 million to $15 million and from 2013 thru 2017, he will be paid $20 million per year. He will be eligible for free agency in 2018. The Giants could buy that season out for $7.5 million.

Zach Greinke began the season with the Milwaukee Brewers and made $13.5 million. He was in the final year of his contract. Prior to the season, his disdain to have an agent was evident. He said the Milwaukee owner was one of the best in the world. He loved Milwaukee. In fact, he never lost a game on the mound at Miller Park. All was Brew City glow until Matt Cain signed his contract making him, the top paid pitcher in the National League and the biggest contract for a right-handed pitcher in the history of the game. Greinke immediately signed an agent who must have made it clear he wanted to test his proverbial waters before any more contract extension discussions could take place. As a known recluse, he made it clear he would not talk about contract during the season. Although 9-2, the Brewers had no decision to make except to get the most they could for one of their top pitchers. They were not going to pay Greinke $20+ million per year.

For the next several months, the team that was already feeling the void of their biggest slugger and lacking the presence of Prince Fielder, was swimming in a quandary of unknown. How would Greinke pitch? What effect would this ‘transition’ have on the entire pitching staff? Why not just pay him the $20 million and move ahead? On July 27th, he was shipped off to Orange County and back to the American League.

Sure. The Brewers made an incredible comeback this season from way under .500 to four games above, through Saturday with a starting pitching staff of unknowns plus Vonnie. But without the cable car Cain contract, what would the result have been for the Pigsville Nine?

If the season ended today, neither the Brewers or the Angels would make he playoffs. What would have happened if San Francisco didn’t sign Cain to a new contract until after the season ended and Greinke would have stayed in Milwaukee?

It’s all part of the fabric of the cloth of baseball which makes this game so great. The ‘what if’ is usually more interesting than the ‘what has been’.

Play Ball!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another Perfect Game. There Used To Be A Ballpark…

When Matt Cain pitched a perfect game at AT&T Park in San Francisco this week, he became the 22nd perfect game hurler in the history of major league baseball and the first Giant ever to accomplish such a feat in the club’s 128 year history. It seems that every month this season, someone is throwing a no-hitter. Why?

It got me thinking about an old Frank Sinatra song, written by Joe Paposo titled “There Used To Be A Ballpark”.  As he sang it, “Oh, there used to be a ball park where the field was warm and green, and the people played a crazy game with a joy I’ve never seen.”

In the days gone by, the ballparks seemed bigger. Sure, I was smaller and everything looked larger. But there was the Polo Grounds where Willie made his famous catch off of a Vic Wertz smash into deep centerfield during the 1954 World Series. That year center field was 483 feet from home plate (it had been moved in from 505 feet in 1949). Imagine, a center field that deep. In fact, in the entire history of the game at the Polo Grounds, only four players ever hit a home run over the center field wall. They were Luke Easter, when he was playing in the Negro Leagues in 1948 before he came up with the Cleveland Indians; Joe Adcock of the Milwaukee Braves on April 29, 1953. Lou Brock of the St. Louis Cardinals did it on June 17, 1962 and Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves was the last player to do it on June 18, 1962. There is no ball park in the majors today to match these dimensions.

“How the people watched with wonder, how they laughed and how they cheered. Yes, there used to be a ball park…right here.”

Yet the Polo Grounds also had two short porches in left and right field. In left, only 279 feet allowed Bobby Thompson hit the ‘Shot Heard ‘Round The World’ in the famous 1951 playoff game against the Brooklyn Dodgers as the Giants went on to win the National League title. “The Giants win. The Giants win.” Down the right field line, it measured only 258 feet.

“And the air was such a wonder, from the hot dogs and the beer. Yes, there used to be a ballpark, right here.”

In modern times, Legendary Hall of Famer pitcher, Carl Hubble of the Giants threw a no-hitter in the newer version of the Polo Grounds (version IV from 06/28/1911 thru 09/19/1963) on May 8, 1929. Three Pirates reached base on two errors and a walk. No perfect game. On September 9, 1948, Rex Barney of the Dodgers hurled a no-hitter against the Giants at the Polo Grounds.  Again the three runners reach base for the Giants on one error and two walks, but no perfect game.

“And there used to be rock candy and a great big Fourth of July. With fireworks exploding all across the summer sky.”

Now, in the season of no-hitters every week, the Giants have their first perfect game in history. But they play in the modern ball parks that major league clubs call home. They are all smaller with nearly all having equidistant dimensions. AT&T has a centerfield that measures 399 feet from home plate. That’s a 9 iron for most golfers. Safeco Field in Seattle, where the center field is 405 feet from home, this past week saw six Mariner hurlers, including Kevin Milwood, Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor, Lucas Luetge, Brandon League and Tom wilhelmsen combine for a no-hitter and  in April on the 21st, Safeco fans saw a perfect game by Chicago White Sox pitcher Phillip Humber against the Mariners. On June 1st, at Citi Field in New York, another no-hitter was thrown this season where the center field is 408 feet from home. This time it was by Johan Santana against the St. Louis Cardinals. On May 2nd, Jered Weaver fired a no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins 9-0 in Anaheim at Angels Stadium where center field is a mere 400 feet from home.

“And all the people watched in wonder, how they’d laugh and how they’d cheer. And there used to be a ballpark, right here.”

Why so many no-hitters and perfect games this season? Five no-no’s are unheard of. My theory is this: Pitchers have become used to the ‘standard stadium size’. In this era of balanced teams, ground balls are in abundance because of sinkers, two seam snapper’s and limited space in the outfield where bigger ballparks would force outfielder’s to play deeper than they do today. How many center fielder’s do you see creeping up into shallow center field taking away the Texas leaguer? How many long one’s do you see over the head of the center fielder today? Smaller ballparks bring the speedy outfielders in closer thus eliminating a number of hits that would drop in at fields like the Polo Grounds, Forbes Field, old Yankee Stadium, Brigg’s Stadium or Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium.

“Now the children try to find it and they can’t believe their eyes ’cause the old team just isn’t playing. And the new team hardly tries.”

For those who say bigger parks created a better atmosphere for pitchers where no-hitters could be had, check the records. Now you can have center fielder’s hitting below the Mendoza Line but they are faster than a guy whose hair is on fire. Today in The Show, speed kills. And before the season is over, at this rate we will have 15 no hitters with 6 perfect games. Citi moved in their fences this season and you already have had a no-hitter in that ball park. It’s time to rethink the dimensions of the ballparks.

And the sky has got so cloudy when it used to be so clear. And the summer went so quickly this year. Yes, there used to be a ballpark, right here.”

For me, I love the home run and the grace and elegance of a triple is terrific. Doubles in the gap are nice. I love the chance of seeing the ball go beyond the reach of the outfielders. That is becoming more and more difficult in today’s game.

Ya Frank. There used to be a ballpark, right here.