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Carter Hawkins is aware of the Guardians group properly. Previous to turning into the Normal Supervisor of the Chicago Cubs in October 2021, the 38-year-old Vanderbilt College alum spent 14 seasons in Cleveland, serving as a scout, Director of Participant Improvement, and Assistant Normal Supervisor. With the Guardians’ well-earned popularity of being a progressive group with an impressive pitching-development program, I requested Hawkins a query throughout November’s GM Conferences:
How related are the 2 organizations, and wherein methods do they differ?
“I’d say the very best factor by way of similarities is that there are quite a lot of team-first individuals in each locations, versus me-first individuals,” replied Hawkins. “The plain market-size distinction stands out. There are extra alternatives in Chicago to make the most of assets — you may have a better threat tolerance — whereas in Cleveland there may be the problem of getting to be very process-oriented to decide. In case you have quite a lot of assets, you don’t essentially have that strain on you. On the identical time, there isn’t a purpose you could’t be simply as process-oriented in a bigger market.”
The disparity in payrolls is notable. Roster Useful resource projects the Cubs’ 2023 payroll at $184M, and Cleveland’s at simply $91M. Final 12 months these numbers had been $147M and $69M.
As for the groups’ respective hitting- and pitching-development processes, Hawkins advised me that “the frameworks and fashions are basically the identical.” Growing arms being a Guardians power and a Cubs weak point, I used to be particularly interested by whether or not Hawkins’s present membership is copying a few of what his previous employers have been doing so properly.
“I’d say the Guardians have performed an ideal job of discovering guys after which individualizing their efficiency plans,” the chief advised me. “When you take a look at a man like Eli Morgan, he’s a considerably totally different sort of pitcher than Triston McKenzie. That they had individualized plans, and with the assistance of an ideal coaches and an ideal course of, the Guardians are maximizing their potential.”
The Guardians have a popularity of drafting — and in any other case buying — pitchers with plus command, then jumpstarting the standard of their uncooked stuff. The extent to which that’s true — ditto the extent to which the Cubs wish to observe that mannequin — is one thing that neither appears notably anxious to substantiate (or deny). Hawkins did permit that it’s a sound technique.
“I believe it’s correct to say that guys who’ve good really feel, and know tips on how to pitch, venture to be performers within the main leagues,” he advised me.” From there, serving to them get higher stuff is the lever we’re pulling.”
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Mallex Smith went 2 for 3 in opposition to Brady Rodgers.
Homer Hillebrand went 1 for 3 in opposition to King Brady.
Cotton Tierney went 3 for 7 in opposition to Neal Brady.
Cliff Brady went 3 for 4 in opposition to Duster Mails.
Steve Brady went 6 for 17 in opposition to Candy Cummings.
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The Texas Rangers completed across the center of the pack in runs-scored final season. After I caught as much as Chris Young throughout the GM Conferences, I requested him how glad he’s with the group’s hitting-development program.
“We’re all the time searching for issues to enhance upon,” the Govt VP /Normal Supervisor advised me. “However in the end, we’ve got alignment and continuity from the most important leagues via our complete minor league system, and it’s enjoyable to see that take form. We’ve actually solely had that for one 12 months, so I believe over the subsequent a number of years is once we’ll actually reap the advantages. That stated, we’re by no means going to have all of it found out. We’re all the time going to look to enhance sure elements of our hitting program [and] our pitching program. It’s what the sport does. It evolves and also you’re all the time trying to enhance.”
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Mike Radcliff, a longtime scout and govt for the Minnesota Twins, died on Friday at age 66 following a multi-year battle with most cancers. I had the pleasure of interviewing Radcliff for Baseball Prospectus in 2007 — this at a time when analytics/scouting was seen by many as us-vs-them — and he couldn’t have been extra congenial. One factor that stands out from our dialog is Radcliff’s telling me, “Each parts are a part of the analysis course of. It’s artwork, and it’s additionally science.”
Radcliff is a member of the Skilled Scouts Corridor of Fame, and as evidenced by the outpouring of condolences from throughout the business, he was a buddy to many. R.I.P. Mike Radcliff.
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A quiz:
Two gamers have stolen 300 or extra bases over the previous 10 season. Billy Hamilton has essentially the most, with 324. Which participant has the second-most steals since 2013?
The reply might be discovered under.
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NEWS NOTES
Mark Armour and Daniel Levitt have been awarded SABR’s Seymour Medal for Intentional Balk: Baseball’s Thin Line Between Innovation and Cheating. The annual award honors the very best e-book of baseball historical past or biography printed throughout the previous calendar 12 months.
Ray Herbert, a right-hander who performed from 1950-1966, died in December at age 93. A Detroit native who debuted with the Tigers as a 20-year-old, Herbert had his finest season in 1962 when he went 20-9 with the Chicago White Sox and was the profitable pitcher within the second of the 2 All-Star video games that had been performed that 12 months. Herbert gave up the primary of Carl Yastrzemski’s 3,419 hits in 1961.
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The reply to the quiz is Starling Marte, with 302 steals for the reason that begin of the 2013 season. Dee Strange-Gordon is third, with 280.
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February is possibly an odd time to carry up the Fall Traditional, however with the Tremendous Bowl proper across the nook, I’ve just lately discovered myself serious about the next:
Has any major-sport championship modified extra — and never essentially for the higher — than the World Sequence? As soon as upon a time, the members had not solely completed the common season having received their respective leagues; additionally they hadn’t met throughout the common season. Furthermore, they hadn’t confronted any of the identical opponents. In a nutshell, it was the very best of the American League versus the very best of the Nationwide League, and the matchup got here with a degree of novelty that may barely be fathomed in modern-day occasions.
Have been these comparably-simple occasions higher than immediately’s format, which incorporates a number of playoff rounds preceded by a season with inter-league play? That’s solely subjective. However there isn’t a query that postseason play has modified markedly. Even with its continued recognition, one might fairly declare that the World Sequence has misplaced a few of its luster.
As for the NFL’s format and Tremendous Bowl, sure, there are some similarities. On the identical time, baseball and soccer are apples and oranges in lots of respects — and the championship histories are positively totally different. Soccer has had quite a few format modifications, particularly previous to the Tremendous Bowl period.
As for the World Sequence ideas I’ve supplied right here… are you able to children please get off my garden?
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A shorter thought:
Essentially the most-underrated pitcher in baseball? How about Logan Webb? Over the previous two seasons, the San Francisco Giants southpaw is 26-12 with a 2.97 ERA, a 2.90 FIP, and eight.2 WAR. Frankly, Webb is on the brief record of finest pitchers in baseball.
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The Adelaide Giants beat the Perth Warmth 5-2 earlier immediately to win the best-of-three Australian Baseball League championship. Perth had claimed Friday’s Recreation One by a rating of 9-5, whereas Adelaide captured Saturday’s Recreation Two in 9-2 rout. Former Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Jordan McArdle homered 3 times over the ultimate two video games and was named championship sequence MVP.
Per Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun, Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, who signed with the Texas Rangers final month, is investing roughly ¥200 million of his personal cash to construct a sports activities facility in his hometown of Hashimoto, Wakayama Prefecture.
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I posted the next on Twitter a number of days in the past:
Participant One is in HoF. Participant Two topped out at 6.9% in HoF balloting.
Participant One: 1921 hits, 370 HRs, 1,274 RBIs, .273 BA, 120 OPS+, 43.9 bWAR.
Participant Two: 1925 hits, 348 HRs, 1,239 RBIs, .274 BA, 126 OPS+, 44.1 bWAR.
Participant One: eight-time All-Star, two World Sequence rings, was by no means MVP.
Participant Two: five-time All-Star, two World Sequence rings, one MVP award.
Participant One is Gil Hodges, whom an period committee voted into the Corridor of Fame two years in the past. The Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers icon— and later World Sequence-winning New York Mets supervisor, which performed an element in his being inducted — spent 15 years on the BBWAA poll, topping out at 63.4%.
Participant Two is George Foster who, amid an extended profession, starred for the Cincinnati Reds from 1975-1981, placing up a 149 OPS+ over that stretch whereas making 5 All-Star groups, being awarded the MVP, twice main the NL in house runs, and 3 times in RBIs. Foster additionally went a mixed 14 for 43 within the 1975 and 1976 World Sequence, each of which had been received by the Reds.
The response to my Tweet goes a good distance towards proving the purpose I used to be making an attempt to make. With few exceptions, the feedback addressed whether or not Hodges ought to be within the Corridor of fame, whereas Foster and his numbers had been mainly ignored. For no matter purpose, nobody (a minimum of exterior of Cincinnati) talks about Foster anymore. He was an absolute beast in his prime.
Am I suggesting that Foster ought to be within the Corridor of Fame? No. I don’t really feel that the totality of his profession is kind of as much as these requirements. As for Hodges, extra than simply numbers ought to go right into a candidate’s worthiness…. which brings me to a different query: Why on God’s inexperienced earth isn’t Tommy John within the Corridor of Fame?
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Sticking with comps, listed here are Scott Rolen and David Wright via age 30:
Rolen: 1,300 hits, 231 HR, 2,359 complete bases, 129 wRC+, 49.9 fWAR.
Wright: 1,558 hits, 222 HRs, 2,619 complete bases, 137 wRC+, 48.7 fWAR.
The previous New York Mets captain was very a lot on a Corridor of Fame monitor when accidents started to crop up, and in the end cratered his profession. In the meantime, Rolen made three All-Star groups and received a pair of Gold Gloves after turning 31.
Rolen was simply voted into the Corridor of the Fame in his sixth 12 months on the poll. Wright, who’s first-time-eligible subsequent 12 months, will inevitably fall brief. That’s comprehensible, but it surely’s additionally a disgrace. Had he remained wholesome, Wright would virtually assuredly have ended up immortalized in Cooperstown.
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince wrote about how Larry Doby and Don Newcombe turned trailblazers in Japan, taking part in with the Chunichi Dragons in 1962.
The Rating’s Travis Sawchik spent three days with legendary pitching coach Tom House, the self-proclaimed “Forrest Gump of sports activities,” and what he came away with was a pleasure to learn.
MLB.com’s Mandy Bell wrote about Cleveland baseball legend John Adams,”The person with the big bass drum on the high of the bleachers in part 182 on the nook of Carnegie and Ontario,” who died this week at age 71.
Longtime Dodgers govt and scout Ralph Avila died this week at age 92. Jack Harris has the story at The Los Angeles Instances.
At Out Sports activities, Ken Schultz wrote about how Hillsboro Hops supervisor Ronnie Gajownik is breaking a barrier as the primary out LGBTQ supervisor in Minor League Baseball.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
Dave Stewart made 10 ALCS begins, eight with the Oakland Athletics and two with the Toronto Blue Jays. All advised, “Smoke” went 8-0 with a 2.03 ERA. His staff received all 10 video games.
Nelson Cruz is 14 for 34 with eight house runs and 18 RBIs in 9 postseason video games in opposition to the Detroit Tigers.
Matt Holliday had an 1.198 OPS (in 130 plate appearances) in opposition to the St. Louis Cardinals, his highest in opposition to any staff. He had an 1.149 OPS (in 170 plate appearances) in opposition to the Colorado Rockies, his second-highest in opposition to any staff.
In a nine-year stretch from 1956-1964, St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Ken Boyer had a 124 OPS+, 55.1 bWAR, 5 Gold Gloves, seven All-Star seasons, and received an MVP award. Boyer, who completed his profession with 62.8 bWAR, topped out at 25.5% in his 15 years on the HoF poll.
The San Francisco Giants signed Andrés Galarraga as a free agent on immediately’s date in 2003. The 42-year-old Massive Cat proceeded to bat .301 and hit a dozen of his 399 profession house runs in his solely season with the Giants.
The Minnesota Twins signed longtime Detroit Tigers ace Jack Morris on immediately’s date in 1991. The St. Paul native received 18 regular-season video games and 4 postseason video games — the final of them being his World Sequence Recreation 7 shutout — in his lone season with the Twins.
Gamers born on immediately’s date embrace Mark Hamburger, whose solely profession determination got here within the final of his 5 big-league appearances. The St. Paul, Minnesota native was credited with a win by the official scorer after the Texas Rangers held on to beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 on September 26, 2011.
Additionally born on immediately’s date was John Gaddy, a right-handed pitcher whose big-league profession comprised two video games for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1938. The Wadesboro, North Carolina native was credited with wins in each outings.
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