Again within the Nineteen Fifties, Corridor of Fame slugger Ralph Kiner famously mentioned that “singles hitters drive Fords and residential run hitters drive Cadillacs.” Michael Massey’s grandmother could or could not have been acquainted with the quote, however she did her greatest to ship the 24-year-old Kansas Metropolis Royals rookie down the precise highway. I realized as a lot once I requested Massey about his first big-league blast, which got here on August 18 towards the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Discipline.
“What I considered once I hit it was my nana,” mentioned Massey, who grew up within the Chicago space and went on to play his faculty ball on the College of Illinois. “She handed away towards the tip of final season — she was 93 — and rising up she’d at all times give me 100 bucks for each dwelling run I hit. She beloved it once I hit dwelling runs, and did that for each league I performed in.”
Massey has by no means tallied up his earnings from over time, though he does acknowledge that the benevolence was bountiful. Alongside together with his homers in youth leagues, highschool, and faculty, he left the yard 21 occasions in Excessive-A final yr.
His grandmother — his mom’s mom — escaped Illinois winters by vacationing in Florida, and finally turned a snowbird. That the Sunshine State turned her “favourite place on this planet” made Massey’s first MLB dwelling run much more particular. And the recollections embrace far more than cash. The household matriarch frequently performed whiffle ball with him when he was rising up, and he or she wasn’t only a fan of her grandson. She beloved baseball.
“She was largely a White Sox fan, however she additionally preferred watching the Cubs,” defined Massey. “She was old-fashioned. We’d ask her if she wished us to come back over and set up extra channels on her TV — she solely had 2, 5, and seven — and he or she’d at all times say no. She’d simply watch the Cubs on WGN. Again after they weren’t superb, each time I’d see her she’d say, ‘Oh, these Cubs. They stink.’”
One factor that doesn’t stink is having your baseball-loving grandmother provide you with a C-note each time you hit a house run. Once you’re a child, $100 is some huge cash.
“It’s some huge cash,” agreed Massey. “That’s in all probability why I generally turn out to be pull-happy.”
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Hank Aaron went 9 for 25 towards Jerry Reuss.
Sammy Sosa went 9 for 25 towards Jim Abbott.
Alex Rodriguez went 9 for 25 towards Rich Harden.
Joe Judge went 8 for 9 towards Johnny Miljus.
Home Run Baker went 5 for five towards Spec Harkness.
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Stephen Vogt introduced this week that he’ll be retiring on the finish of the season. He doesn’t plan to go away the sport fully. The 37-year-old veteran of 10 big-league seasons not too long ago instructed reporters that his finish purpose is to handle within the majors, and he steered as a lot once I spoke to him earlier this summer time. Our dialog was initially about his progress as a participant.
“I’ve developed over time,” mentioned Vogt, who’s in his second stint with the Oakland Athletics, the staff he’s spent greater than half of his profession with. “I’ve gotten smarter. You discover ways to self-evaluate, to know what your strengths are and the way to tackle your weaknesses. I needed to get higher defensively, and I’ve over time. However hitting has at all times been my power.”
Requested if analytics have helped him enhance his recreation, Vogt started his reply by saying “Completely.” Being primarily a catcher, he’s discovered himself more and more counting on knowledge, each behind the dish and within the batter’s field. The willingness to adapt to an information-driven recreation will solely assist as he strikes on to the subsequent chapter in his baseball life.
“I undoubtedly wish to keep concerned within the trade,” Vogt instructed me. “I don’t know the way or what. however I’d love to teach or handle. I really like this recreation. That mentioned, I’ve been on the highway rather a lot during the last 15 years, and my children are getting older. I’m planning to discover each alternative for the way to keep within the recreation, and what could be greatest for my household.”
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A quiz:
In 1919, Babe Ruth set a then-single-season document by homering 29 occasions. Whose document did he break?
The reply will be discovered beneath.
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NEWS NOTES
Jill Gearin made her MLB broadcast debut on Tuesday when she stuffed in for Chris Garagiola in Recreation 1 of a doubleheader between the Arizona DiamondBacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers. A visitor on FanGraphs Audio last December, Gearin is the radio voice of the Visalia Rawhide, the Diamondbacks’ Low-A affiliate.
For these of you within the Detroit space, the second annual Ike Blessitt Baseball Traditional will happen on October 2 at Historic Hamtramck Stadium. Blessit performed for the Detroit Tigers in 1972, whereas Hamtramck Stadium was the house of the Negro League’s Detroit Stars and Detroit Wolves. Extra data will be discovered here.
Maury Wills, who led the Nationwide League in stolen bases every year from 1960-1965 whereas enjoying with the Los Angeles Dodgers, died earlier this week at age 89. A switch-hitting shortstop who swiped 586 luggage in his 14-year profession, Wills set a since-surpassed document with 102 thefts in his 1962 MVP season.
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The reply to the quiz is Ned Williamson, who hit 27 dwelling runs with the Nationwide League’s Chicago White Stockings in 1884.
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A.J. Hinch was the featured visitor on this week’s episode of FanGraphs Audio, and one of many first issues I requested the Detroit Tigers supervisor about was his bench coach. George Lombard is seen by many as a future big-league supervisor, and in accordance with Hinch, Lombard’s 5 years on the Los Angeles Dodgers teaching workers is a significant a part of his resume.
“Once I acquired this job, George was a pure alternative to come back be the bench coach,” mentioned Hinch, whom the Tigers employed in October 2020. “He’s a tireless employee, a fundamentalist in nature, a communicator, and he’d been with the Dodgers, which is at all times an ideal draw once you’re searching for high-end expertise, each on the sphere and within the entrance workplace. They’re so good at exposing their workers to higher-end studying.”
“When George acquired over right here, the one factor he hadn’t accomplished within the recreation was be near the decision-making,” added Hinch. “The 2 years I’ve had him subsequent to me, he’s helped implement a method of play that I’m very happy with. He’s helped implement a player-review course of that I’m very happy with…. His thoughts works nicely. The one factor he has to do is make choices, and that’s actually not going to come back till he will get a desk of his personal and he’s in a position to run a recreation a sure approach.”
A number of groups will likely be searching for a brand new supervisor between now and the start of subsequent season. Lombard will virtually definitely be on the vast majority of the quick lists.
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
With per week to go within the common season, the Yakult Swallows are 76-57-3 and have a six-game lead over the Yokohama BayStars in NPB’s Central League. The SoftBank Hawks (72-62-2) and ORIX Buffaloes (74-64-2) are tied atop the Pacific League. All 4 will advance to the postseason, as will the third-place groups.
Whereas his 55 dwelling runs have drawn essentially the most consideration, it’s value noting that NPB celebrity Munetaka Murakami is on monitor to win a Triple Crown. The Yakult Swallows slugger leads NPB’s Central League by vast margins in each dwelling runs and RBIs, whereas his .325 batting common is three share factors greater than Ryoma Nishikawa’s .322, and 5 in entrance of Yohei Ohshima’s .320. Per Tokyo-based scribe Jim Allen, Japanese baseball historical past contains 11 Triple Crowns by seven totally different gamers. Wladimir Balentien is the one participant with extra dwelling runs in a single season; He went deep 60 occasions in 2013.
Sticking with Japanese baseball historical past, Isao Harimoto is the one participant to achieve 3,000 profession hits at Japan’s highest stage. An outfielder who performed from 1959-1981, primarily with the Toei Flyers, Isao had 3,085 hits, together with 504 dwelling runs and a .319/.399/.534 slash line.
Woo-jin An leads all KBO pitchers with 204 strikeouts.The 23-year-old Kiwoom Heroes right-hander has a 2.24 ERA to go along with 118 hits allowed in 177 innings.
Nice Britain superior to the World Baseball Traditional for the primary time after they beat Spain 10-9 on Tuesday. Notable on the Nice Britain roster is highly-regarded Seattle Mariners catching prospect Harry Ford, whose dad and mom had been each born within the UK.
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The Cleveland Guardians are on the verge of profitable the American League Central, an accomplishment that few anticipated coming into the season. That makes Terry Francona a candidate to win his third AL Supervisor of the 12 months award, the primary of which got here when he was on the helm in Boston. I requested Purple Sox broadcaster Dave O’Brien for his ideas on the veteran skipper.
“I don’t know if there’s a funnier man in baseball,” O’Brien mentioned of Francona. “He jogs my memory plenty of Jim Leyland — I feel these two have been shut — as a result of they create that great humorousness to the sport. After we had been in Cleveland, and the Purple Sox swept the Guardians, we had been ready on the bus — it was just some broadcasters standing there — and right here comes Tito on his scooter, carrying a t-shirt, flip-flops, and shorts. He pulls up and simply drops a, ‘Man did that suck.’ Then he instruments off into the sundown. That’s Tito.
“I feel one factor that’s occurred with him is he’s not taking every little thing as life-and-death as he did right here in Boston,” continued O’Brien. “Leaving Boston in all probability saved his life. I feel he feels that approach. With all of the medical issues he’s had, he may not be alive proper now had he not gotten out of this cauldron right here in Boston.”
Within the venerable broadcaster’s opinion, Francona will someday be honored in Cooperstown. “There’s no query that Terry Francona is a Corridor of Famer,” opined O’Brien. “I feel everyone believes that.”
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FARM NOTES
A complete of 17 gamers stole 50 or extra bases within the minors this yr. San Diego Padres prospect Esteury Ruiz had essentially the most, swiping 80 luggage in 93 makes an attempt. Kansas Metropolis Royals prospect Tyler Tolbert was an ideal 60-for-60.
Jack Leftwich had a 2.72 ERA, a 2.49 FIP, and 140 strikeouts in 109-and-a-third innings, between Low-A Lynchburg and Excessive-A Lake County. The 23-year-old right-hander was drafted within the seventh spherical final yr out of the College of Florida by the Cleveland Guardians.
Edgar Barclay pitched 67-and-a-third innings this yr with out permitting a house run. The 24-year-old left-hander within the New York Yankees system had 86 strikeouts and a 1.74 ERA with Excessive-A Hudson Valley.
Courtney Hawkins tied Ozzie Canseco’s Atlantic League document for dwelling runs in a season when he went deep for the forty eighth time final Sunday in his last at bat of the season. A primary-round draft choose by the Chicago White Sox in 2012, the 28-year-old outdated outfielder was enjoying for the impartial Lexington Legends.
McKenzie Mills went 9-1 with a 2.99 ERA over 72-and-a-third innings with the Atlantic League’s Southern Maryland Stone Crabs. An 18th-round choose in 2014 by the Washington Nationals, the 26-year-old right-hander final performed affiliated ball in 2019 with the Double-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
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Trey Sweeney is climbing the ladder in his first full skilled season. Drafted twentieth total final yr out of Japanese Illinois College by the New York Yankees, the 22-year-old left-handed-hitting shortstop was promoted to Double-A Somerset on September 6. Counting his 100 video games with Excessive-A Hudson Valley, he completed with a 111 wRC+ and 16 dwelling runs.
Sweeney sees himself as being well-rounded with the bat.
“Personally, I simply attempt to do my job,” Sweeney mentioned when requested for a self-scouting report. “I wouldn’t contemplate myself an influence hitter, or what you’d name a pure hitter. I simply attempt to do all elements of the sport on the plate, whether or not that’s hitting singles, dwelling runs, driving runners in, or discovering methods to get on base. I attempt to take my walks and restrict strikeouts, discovering barrels once I can.”
The Louisville native — No. 11 in our Yankees prospect rankings — added that his hitting model is way the identical because it was in faculty, though there have been a number of mechanical changes. In an effort to enhance his timing, he’s “lightened up the leg kick and the barrel tip, mainly shortening stuff up.” Sweeney started making these adjustments in Low-A, solely a handful of video games into his skilled profession. Instituted on his personal, he subsequently did some fine-tuning with the assistance of organizational hitting instructors final fall.
Rising his vary has been a precedence. Sweeney mentioned that “attending to extra balls within the six-hole and up the center” his been his primary focus this yr, with plenty of emphasis being on his first step. An offseason purpose for the 6-foot-4, 205-pound infielder is to achieve “some good weight” whereas additionally persevering with to enhance his quickness and agility.
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
Sports activities Illustrated’s Emma Baccellieri talked to a few of the gamers whose efforts helped to unionize the minors.
Brew Crew Ball’s Jack Stern wrote about why Corbin Burnes must diversify his strategy towards left-handed hitters.
Sam Peebles examined Matt Olson’s second slide at Speaking Chop.
The Athletic’s Katie Woo explained how the St. Louis Cardinals’ broadcasters have been getting ready for Albert Pujols’s milestone moments (subscription required).
At ESPN, Jesse Rogers wrote about how the Cleveland Guardians turned the AL Central race right into a one-team dash.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
On right now’s date in 1967, the Boston Purple Sox and Minnesota Twins had been each 90–68, the Chicago White Sox had been 89-68, and the Detroit Tigers had been 88-69. There was lower than per week left within the season and solely one of many groups may advance to the postseason.
The Cincinnati Reds set a a serious league document by hitting their 99th batter of the season earlier this week (They’re now at 101). Chicago Cubs pitchers hit 98 batters final yr.
Toronto Blue Jays pitchers have been charged with 26 wild pitches, the fewest within the majors. Blue Jays catchers have been charged with two handed balls, tied for the fewest within the majors.
Roger Maris slashed .380/.429/1.014 with 13 dwelling runs in 18 video games towards the Chicago White Sox in his 61-homer, MVP 1961 season. He slashed .208/.302/.377 with three dwelling runs in 17 video games towards the Baltimore Orioles.
In 1960, Maris was named AL MVP within the first of what turned 5 consecutive seasons during which he performed within the World Collection with the New York Yankees. He later performed within the 1967 and 1968 World Collection with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Babe Ruth pitched in 10 big-league seasons and had a profitable document in all of them. His profession document was 94-46.
Corridor of Fame right-hander Pud Galvin had 10 seasons with 20 or extra losses, together with one with 35 losses. His profession document was 365-310.
On right now’s date in 1962, knuckleballer Bob Purkey ran his document to 23-5 with an entire recreation effort because the Cincinnati Reds edged the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1. A local of Pittsburgh, Purkey made three All-Star groups with the Reds after being acquired from his hometown staff in a 1957 commerce.
On right now’s date in 2001, Richie Sexson and Jeromy Burnitz each homered thrice to steer the Milwaukee Brewers to a 9-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The duo went back-to-back twice.
Gamers born on right now’s date embrace Geno Petralli, who caught for the Toronto Blue Jays from 1982-1984 and for the Texas Rangers from 1985-1993. A profession .267 hitter with a .703 OPS, Petralli slashed .414/.463/.667 in 95 plate appearances at Fenway Park. He went a mixed 32 for 80 towards Mike Boddicker and Roger Clemens.
Additionally born on right now’s date was Dave Robertson, an outfielder who performed for 3 groups, most prominently the New York Giants, from 1912-1922. Robertson led the Nationwide League in dwelling runs in each 1916 and 1917, going deep 12 occasions every season. He had 11 hits within the 1917 World Collection, essentially the most of any participant.
