The 10 best Shortstops in Major League Baseball history

The 10 best Shortstops in Major League Baseball history

 

10) Phil Rizzuto – Winner of the 1950 American League MVP award and a five time All Star, “Scooter” played 1,647 games in 13 seasons for the Yankees in the 1940’s and 1950’s, contributing to 7 World Championship teams.  He had a fielding average of .968, higher than the league average of .959. Rizzuto had a career batting average of .273 with an on-base percentage of .351 and 149 stolen bases.

9) Robin Yount – In a twenty year career from 1974 -1993 “The Kid” played 1,479 games at shortstop for the Milwaukee Brewers with a .964 fielding percentage, equal to the league average during that time. Winner of a  a Gold Glove in 1982, as well as the AL MVP in 1982 and 1989, he batted .285 with 3,142 hits, 251 home runs, 1,406 RBI’s, and 271 stolen bases. A three time All Star, Yount played centerfield for the latter half of his career.

8) Pee Wee Reese – In sixteen seasons in the 1940’s and 1950’s “The Little Colonel” played 2,014 games at shortstop for the Dodgers and was named to 10 All Star teams. His fielding average was .962, higher than the league average of .958, and his career totals include .269 batting average with a .366 on base percentage and 232 stolen bases.

7) Barry Larkin – Winner of the 1995 NL MVP award, Larkin was a 12 time All Star in a 19 year career and 2,085 games with the Reds, from 1986-2004. His .975 fielding percentage was above the league average of .968, and he led the league in range factor per game for three seasons. Larkin had a career batting average of .295, an on base percentage of .371, and 379 stolen bases.

6) Luke Appling – In 20 years from 1930-1950 “Luscious Luke” played 2,218 games at shortstop for the White Sox, and was named to seven All Star teams. He had a career batting average of .319 with an on base percentage of .399. Appling led American League shortstops in range factor per game for three seasons.

5) Luis Aparicio – “Little Louie” played 2,599 games at shortstop in 18 years from 1956 to 1973 for the White Sox, Orioles, and Red Sox. He saved 149 runs in his career, had a fielding percentage of .972, higher than the league average of .963, won 9 Gold Gloves, and was named to 10 All Star teams. Aparicio batted .262 with 506 stolen bases in his career.

4) Derek Jeter – “Captain Clutch” played 2,674 games at shortstop for 20 seasons from 1995-2014 for the Yankees, and was named to 14 All Star teams. He won five Gold Gloves and his .976 fielding percentage was higher than the league average of .972. Jeter finished his career with a .310 batting average, .377 on base percentage, 3,465 hits, 1,923 runs scored, 358 stolen bases, 260 home runs, and 1,311 RBI’s.

3) Honus Wagner – In 21 years from 1897-1917, “The Flying Dutchman” played 1,887 games at shortstop for the Pirates. He led the league in fielding percentage four seasons, with his .940 career mark higher than the league average of .927. He also played the outfield and the three other infield positions.  Wagner batted .328 with a .391 on base percentage, 3,420 hits, 1,739 runs scored, 723 stolen bases, and 1,732 RBI’s.

2) Cal Ripken Jr. – The “Iron Man,” was a 19 time All Star, won two Gold Gloves, and winner of the AL MVP in 1983 and 1991. He played 2,302 games at shortstop in a 21 year career from 1981-2001 for the Orioles. His fielding percentage of .979 was higher than the league average of .969, and he is crediting with saving 176 runs at shortstop. Ripken batted .276 with 431 home runs and 1,695 RBI’s.

1) Ozzie Smith – Playing 2,511 games at shortstop in 19 years from 1978-1996 for the Padres and Cardinals, “The Wizard of Oz” saved an astounding 239 runs during his career. He is baseball’s all-time leader, at any position, in career Defensive Wins-Above-Replacement with 43.4. A 13 time Gold Glove winner, his fielding percentage of .978 was higher than the league average of .966. Named to 15 All Star teams, Smith batted .262 with 580 stolen bases.

Who was the New York Yankees Most Valuable Player in 2014?

The New York  Yankees struggled through a long 2014 season, finishing with a middling 84-78 won-loss record and missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

 

Still, every team has players that contribute to its success during the course of the year. Here is a look at who were the Most Valuable Players of the 2014 Yankees.

 

5) Brian McCann, catcher: McCann started slowly at the plate but still finished with 23 home runs and 75 RBI’s, both of which led the team. He also handled the pitching staff well, and threw out 37% of runners attempting to steal, above the league average of 27%.

 

4) Hiroki Kuroda, starting pitcher: Kuroda was steady, providing 32 starts and 199 innings for a starting staff that was decimated by injuries. He finished with an 11-9 record and 3.71 ERA.

 

3) Masahiro Tanaka, starting pitcher:  Tanaka was the closest thing to a sure win in games during the first half, before a partially torn ligament in his elbow shelved him for the second half of the season.  The Yankees would have finished under .500 without him. He posted a 13-5 record and 2.77 ERA in 20 games and 136 innings.

 

2) Jacoby Ellsbury, centerfielder:  Leading all position players with 149 games played, 156 hits, 27 doubles, and 39 stolen bases, Ellsbury batted .271 with 16 home runs and 70 RBI’s. He also was steady defensively.

 

1) Dellin Betances, relief pitcher:  His first year in the bullpen proved to be a huge success. Betances shut down opposing hitters when the Yankees had a close lead in late innings of games.  He finished with a 5-0 record, 22 holds, an unbelievable 1.40 ERA, and set a team record for strikeouts by a relief pitcher, with 135 in 90 innings. He gave up only 46 hits, and batters managed a measly .149 average against him. Dellin Betances is the Yankees’ Most Valuable Player for the 2014 season.

Tax money wasted in Belleville, NJ

An experience with the municipal court system in Belleville New Jersey shows how time and tax money is wasted, and how a town mistreats its senior citizens

My father had always kept his car parked on the street in front of his house in Belleville, NJ. Not in front of anyone else's house, mind you. His second car was kept in the garage. When I visited recently I noticed the old car in front of the house was gone. I asked him what happened to it, and being 82 years old, he said to me, “They towed it away, they said I donated it." Of course, this is not what happened. Among some papers on his desk I found a parking ticket that read "abandoned motor vehicle."

I called the chief of police who said neighbors had complained that the car was parked in front of the house (his house, not theirs, I remind you. I guess some people have nothing better to do than look out their windows and get into other people's business). Then he said, "Well, the town has an ordinance that says a car can't be parked in the same spot for 48 hours." So I guess the cops in Belleville have too much time on their hands, being that they spent their time writing parking tickets to senior citizens. No wonder property taxes are so high in New Jersey. Too many cops doing nothing.

The chief said he was sent written warnings, about not moving the car. Well that isn't true. They sent nothing, because I went through my father's mail every day, and they never sent any warnings. Then the chief said, just go to court, and they'll dismiss the ticket. (Okay...but then why did you write it in the first place?)

So I went to the impound lot and had the car hauled away for $300, which I had to give to the impound lot owners, for their towing fee. The car was still running, but since my mother wasn't driving anymore, there was no need for my father to keep and maintain two cars. Then I scheduled a court date to contest the $260 abandoned motor vehicle ticket.

So I go to the municipal court in Belleville and meet with the prosecutor, who gives me a silly song and dance about how he can't recommend dismissing the ticket, blah, blah, blah. Nevermind that my father lived in Belleville, his entire life as a law abiding citizen, and paid thousands of dollars in property taxes during the past 50 years. Nevermind that there was no written warnings about the car, and nevermind that he's 82 and probably didn't comprehend that there was some obscure ordinance about not leaving a car in the same spot for longer than 48 hours. (By the way, there were no marks on the tires when I found it at the impound lot, so the cops had no proof that the car was parked there for a certain amount of time).

Finally I stood up and said to the wormy prosecutor, "Forget it, I'm just going to pay the ticket and go to the media with my story, about how Belleville treats their senior citizens." Of course, now the prosecutor says, "Don't do that, we'll call the cop and try to reach a settlement."

So we go in front of the municipal court judge to ask for a new date, and this judge rambles on about nonsense...where's your father, I don't know if we can do this, blah, blah, blah. This from a guy, like all municipal court judges in New Jersey, has his own private law practice but moonlights on the side as a judge in order to get into the state pension system and milk the taxpayers for money. Finally he relents and we have a new court date, three weeks later.

So I go to court on the new date - and there's a new prosecutor! I start to explain the situation, and after fifteen seconds he cuts me off with "I'm just going to ask the judge to dismiss this." He hustles into the courtroom, I follow him, he asks the judge to dismiss the ticket, and the same judge from the three weeks prior, the one who grumbled and groaned about setting a new date for a conference, says, "This is a minor issue. Case dismissed."

Wouldn't it have made more sense just to dismiss the ticket the first time? Wouldn't have made more sense for the cops to ask my father if there was anyone helping with things, and could you give them this warning letter about the car parked in front of the house? No. Instead these fools waste my time and tax money with their silly shenanigans. Political nonsense. Right wingers rage about too much government at the federal level, when the reality is there's too much government at the local level. Anyone who writes a parking ticket to senior citizen for a car parked in front of his own house ought to be ashamed of himself. All the problems in the world, and this is what cops, prosecutors, and judges are spending their time and our tax money on? It's a disgrace.

New baseball book for middle grade readers: The Perfect Game

New baseball book for middle grade readers: The Perfect Game

THE PERFECT GAME is a novel for middle grade readers. It is about a twelve year old boy’s roller coaster experience while playing one season of organized baseball.

It is available in Kindle at Amazon for 99 cents, as well as at Smashwords and Barnes & Noble.

Joey Coltasanti, nicknamed “the professor” by his father, is ambivalent about playing his last year in summer league. A shortstop, he loves baseball and longs to realize his dream of making the town’s all-star team, and then winning enough games to advance to the state’s world series. However to reach this goal he must overcome his own anxiety that blocks his talent from shining through on the field.

Internal concerns are not the only obstacles in Joey’s path. He also has to deal with Mr. K, the coach of his team for the past two years. Mr. K uses sarcasm and intimidation with his players, as well as favoring his own son over Joey and his teammates. Added to the mix is Joey’s new neighbor and friend, twelve year old Mindi. A saxophone-playing member of Mensa, she is also a pitcher in the summer league who mows down opposing hitters with a blazing fastball and pinpoint control.

Joey decides to play, with events during early season contests testing his will to continue. Eventually a tumultuous game involving adults who can’t seem to grow up leads to changes in the league. A benevolent new coach arrives in town, and things begin to turn around for Joey and his underdog teammates. Eventually joining forces with Mindi on the all-star team, Joey moves closer to fulfilling his dream.

Advancing to the state’s world series means finding innovative ways to win pressure packed games, which leads to Joey confronting his fears on the field. Ultimately he learns more about winning, losing, and the exciting game that is baseball.

Hal Steinbrenner is as dumb as his father

The other day Hal Steinbrenner was quoted as saying, "We put a lot of money into the offense, and they have been, as a whole, inconsistent. It’s been a problem. And it needs to change."

Like, duh. Did he really believe that shelling out all that cash was going to result in a super-duper offense? On June 11 I wrote a blog stating that the "Yankees' bats aren't coming alive anytime soon" and more than two months later, it seems that I was right.

The naive Steinbrenner crew and dopey GM Brian Cashman had unrealistic expectations this past offseason.

Carlos Beltran was aging and often injured, so could he really be expected to produce at a high level? Same with recently released second baseman Brian Roberts. Outstanding hitters in their prime, yes, but they were both way past those days when they were signed as free agents. Same thing with Ichiro Suzuki and the departed Alfonso Soriano.

Comparing Brian McCann to Thurman Munson was a bit silly, and unfair to McCann - in three consecutive years Munson had averages of .318, .302, and .308, with RBI totals of 102, 105, and 100, and hit over .300 in two other seasons as well. In his career McCann has hit .300 twice and has never driven in 100 runs.

Believing Mark Teixeira would drive in 110 runs a year after coming off a serious wrist injury at age 34 wasn't very bright.

If Derek Jeter hadn't announced his retirement before the season it would be clear that his career is over at this point, with his .271 batting average 40 points below his career average of .311.

Several months ago Girardi was quoted as saying, "I don't believe people forget how to hit overnight" and while that is true, this Yankee team was more of a case of a group of players whose skills have eroded significantly and just can't cut the mustard anymore.

Yankees break 110 year old record

The Yankees 8-7 victory over the Red Sox on August 3 was the Yankees’ 14th straight game that was decided by two or fewer runs. According to Elias Sports Bureau, that is the longest such streak in franchise history.

The old record was 12 and set in 1904.

Girardi needs to give better answers at his press conferences

It's going to be a long summer for Yankees' manager Joe Girardi. "I don't believe guys forget to hit in a year" has been his stock answer to reporters after games this season. I guess he doesn't want to admit that maybe the real answer is "Some guys' skills erode in a year and they can't do it anymore."

Carlos Beltran has been hampered by a bad elbow. Still, it's hard to make excuses for a guy who has a .155 batting average with runners in scoring position. Brian McCann was never as good as Yankee brass insisted - comparing him to Thurman Munson was unfair, since McCann has never hit .300 and driven in 100 runs or more for three years in a row like Munson did.

Alfonso Soriano just isn't same player anymore; neither is Brian Roberts, Derek Jeter, or Ichiro Suzuki. To expect these guys to hit like they did ten years ago is unrealistic. It isn't that they have forgotten how to hit. It's just that they can't do it the same way anymore due to their advancing age.

The Yankees came into the night with 326 runs scored, 20th in the majors. You are what your record says you are, so unless guys start hitting a lot better, their current 41-41 record will be 81-81 when the 2014 season comes to a close.

So how many plaques are the Yankees going to hang in Monument Park?

It's nice to retire the numbers of great athletes, and to place plaques and monuments in or around stadiums. But the Yankees are taking it too far.

The Steinbrenners were probably hoping to sell more tickets with the announcement of honoring Rich Gossage, Tino Martinez, and Paul O'Neill with plaques in Monument Park. But do they really deserve it? Well if they do, so do many other former Yankees.

Yes, Martinez and O'Neill were important parts of 4 world championship teams, but so were many other role players. Sparky Lyle was just as valuable, if not more so, a relief pitcher than Gossage was. Willie Randolph and Roy White were vital contributors to the 1976-78 championship teams, so why not give them plaques?

I can understand giving Joe Torre a plaque (although I'm surprised they are doing it, given the bad press the Steinbrenners and others in Yankee front office received from Torre's book The Yankee Years). But retiring his number? That's a bit much. I can see not giving out his number for a long time, like 20 years. But retiring it? Come on.

Retired numbers as of today? OK: 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. That would be Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra, Thurman Munson, Whitey Ford, Don Mattingly, Mariano Rivera. Even if number 42 hadn't been retired by everyone because it was Jackie Robinson's, Rivera's 42 still would have deserved it. Numbers to be retired now and next year? That would be 2 and 51. Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams. Not coincidentally, these would be the best 12 players in Yankee history.

Numbers to not give out for at least 20-25 years? Torre's 6, Roger Maris' and Graig Nettles' 9, Jorge Posada's 20, Elston Howard's 32, Casey Stengel's 37, Ron Guidry's 49, and Andy Petitte's 46.

I'd give all of guys with the retired numbers plaques in Monument Park, along with the eight men above.

Nothing against Roger Maris, but I could argue that Nettles was more important to his teams than Maris was to his.

I'm not sure why Billy Martin, Phil Rizzuto, and Reggie Jackson had their numbers retired. Probably because Steinbrenner wanted to sell some extra tickets. I could see maybe giving Rizzuto a plaque in Monument Park since he also had a long career as a Yankee broadcaster.

Should any Yankee who has made the Hall of Fame have a plaque? Maybe, but then you'd have to include Rickey Henderson and Dave Winfield along with Jackson and Gossage.

Retired numbers and plaques ought to be awarded to the very special, not just the special.

Yankees' bats aren't coming alive anytime soon

Yankee manager Joe Girardi is going to need more than his eternal optimism to get his team hitting. I don't think there are any answers in his trusty binder, either.

The Steinbrenner crew and dopey GM Brian Cashman may have had unrealistic expectations this past offseason. Carlos Beltran was aging and often injured, as was second baseman Brian Roberts. Outstanding hitters in their prime, yes, but they are both way past those days. Same with Ichiro Suzuki and Alfonso Soriano. Comparing Brian McCann to Thurman Munson was a bit silly. Believing Mark Teixeira would drive in 110 runs a year after coming off a serious wrist injury at age 34 wasn't very bright. 

As of this writing Derek Jeter has accumulated 216 at bats; is this enough for a hitter who missed most of the previous season to get their timing down? Let's hope not, since Jeter is batting .259 with only six doubles and one home run, numbers nowhere close to his career averages. Looks like his power is pretty much gone as he nears the age of forty.

Girardi was quoted as saying, "I don't believe people forget how to hit overnight" and while that is true, this may be more of a case of a group of players who just can't cut the mustard anymore.

Still, the Yankees may have a decent shot at winning the American League East Division, since the Blue Jays, Rays, Red Sox, and Orioles are mediocre in their own right.  The Yankees' pitchers have been doing a decent job for the most part, so if opponents can be held to three runs a game, the Yanks' offense should be able to manufacture enough runs to win more games than they lose.   A total of 85-86 wins might be enough to win the East this year so the race will probably go down to the last days of the season.

I hope I'm wrong. I hope the Yankees start tearing things up. It would make for a more fun summer.  Right now it looks like it may be kind of boring.

YES Network, Michael Kay make much ado about nothing in Cano's return to Yankee Stadium

Sometimes news people have to somehow generate stories when things are slow. Last week's return of the Seattle Mariners' Robinson Cano to Yankee Stadium was an example of this.

While Cano was an outstanding player for the Yanks, and would definitely make a list of the top fifty Yankees of all time (on my list he'd be around number 43 or so), the team has many great players through the years who have gone on to play for other clubs.

If I had been in the stands I would not have booed him. Nor would I have cheered.

Yes he left for a bigger paycheck, but Yankee fans need to realize many of their star players through the years (and even this past offseason) have bolted their teams to take more money from the Yankees. So why should Cano be vilified for that? He should not be.

The Yankees management also made the right decision (for a change) by not offering Cano a contract for longer than seven years. Seven years is enough for a player who is already 30 years old.

So no boos or cheers for Robinson. Maybe Seattle will have a contending team within the next few years. Maybe they won't and he’ll finish his contract in a rainy town.

The most absurd aspect surrounding Cano's return was Michael Kay's reaction to the fans jeering of the second baseman. The boos weren't that overwhelming. It just may have sounded that way because Yankee Stadium was two-thirds empty. If the place was at full capacity of 50,000 people, the jeers may not have been as noticeable. If Yankee fans were really that angry about Cano taking the money and running, wouldn't they have put up with the bad weather, bought and a ticket to the game, and boo with everyone else. But that didn't happen. Not enough fans cared enough one way or the other.

Kay made it sound like the fans' reaction was the most horrible thing in the world. Please. This is a non-story. The real story, if any news writers are interested, is how Yankee Stadium is half empty even on days when the weather is nice. Either the ticket brokers or the team is taking a bath on sales. Somebody is losing money. Not many people want to spend $100 to watch two boring teams for three hours. And that's with or without Cano on the roster.

Rutgers athletic director Hermann is a joke

I’ve always wondered how some people who work at colleges get their jobs. It just cannot be because they are the most qualified for the position. I find it hard to believe that some of these folks interviewed the best, as well.

Case in point would be the Rutgers University athletic director, Julie Hermann. Here is someone who holds an important, high level job at a university, and she speaks to a journalism class and says that it would be “great” if the Star Ledger, New Jersey’s largest newspaper, were to “die.”

Isn’t that kind of a stupid thing to say to a class full of journalism students?

And this person is an athletic director at a major university? How could she not know better?

It’s typical for college administrators to blame the media for the problems they create and problems that, despite their advanced degrees, they can’t seem to figure out how to solve.

Instead of blaming reporters who merely cover the news or columnists who express an opinion, college administrators would be better off spending their time working on improving their campus.

Rutgers’ athletic program could use a leader who is looking out for its interests, not her own.  Rather than complaining about newspaper coverage, maybe college administrators can look at the causes of the negative news. And then do their jobs by fixing the problems.

MLB Catchers -- highest career "caught stealing" percentage

Throwing out would-be base stealers is one of a catcher's most important jobs. In a previous blog post I ranked the 21 best catchers in MLB history, based on games caught, offensive statistics, and defensive statistics.  Below is how those 21 catchers rank according to their career "caught stealing" percentage. A quick release, strong arm, and the ability to make accurate throws are important for a catcher. Of course, having pitchers who can keep baserunners close helps. The era in which a catcher played can also be a factor, since base stealing was not as prominent in the 1940's as it was it the 1970's.

Career caught stealing percentage:

1)      57% - Roy Campanella

2)      56% - Gabby Hartnett

3)      49% - Yogi Berra

4)      47% - Bill Dickey, Ernie Lombardi

5)      46% - Ivan Rodriguez

6)      44% - Thurman Munson, Elston Howard, Ray Schalk

7)      43% - Johnny Bench

8)      41% - Jim Sundberg

9)      40% - Bob Boone, Rick Dempsey

10)  39% - Mickey Cochrane, Lance Parrish

11)  35% - Gary Carter, Brad Ausmus

12)  34% - Carlton Fisk, Ted Simmons

13)  28% - Jorge Posada

14)  23% - Mike Piazza


source for statistics: http://www.baseball-reference.com/

MLB baseball Power Rankings - April 1, 2014

MLB baseball Power Rankings - April 1, 2014. All MLB teams ranked from best to worst at the start of the season:

1)      Yankees

2)      Pirates

3)      Dodgers

4)      Indians

5)      Nationals

6)      Royals

7)      Rays

8)      A’s

9)      Reds

10)   Red Sox

11)   Cardinals

12)   Tigers

13)   Angels

14)   Braves

15)   Orioles

16)   Rangers

17)   Diamondbacks

18)   Giants

19)   Padres

20)   Brewers

21)   Rockies

22)   Blue Jays

23)   Mets

24)   Phillies

25)   Cubs

26)   Mariners

27)   Twins

28)   White Sox

29)   Marlins

30)   Astros

A job interview at Seton Hall University

My last job search article discussed an incident that happened on an interview with a company in the private sector, Goldman Sachs. But I had some odd experiences while interviewing for jobs at colleges. (Oh, and “universities.” Excuse me for that major oversight).

Once I went to an interview at Seton Hall University Law School, and met with a committee of four people. So when I walked into the room each person introduced himself or herself and held out their hand. I smiled as I gave each person a firm handshake.

Unfortunately I grimaced when I clasped the last woman’s hand. Her hand was greasy. She must have just smeared it with some sort of hand lotion, before I entered the room. Now my hand was covered with whatever this oily slime was. Afterward I wondered if this was her, or the committee’s way of trying to trip up a candidate. A stress test of some sort? A clever way to see how someone would react to adversity? Perhaps it was a signal that if I got the job I would have to “grease palms” in order to get ahead in the organization?

Or maybe the woman was just a moron. Even with all their degrees some people who work in higher education are pretty strange.

They asked me a couple of questions, the asked me if I had any questions. I asked one and had a few more prepared but one guy with an unkempt beard (must have been a sleazy lawyer before landing his cushy job at the law school) abruptly thanked me for coming and stood up.

Needless to say I didn’t shake anyone’s hand as I left. I didn’t bother to send a thank you note either. I decided I didn’t want the job. I guess some lawyers really are slimy, literally.

Donald Trump is right to not shake anyone’s hand. Smart man…

A job interview at Goldman Sachs

I’m sure lots of people have had strange experiences while searching for and interviewing for jobs. People who do the recruiting and interviewing of job candidates often have funny stories to tell.

 

Sometimes I wonder though, if other people looking for a job have had anything similar to mine.

Once I went on an interview for a job as a college recruiter, with Goldman Sachs. This particular office was in lower Manhattan. The director of college recruiting was a guy named Mike. At the start of the interview he mused, “There’s mostly women working in college recruiting.” Hmm, maybe this gives me an edge, I thought. He didn’t ask me any questions though. He just rambled on for a couple of minutes about Goldman Sachs. Suddenly, he looked past me (his office was surrounded by windows). He stood up, grabbed a stack of what look to be like tickets to a game or concert wrapped with elastic bands, and raced out the door. I turned around, but he had already fled down one of the hallways, disappearing from sight.

So I sat there for a few minutes, wondering what I should do. Wait until he comes back? Leave now? It started to dawn on me that I wasn’t going to get this job even if I stayed, so I was about to go when a girl named Kim walked in.

“Mike had to go, but I’ll finish the interview,” she said brightly. Then she proceeded to talk a little about the job. She didn’t ask me any questions, or ask if I had any questions about th position. She did talk at length about the bars in the area and how everyone in the department liked to go out for drinks after work.

After a few minutes she stood up and held out her hand. “It was nice to meet you,” she said. For some reason I said thank you, nice to meet you too, instead of saying what I really felt, which was, why did you even bother to call me in….

I’ve thought that maybe they didn’t like the way I looked. If that’s the case, and I’m sure some interviewers consider that above all else (although they would never admit it), why not ask for a picture? A photograph with the resume on the back. It would save us all a lot of time and money. By looks, I mean beyond the blue suit/white shirt/red tie/polished shoes/clean shaven appearance.

Who knows. Maybe this isn’t as ridiculous as some others’ experiences. It feels like it was a waste of time and energy. On the other hand it’s given me something to write about, so maybe it wasn’t a total loss. Stay tuned for upcoming stories about job search…

I hope the Yankees aren't boring this year...

While the Yankees didn't have a bad season last year, finishing 85-77, they were kind of a boring team. They had a few exciting moments, provided mostly by role players like Jayson Nix and Lyle Overbay, but for the most part watching them was somewhat dull.

This year's edition may be a little more exciting, if what's on paper translates onto the field. If Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner can stay healthy and each play at least 140 games, watching the Yanks might become fun again. Having Alfonso Soriano around for a full season should add pop to the lineup, and Carlos Beltran will add some offensive consistency (hopefully he won't look at many third strikes at the end of the game). Having Derek Jeter play a full season and hit like his old self - he has a career .312 batting average - will add some excitement. If Mark Teixeira's wrist is fully healed, having him in the lineup for 140 games will provide some punch and gives the team one of the best defensive first basemen in the majors. Teixeira usually makes one outstanding defensive play to save a hit every game.

Some people are comparing Brian McCann to Thurman Munson, but I don't think he's that good, although he is an upgrade offensively over what the Yankees had last year and can hold his own defensively.

I do think the starting pitching and bullpen will be better than what some are predicting, although it may not be enough to dominate teams like Boston and Tampa.  But if Tanaka makes the adjustment from Japan; if Pineda and Nova live up to their potential; and if Kuroda and Sabathia can each squeeze another above average season from their arms, the Yankees look to have a decent staff.  the bullpen, with Robertson, Kelley, Thornton, and pitchers that had pretty good years last year like Claiborne, Warren, Phelps, with someone like Nuno who has shown flashes, the bullpen ought to keep the team in most games.

Opening day is less than three weeks away, so we'll know soon if the 2014 Yankees are going to give us some excitement this spring, or if it's going to be a long, boring summer of baseball.

The best Catchers in Major League Baseball history

The position of catcher is the most demanding position in the sport, both physically and mentally. So to have a player who can sustain a high level of achievement at the position is rare. Below is a ranking of the top 21 Catchers in major league baseball history, based on both offensive and defensive statistics.

 

 

The best Catchers in major league baseball history:

 

21) Rick Dempsey:  A four-decade major leaguer, Dempsey had a .988 fielding percentage and threw out 40% of runners attempting to steal while catching 1,633 games from 1969-1992. He was the MVP of the 1983 World Series.

 

20) Ray Schalk: A member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Schalk caught 1,727 games from 1912-1929, with a .981 fielding percentage and 49% caught stealing rate, higher than the league averages at the time of .976 and 44%. 

 

19) Ted Simmons: An eight time All Star while catching 1,771 games from 1968-1988, Simmons had a fielding percentage of .987 and threw out 34% of runners, while batting .285 with 248 home runs and 1,389 RBI’s in his career.

 

18) Brad Ausmus:  Ausmus caught 1,998 games for four teams from 1993-2010, winning three Gold Gloves. His career fielding percentage was .994 and caught stealing rate was 35%.

 

17) Mike Piazza: A twelve time All Star, Piazza has a fielding percentage of .989 and threw out 23% of attempted basestealers while catching 1,630 games from 1992-2007, but his value lay in his bat. He has a career average of .308 with 427 home runs and 1,335 RBI’s.

 

16) Jorge Posada:  A five time All Star, Posada batted .273 with 275 homers and 1,065 RBI's, in 16 seasons. He caught 1,574 games with a .992 fielding percentage and a 28% caught stealing rate.

 

15) Elston Howard:  A nine time All Star and winner of the 1963 American League MVP award, Howard caught 1,138 games and had a fielding percentage of .993 and a 44% caught stealing rate.

 

14) Jim Sundberg: A three time All Star and winner of six Gold Gloves, Sundberg had a .993 fielding percentage and threw out 41% of runners attempting to steal, while catching 1,927 games from 1974-1989.

 

13) Bob Boone: Winner of seven Gold Gloves and a four time All Star, Boone caught 2,225 games from 1972-1990, with a .986 fielding percentage and caught stealing rate of 40%. He batted .311 in 36 post season games.

 

12) Lance Parrish:  Catching 1,818 games from 1977-1995, Parrish won three Gold Gloves and was named to 8 All Star teams. He had a fielding percentage of .991, and threw out 39% of attempted base stealers. Parrish also hit 324 home runs and drove in 1,070 runs.

 

11) Carlton Fisk: During a 24 year career Fisk caught 2,226 games with a fielding percentage of .988 while throwing out 34% of base stealers. He batted .269 with 376 home runs and 1,330 RBI’s.  Selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.

 

10) Thurman Munson:  Winner of the 1970 Rookie of the Year Award, and named the American League MVP in 1976, Munson was a seven time All Star selection and winner of three Gold Gloves. He threw out 44% of base runners attempting to steal, and  hit .373 and drove in 12 runs in 16 World Series games. Munson caught 1,278 games in eleven seasons.

 

9) Mickey Cochrane: A two time All Star, Cochrane was named American League MVP in 1928 and 1934. He has a career batting average of .320 with a .419 on-base percentage. He threw out 39% of basestealers while catching 1,421 games in 13 seasons. Selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947.

 

8) Gary Carter: Winner of three Gold Gloves and an eleven time All Star, Carter had a fielding percentage of .991 and caught 35% of attempted basestealers while catching 2,056 games in 20 seasons.  Selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003.

 

7) Ernie Lombardi: A seven time All Star and winner of the 1938 National League MVP award, Lombardi caught 1,544 games in 17 seasons. He had a .306 career batting average and threw out 47% of attempted base stealers. Selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986.

 

6) Gabby Hartnett: Catching 1,793 games in 20 seasons, Hartnett led the National League catchers in caught stealing percentage six times, with a career mark of 56%. A six time All Star, he had a career batting average of .297 and won the 1935 National League MVP award.  Selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955.

 

5) Roy Campanella: Named the National League MVP in 1951, 1953, and 1955, Campanella was named to eight All Star teams. He threw out 57% of basestealers while catching 1,183 games in 10 seasons. Selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969.

 

4) Bill Dickey:  An eleven time All Star, Dickey's threw out 47% of runners attempting to steal. In 17 years Dickey had a .313 batting average and caught 1,708 games, while contributing to seven Yankees’ world championships in the 1930's and early 1940's. Selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1954.

 

3) Ivan Rodriguez: A thirteen time Gold Glove winner and fourteen time All Star, Rodriguez won the 1999 American League MVP award.  Catching 2,427 games in 21 seasons, he threw out 46% of runners attempting to steal.

 

2) Johnny Bench: Winner of ten Gold Gloves and a fourteen time All Star, Bench won the National League MVP award in 1970 and 1972. Catching 1,742 games in 17 seasons, he threw out 43% of basestealers and had a .267 average, 389 home runs, and 1,376 RBI’s. Selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989.

 

1) Yogi Berra:  Selected to the All Star team 15 times, Berra won the American League MVP award in 1951, 1954, and 1955. He caught 1,699 games in 19 seasons and threw out 49% of basestealers to go along with a .285 career batting average, 358 home runs, and 1,430 RBI’s. Selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

 

 

 

source for statistics: www.baseball-reference.com

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The best Managers in New York Yankee history

The best ten managers in New York Yankee history:


10) Yogi Berra: In slightly more than two years as manager, Berra had a 192-148 record, for a .565 winning percentage. He led the team to the 1964 World Series, but was stuck with a middling team in 1984, when George Steinbrenner saddled him with mediocre players.

9) Clark Griffith: From 1903-1908 Griffith had a 419-370 record, a .531 winning percentage.

8) Buck Showalter: In 1995 Showalter led the Yankees to their first playoff appearance since 1981, a fourteen year drought. In four years at the helm he had a winning percentage of .539, with a 313-268 record.

7) Ralph Houk: Managing the team for 11 years, Houk led the Yankees as they went from the top of the baseball world in 1961 to its bottom depths in the late '60's and early '70's. He finished with a 944-806 record, a winning percentage of .539.

6) Joe Girardi: The Yanks have made the playoffs in four of Girardi's six years with the team. His record is  564-408, a .580 winning percentage, with one World Series title. Girardi has done a good job managing his pitching staff and bullpen.

5) Billy Martin: Taking five turns as manager, Martin ended up with a 556-385 record, a .591 winning percentage. The team won pennants under his helm in 1976 and 1977, taking the World Series title in '77.

4) Miller Huggins: With the game's best players in Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig on his roster, Huggins compiled a 1067-719 record, a .597 winning percentage, from 1918-1929. A monument at Yankee Stadium was erected in his honor.

3) Joe Torre: Torre led the Yanks to four world championships in 12 seasons, from 1996-2007. His 1173-767 record, a .605 winning percentage, demonstrates consistency while facing adversity as manager.

2) Casey Stengel: In 12 years from 1949-1960, Stengel won seven World Championships, plus three more American League pennants. His 1149-696 won-loss record gives him a winning percentage of .623.

1) Joe McCarthy: The longest tenured Yankee manager at 16 years, McCarthy holds the record for most wins as Yankee manager, and his 1460-867 regular season record gives him a winning percentage of .627, which is also tops among Yankee managers who were at the helm for more than one season. His teams won seven World Championships from 1931-1946.

source for statistics: www.baseballreference.com

New baseball book: The Perfect Game

THE PERFECT GAME is a novel for middle grade readers. It is about a twelve year old boy’s roller coaster experience while playing one season of organized baseball.

Joey Coltasanti, nicknamed “the professor” by his father, is ambivalent about playing his last year in summer league. A shortstop, he loves baseball and longs to realize his dream of making the town’s all-star team, and then winning enough games to advance to the state’s world series. However to reach this goal he must overcome his own anxiety that blocks his talent from shining through on the field.

Internal concerns are not the only obstacles in Joey’s path. He also has to deal with Mr. K, the coach of his team for the past two years. Mr. K uses sarcasm and intimidation with his players, as well as favoring his own son over Joey and his teammates. Added to the mix is Joey’s new neighbor and friend, twelve year old Mindi. A saxophone-playing member of Mensa, she is also a pitcher in the summer league who mows down opposing hitters with a blazing fastball and pinpoint control.

Joey decides to play, with events during early season contests testing his will to continue. Eventually a tumultuous game involving adults who can’t seem to grow up leads to changes in the league. A benevolent new coach arrives in town, and things begin to turn around for Joey and his underdog teammates. Eventually joining forces with Mindi on the all-star team, Joey moves closer to fulfilling his dream. Advancing to the state’s world series means finding innovative ways to win pressure packed games, which leads to Joey confronting his fears on the field. Ultimately he learns more about winning, losing, and the exciting game that is baseball.

 

THE PERFECT GAME by Christopher J is available in the Kindle Store at Amazon.com for 99 cents.

Who was the Yankees MVP in 2013?

In 2013 the New York Yankees finished tied with the Baltimore Orioles for third place in the American League Eastern Division with a 85-77 record. They managed to accomplish this with a roster of players consisting of a hodgepodge of journeymen, scrubs, and not-ready-for-prime-time minor leaguers, since many key players missed most of the season due to injuries. The extended absences of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and Curtis Granderson led to gaping holes in the team's lineup.

Manager Joe Girardi deserves some credit for keeping the Yanks in the race for much of the season. He handled the pitching staff well and squeezed enough out of the position players to enable the team to finish over .500 for the season.

General Manager Brian Cashman deserves zero credit, since all he did was throw stuff up against the wall and hope that it would stick. The minor league system, under Cashman's direction for the past seven years, provided practically no help during the season.

Vernon Wells and Travis Hafner contributed offensively during the month of April, helping to keep the Yanks above water early on. Unfortunately neither one provided much for the remainder of the season.

Granderson didn't provide his usual punch when he returned from injuries, batting .229 with seven homers and 15 RBI's in 61 games and 214 at-bats - numbers that don't translate well when projected over a 162 games season.

Eduardo Nunez didn't show much while filling in for Jeter at shortstop, with a .260 average, 3 home runs, 28 RBI's and 10 stolen bases in 90 games and 304 at-bats. His fielding average was .953, well below the league average of .973, and he was projected to cost the team 18 runs as a shortstop, according to zone fielding calculations.

So who were the top ten most valuable players for the Yankees in 2013?

10) Brett Gardner - Gardner was reliable, playing in 145 games, but stole only 24 bases with an average on-base percentage of .344, and wasn't as much of a sparkplug as had been hoped. In centerfield he cost the team 20 runs, according to one zone fielding statistic.

9) Jayson Nix - Nix actually came up with some key hits that led to Yankee victories, even though he played in only 87 games.

8) Lyle Overbay - Overbay also came up with some clutch hits in crucial situations, leading to Yankee wins. He hit 14 homers and drove in 59 runs.

7) Ivan Nova - Finishing 9-6 with a 3.10 ERA, Nova pitched well and kept the Yankees in the race in the summer.

6) Chris Stewart - Stewart handled the pitching staff well, and threw out 32% of runners attempting to steal.

5) Mariano Rivera - Most people would put Rivera higher on the list, but he blew seven saves - 92 wins would have landed the Yanks a playoff spot.

4) Hiroki Kuroda - Kuroda pitched well for most of the season, keeping the team in games.

3) Alfonso Soriano - Providing much needed pop in the lineup during the second half of the season, Soriano hit .256 with 17 home runs and 50 RBI's in only 219 at-bats.

2) David Robertson - Robertson had a great year as a set-up man, with a 2.04 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, .213 opponents’ batting average, and 77 strikeouts in 66 innings pitched.

1) Robinson Cano - While I think Cano is an over-rated player, statistically he had an outstanding year both offensively and defensively, accomplishing this with only average players around him. His .314 batting average, .383 on-base percentage, 27 home runs and 107 RBI's along with a .991 fielding percentage make him the Yankees' Most Valuable Player for the 2013 season.

 

 

 

 

source for statistics: http://www.baseball-reference.com/