Hank Aaron, RIP

Sadly, Henry Louis "Hammerin' Hank" Aaron died today. Wikipedia. 😢 Aaron died in his sleep at the age of 86, two weeks shy of his 87th birthday. He was my baseball hero from 1955 until he retired. I didn't have another one until Greg Maddux circa 1993.

Hank Aaron is one of the greatest baseball players of all time. He is 5th all-time in WAR for position players (non-pitchers). His 755 career home runs stood as the MLB record for 33 years, surpassed only by Barry Bonds' 762 attained in 2007. The most homers Aaron hit in one season was 47. He hit 44, his uniform number, four times. Three of those times he led the league in HRs and RBIs. Bonds hit 50 or more homers in a season only once, with 73. Aaron led the league in batting average twice. (Bonds also did). He was NL MVP in 1957. The Braves won the World Series in 1957. He led the Braves in hitting during the World Series -- 11 hits, 3 HR, 7 RBI, .393 BA. However, fidgety Lew Burdette was MVP of the World Series by pitching and winning 3 complete games, 2 shutouts, against hitters like Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Hank Bauer, and Elston Howard. Burdette gave up only 2 earned runs, making his ERA 0.67.

Hank Aaron has the most career RBIs and total bases. He is 3rd in career hits with 3771, behind only Pete Rose and Ty Cobb. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame when first eligible in 1982 with 97.8% of the vote.

Hammerin' Hank wasn't a flashy player, and the Milwaukee Braves was a small market team. So he didn't get the level of attention that his peers such as Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle did. He was very consistent. His highest number of strikeouts in a season was 97. He was an excellent fielder and baserunner. He was quiet and dignified. After his playing career he was an executive with the Braves and a successful businessman. 

My favorite baseball story about him involved Yogi Berra, the talkative Hall of Fame Yankee catcher who could get in the minds of hitters. Berra said, “Hey kid, you're holding your bat wrong. It's suppose to be with the label up.” Without bothering to check the positioning of his bat, Hank replied, “I didn’t come here to read.” Link.

World Series 2018

The Boston Red Sox won the World Series for the 4th time this century. They were favored to win, given their regular season W-L% (wins/games) was .667 versus the Los Angeles Dodgers' .564.

The Dodgers won only one game, the third. I made an error reporting on that game. My wife and I were visiting Nashville, TN with two other couples. We went to the Grand Old Opry on October 26. Returning to our motel afterwards I looked on my cell phone to see the result of the game. It was well past midnight, and I saw the score as Red Sox 2, Dodgers 1. Assuming the game was over by then, I reported the score to my companions.

The next morning I was mildly chided by my companions, because the Dodgers had won. Looking on my cell phone again, I found that the 2-1 score was after the Red Sox scored a run in the top of the 13th inning, but before the inning ended. (The score was tied 1-1 after 9 innings.) I had unintentionally reported fake news and didn't heed Yogi Berra: "It ain't over 'til it's over." The Dodgers scored a run in the bottom of the 13th inning to tie the game 2-2. The game continued until the bottom of the 18th inning when the Dodgers scored again to win 3-2. It easily broke the record for the longest game in World Series history -- 7 hours, 20 minutes, 18 innings. (link). 

Baseball: Who's in first?

The title is not about the famous "Who's on First?" comedy routine by Abbott and Costello. I checked the major league baseball standings this morning and saw something unusual. The standings shown in the American League East division by CBSSports and FoxSports are:

Place Team                    Won   Lost      PCT    GB (Games Behind)
 1.     New York Yankees      43       20        .683      1.0
 2.     Boston Red Sox          47       22        .681       —

ESPN showed the teams in reverse order.

I don't recall ever having seen this -- a first place team "behind" the second place team.  It is a  consequence of the Red Sox having played 6 more games. They won 4 of them, yielding a PCT (.667) that is lower than their PCT for all games.

Why all three websites use the heading PCT -- and this is the convention followed for all or nearly all sports standings (in English) -- is  understandable but not exact. 0.683 is a ratio; 68.3 is the correct PCT for the Yankees. Ratio or W/G would be a more accurate heading.

Post-season MLB #10

Congratulations to the Chicago Cubs. They became World Series champs for the first time since 1908 by beating the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in game 7. It was a long thriller.  The Cubs led 6-3 after 7.5 innings. Then the Indians scored 3 runs to tie it in the bottom of the 8th inning. Neither team scored in the 9th inning. Rain delayed the start of the 10th inning. The Cubs scored 2 runs in the top of the 10th, and the Indians scored one run in the bottom of the 10th.

It was the 7th time a team had won the World Series after being down 3 games to 1, last done in 1985.

The Cubs' Ben Zobrist was named MVP of the series. He drove in the go-ahead run and scored the final run in the 10th.

Post-season MLB #9

The Chicago Cubs avoided an embarrassing 0 wins, 3 losses, and an end to the World Series at Wrigley Field last night. They beat the Cleveland Indians 3-2. Cubs reliever Aroldis Chapman with his 100+ mph fastballs pitched the last 2 + 2/3rds innings, allowing no runs.

The series resumes in Cleveland with game 6 tomorrow, and game 7 Wednesday if needed. Indians lead the series 3-2.

Post-season MLB #8

Last night was the first World Series game played in Wrigley Field since 1945. After splitting games 1 and 2 with the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland, the excitement and expectation of Cubs fans was high. The Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks led the NL in ERA this year. The Indians starter Tomlin gave up the 3rd most home runs in the regular season this year, and a fairly strong wind was blowing in Wrigley from home plate toward left field. Hendricks got in jams but exited without ceding a run. Tomlin pitched even better. The Indians scored their only run off a Cubs reliever in the 7th inning, and the Indians bullpen ceded no runs. The Cubs threatened in the 9th -- runners on 2nd and 3rd base -- which created suspense but they were stranded. Final score, 1-0.

With Cleveland's #1 starter (Kluber) on the mound tonight against the Cubs #4 starter (Lackey), the prospects for another Indians win and Cubs disappointment are pretty good. I say to Cubs fans, "Let in that billy goat!" He must not have been there last night -- else there would have been a lot of talk about it -- and look what happened!  :-)

The Billy Goat Curse

The Chicago Cubs advancing to the World Series makes a good time to link to the amusing story of the Billy Goat Curse.  Here is more about the fan interference incident in 2003.

Post-season MLB #7

The Chicago Cubs will play in the World Series! Their last time was 1945. They beat the Dodgers 5-0 to win the NLCS 4-2 (games).

The World Series starts Tuesday (Oct. 25). Whoever wins will end a long drought --107 years for the Cubs or 67 years for the Cleveland Indians.  The Indians' last time in the World Series was 1997.

Post-season MLB #6

Wahoo! The Cleveland Indians go to the World Series. They beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0, their 4th win in game 5. They again relied heavily on the bullpen -- 4 + 2/3rds innings. The starting pitcher, Ryan Merritt, went 4 + 1/3rd.  He had pitched only 11 innings in the majors before this game, but he did very well. Relief pitcher Andrew Miller won the MVP of the series (4 games, 7 +2/3rd innings, 0 runs, 14 Ks).

The Chicago Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers to even the NLCS at 2 wins each. After being shutout the last two games, the Cubs scored 10 runs.

Post-season MLB #5

The Cleveland Indians won again against the Toronto Blue Jays and now lead the series 3-0.  The Indians again relied heavily on their bullpen, using 7 pitchers. Starter Trevor Bauer departed after only 2 outs in the first inning due to injury.

On Friday Bauer cut his pinky finger on his pitching hand trying to repair a drone. It required several stitches and was bandaged before the game. MLB rules prohibit even a band-aid on the pitching hand, so Bauer could only rely on the stitches to hold. They didn't. A tv viewer could see blood dripping from his hand after about 15 pitches. Maybe the wound will heal enough and Danny Salazar can return from his injury in time for the World Series. Even if the Indians win today (ending the ALCS), the World Series won't start until next Tuesday, October 25.

A Canadian activist had filed a lawsuit to bar the Indians from calling themselves Indians and wearing the Chief Wahoo logo on their uniforms while in Canada. The activist insisted that the team’s name and logo are demeaning and “offensive” to indigenous people. However, a few hours before the game a judge ruled against the plaintiff.

Post-season MLB #4

Yeah, Wahoo! The Cleveland Indians won the first two games of the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays with great pitching. They won 2-0 and 2-1.

The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers split the first two games of the NLCS. The Cubs won the first game 8-4 with a pinch hit, grand slam home run in the bottom of the 8th inning. The Dodgers won the second game 1-0. Dodger Clayton Kershaw, 3-time Cy Young winner, pitched 7 shutout innings.

Post-season MLB #3

The Chicago Cubs won the NLDS over the San Francisco Giants (Oct.11). They were behind 5-2 after 8 innings, but scored 4 runs in the top of the 9th, and the Giants failed to score in the bottom of the 9th. Cubs second baseman Javier Baez played a big role. This video shows that.

The video includes his amazing, diving catch and off-balance throw to first base. The batter Denard Span, a very fast runner, was initially called out by the umpire. After review, he was called safe. When Span then tried to steal second base, Baez tagged him out with his very fast hands.

Post-season MLB #2

The Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays both swept in the ALDS. Of course, I will root for the Indians -- my local team now -- when they face the Blue Jays in the ALCS to decide which one plays in the WS.

The Indians swept the Boston Red Sox. It was (most likely) the final game in the career of David "Big Papi" Ortiz of the Red Sox (link). In the spring he announced he planned to retire after this season. What a final season it was!  A decline in skills late in a career is typical, but wasn't for Big Papi. His batting average was .315, and he had 38 homers and 127 RBIs.

Post-season MLB #1

I predict the Chicago Cubs will win its first World Series since 1908. The Cubs "win %" was .640 for the regular season. Second best was .586. (Link).  The Cubs pitching staff is very strong. Their regular season ERA was 3.15; second best was 3.51.

If the Cubs make it to the WS, their first home game will be game 3 (first two at the AL team's park). Seats in Wrigley Field start at almost $3,000 at www.vividseats.com. Even a rooftop seat -- outside Wrigley is $1,399.

If the Cubs don't win the WS, then I'd like to see the Indians win it.