Baseball History Thread

[OleMissCub]

random, but just came across this on twitter.

 

Maris (.260/.345/.822) had 275 HR, 850 RBI & 3 times exceeded 40% HOF vote; Murph (.265/.346/.815) had 398 HR, 1266 RBI & hasn't reached 24%.

 

Not saying Dale Murphy should get in because I don't think he should. I don't think he had the longevity that most voters want. He did have a hell of a peak though.

 

Murphy had a six year peak where he averaged .289/.382/.531/.913, 145 OPS+, 36 HR, 105 RBI, 110 runs, 18 SB, and won 5 gold gloves.

[J.R.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLArdyu2Tzo&feature=related

 

1972 - Pappas' perfect game-turned no-hitter.

 

This same user has thrown up a ton of great stuff from the 1970s. Can't believe MLB has let it go this long.

[erik316wttn]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLArdyu2Tzo&feature=related

 

1972 - Pappas' perfect game-turned no-hitter.

 

This same user has thrown up a ton of great stuff from the 1970s. Can't believe MLB has let it go this long.

 

That's a hell of a find. Thank you for that.

[CubmanPi]

I'm going through some Air Force reading material, and came across a couple paragraphs about former Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Gary Pfingston. In several AF biographies, though not on his wikipedia page, there is a one-line reference that he played minor league baseball before enlisting. I couldn't find anything in baseball reference, and based on the timeline in his wikipedia page, the 1961 season is the only possible time he could have played.

 

If he didn't make enough of a dent to appear on BR (they admit that brief stints with limited appearances could keep a player off their list), is there anywhere else I can look to find out who he played for?

[OleMissCub]

Not sure how long they've had this, but just noticed that Baseball-Reference has added a "Year-by-Year Top-Tens" category to their leader boards. Under each category there is a drop down bar that shows you how many time a particular player was in the top ten in that stat. For example, under Home Runs it says Aaron was in the top ten 15 different times. Only problem is that there is no way to differentiate between AL and NL top ten. Still, that's a great tool.

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/

[erik316wttn]

Trivia time, folks. No peeking! They're going to be difficult....

 

1) Who are the only two #1 overall draft picks to never play in a Major League game? Both were drafted by New York teams.

 

2) There is only one active Major League player who played on the last Pirates team to have a winning season. Who is he?

[NewUserName]

random, but just came across this on twitter.

 

Maris (.260/.345/.822) had 275 HR, 850 RBI & 3 times exceeded 40% HOF vote; Murph (.265/.346/.815) had 398 HR, 1266 RBI & hasn't reached 24%.

 

Not saying Dale Murphy should get in because I don't think he should. I don't think he had the longevity that most voters want. He did have a hell of a peak though.

 

Murphy had a six year peak where he averaged .289/.382/.531/.913, 145 OPS+, 36 HR, 105 RBI, 110 runs, 18 SB, and won 5 gold gloves.

 

My guess is that in 1984ish Future Hall of Famer was often used when talking about Dale Murphy. If I remember correctly he went from really great to really bad in 2 seasons.

 

As for the trivia I know the player who played for the winning Pirates and one of the overall #1s who didn't make it to the majors.

 

 

Tim Wakefield Brien Taylor(sp)

 

 

I looked it up and would have never gotten the other guy

[erik316wttn]

random, but just came across this on twitter.

 

Maris (.260/.345/.822) had 275 HR, 850 RBI & 3 times exceeded 40% HOF vote; Murph (.265/.346/.815) had 398 HR, 1266 RBI & hasn't reached 24%.

 

Not saying Dale Murphy should get in because I don't think he should. I don't think he had the longevity that most voters want. He did have a hell of a peak though.

 

Murphy had a six year peak where he averaged .289/.382/.531/.913, 145 OPS+, 36 HR, 105 RBI, 110 runs, 18 SB, and won 5 gold gloves.

 

My guess is that in 1984ish Future Hall of Famer was often used when talking about Dale Murphy. If I remember correctly he went from really great to really bad in 2 seasons.

 

As for the trivia I know the player who played for the winning Pirates and one of the overall #1s who didn't make it to the majors.

 

 

Tim Wakefield Brien Taylor(sp)

 

 

I looked it up and would have never gotten the other guy

 

Actually it's not Wakefield. He retired a few weeks ago. You did get the overall #1 right, though.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Actually it's not Wakefield. He retired a few weeks ago. You did get the overall #1 right, though.

 

Miguel Batista

 

[ConstableRabbit]

ESPN has a "Greatest Season Ever" bracket for hitters.

 

Some of the results so far have been pretty funny:

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/feature/sweetspot/2012/sweetspot

[OleMissCub]

ESPN has a "Greatest Season Ever" bracket for hitters.

 

Some of the results so far have been pretty funny:

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/feature/sweetspot/2012/sweetspot

 

Which results do you think stood out? A quick run through makes me think that the bracket stands right about where it should right now. Although I would have gone with Pujols 03 over Dimaggio 41.

 

Some of the seeding is silly too. Cobb's 1911 is a 12 seed? Other than Ruth's '21 season, there might not be a more 'video-gamish' stat line ever in baseball: 420/.467/.621, 47 doubles, 24 triples, 248 hits, 127 RBI, 147 Runs, 83 stolen bases.

 

The Gehrig v. Williams matchup right now is pretty damn tough. I went with Williams on account of his ability to put up those stats at such a young age.

 

It'll end up with Williams v. Ruth in the final and Ruth winning.

Edited March 7, 2012 by OleMissCub

[OleMissCub]

This was on my BR today. Didn't realize Young had such a low WAR

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/OleMissCub17/joyou.jpg

[ConstableRabbit]

ESPN has a "Greatest Season Ever" bracket for hitters.

 

Some of the results so far have been pretty funny:

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/feature/sweetspot/2012/sweetspot

 

Which results do you think stood out? A quick run through makes me think that the bracket stands right about where it should right now. Although I would have gone with Pujols 03 over Dimaggio 41.

 

Some of the seeding is silly too. Cobb's 1911 is a 12 seed? Other than Ruth's '21 season, there might not be a more 'video-gamish' stat line ever in baseball: 420/.467/.621, 47 doubles, 24 triples, 248 hits, 127 RBI, 147 Runs, 83 stolen bases.

 

The Gehrig v. Williams matchup right now is pretty damn tough. I went with Williams on account of his ability to put up those stats at such a young age.

 

It'll end up with Williams v. Ruth in the final and Ruth winning.

Ken Griffey's 1997 season over Bonds's 2001 stood out to me. Same with the aforementioned Pujols-Dimaggio matchup.

 

And yes, the seeding was weird to me.

[erik316wttn]

Actually it's not Wakefield. He retired a few weeks ago. You did get the overall #1 right, though.

 

Miguel Batista

 

You are correct, sir.

[TruffleShuffle]

random, but just came across this on twitter.

 

Maris (.260/.345/.822) had 275 HR, 850 RBI & 3 times exceeded 40% HOF vote; Murph (.265/.346/.815) had 398 HR, 1266 RBI & hasn't reached 24%.

 

Not saying Dale Murphy should get in because I don't think he should. I don't think he had the longevity that most voters want. He did have a hell of a peak though.

 

Murphy had a six year peak where he averaged .289/.382/.531/.913, 145 OPS+, 36 HR, 105 RBI, 110 runs, 18 SB, and won 5 gold gloves.

 

My guess is that in 1984ish Future Hall of Famer was often used when talking about Dale Murphy. If I remember correctly he went from really great to really bad in 2 seasons.

 

As for the trivia I know the player who played for the winning Pirates and one of the overall #1s who didn't make it to the majors.

 

 

Tim Wakefield Brien Taylor(sp)

 

 

I looked it up and would have never gotten the other guy

 

yeah i don't think anyone who isn't 80 years old with an encyclopedic knowledge of baseball history would get that one.

 

matt bush may actually avoid becoming #3 on that list - he had a solid year in relief with the rays, struck out a lot of batters and was added to their 40 man roster. he's very unlikely to be a star, but there's a decent chance that he gets a cup of coffee.

[Clem Fandango]

ESPN has a "Greatest Season Ever" bracket for hitters.

 

Some of the results so far have been pretty funny:

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/feature/sweetspot/2012/sweetspot

 

Which results do you think stood out? A quick run through makes me think that the bracket stands right about where it should right now. Although I would have gone with Pujols 03 over Dimaggio 41.

 

Some of the seeding is silly too. Cobb's 1911 is a 12 seed? Other than Ruth's '21 season, there might not be a more 'video-gamish' stat line ever in baseball: 420/.467/.621, 47 doubles, 24 triples, 248 hits, 127 RBI, 147 Runs, 83 stolen bases.

 

The Gehrig v. Williams matchup right now is pretty damn tough. I went with Williams on account of his ability to put up those stats at such a young age.

 

It'll end up with Williams v. Ruth in the final and Ruth winning.

Ken Griffey's 1997 season over Bonds's 2001 stood out to me. Same with the aforementioned Pujols-Dimaggio matchup.

 

And yes, the seeding was weird to me.

 

It appears to be seeded based on WAR. Griffey over Bonds was clearly because people hate Barry Bonds. We all know he he used roids and all that, but if you're supposed to go about things objectively, you can''t honestly believe Griffey's year was better than Bonds'. It's a spectacular season, but Bonds' 2001 was loony.

 

I wish Piazza's 1997 would've been put up against a lesser year. Mantles triple crown year was clearly better, but what Piazza did that year was remarkable, especially for a catcher.

[OleMissCub]

This is awesomeness from Bill Veeck: after the AL President voided Eddie Gaedel's contract on account of him being a midget, Veeck threatened to request an official ruling on whether Yankees shortstop and reigning MVP Phil Rizzuto was a short ballplayer or a tall midget.

[Benchwarmer]

This is awesomeness from Bill Veeck: after the AL President voided Eddie Gaedel's contract on account of him being a midget, Veeck threatened to request an official ruling on whether Yankees shortstop and reigning MVP Phil Rizzuto was a short ballplayer or a tall midget.

 

Bill Veeck was fabulous. He had his phone number listed for years in Chicago and people could him at home and talk. Imagine that today. I think on the Eddie Gaedel contract, which had to be approved by the league office. Veeck ignored the telegram telling him 'No' and stuck Gaedel in there anyway.

 

Brian Taylor was touted as the next Yankee 'HOF pitcher' and his Topps card was over-hyped. I picked up a couple packs in downtown Naperville and found 3 Brian Taylors. I gave one to a friend and told him that would pay for his son's college. Not so much, I guess.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

This is awesomeness from Bill Veeck: after the AL President voided Eddie Gaedel's contract on account of him being a midget, Veeck threatened to request an official ruling on whether Yankees shortstop and reigning MVP Phil Rizzuto was a short ballplayer or a tall midget.

 

Bill Veeck was fabulous. He had his phone number listed for years in Chicago and people could him at home and talk. Imagine that today. I think on the Eddie Gaedel contract, which had to be approved by the league office. Veeck ignored the telegram telling him 'No' and stuck Gaedel in there anyway.

 

Brian Taylor was touted as the next Yankee 'HOF pitcher' and his Topps card was over-hyped. I picked up a couple packs in downtown Naperville and found 3 Brian Taylors. I gave one to a friend and told him that would pay for his son's college. Not so much, I guess.

 

It always cracked me up that nobody thinking baseball cards had long-term value is what gave them long-term value. Then when people started saving them because of that value, it killed the value.

[rocket]

A few months ago my parents called me saying I needed to do something with my thousands and thousands of baseball cards that are still at their house. The only answer I could come up with was to throw them all away.

 

Thankfully, I don't think I'll regret that decision like a lot of people who grew up in the 50's.

[SouthSideRyan]

A few months ago my parents called me saying I needed to do something with my thousands and thousands of baseball cards that are still at their house. The only answer I could come up with was to throw them all away.

 

Thankfully, I don't think I'll regret that decision like a lot of people who grew up in the 50's.

 

You've made a terrible mistake.

[Benchwarmer]

A few months ago my parents called me saying I needed to do something with my thousands and thousands of baseball cards that are still at their house. The only answer I could come up with was to throw them all away.

 

Thankfully, I don't think I'll regret that decision like a lot of people who grew up in the 50's.

 

You've made a terrible mistake.

 

Agreed, you should keep them. They're already paid for and all. You never know when a trend will start again and they could be worth $$$. Look at vinyl records. I've saved my 'Pet Sounds' and other albums.

 

I think what hurt the baseball card market is the influx of other companies who simply milked it dry by flooding it. They subdivided into so many different categories, they drove prices down. I have 6 of the famous Billy Ripken 'f**k face on the knob of the bat' card, only because an Orioles friend got so many in Baltimore. Topps was King, but now I don't know where they rank. They put out a coffee table book years ago with all their cards from the beginning. Very cool to see some of the all time greats.

[rocket]

I should add I have a few binders with me that has my favorite cards as a kid in it (200 Will Clarks!), and a couple complete sets. I have no desire to go through 5,000 1993 Fleer Delino Deshields though.

[Clem Fandango]

A few months ago my parents called me saying I needed to do something with my thousands and thousands of baseball cards that are still at their house. The only answer I could come up with was to throw them all away.

 

Thankfully, I don't think I'll regret that decision like a lot of people who grew up in the 50's.

 

You've made a terrible mistake.

 

Agreed, you should keep them. They're already paid for and all. You never know when a trend will start again and they could be worth $$$. Look at vinyl records. I've saved my 'Pet Sounds' and other albums.

 

I think what hurt the baseball card market is the influx of other companies who simply milked it dry by flooding it. They subdivided into so many different categories, they drove prices down. I have 6 of the famous Billy Ripken 'f**k face on the knob of the bat' card, only because an Orioles friend got so many in Baltimore. Topps was King, but now I don't know where they rank. They put out a coffee table book years ago with all their cards from the beginning. Very cool to see some of the all time greats.

 

What killed the sports card market wasn't an influx of other companies, it was the 80's when cards from the 50s and 60s started to become valuable, so more people wanted in, so Topps, Donruss, etc. started mass producing all their card sets. Each set had about 800 cards in it, and you could buy the entire thing for about $20. They mass produced millions upon millions of cards. The only cards that are worth anything in that era are the rookie cards of elite ballplayers (specific rookie cards, not any old rookie card) or error cards (Frank Thomas' No-Name-On-Front Topps rookie card or the infamous Billy Ripken [expletive] Face card, for example).

 

Then they started producing insert cards, which were more difficult to obtain, and as such, more valuable. It wasn't until they realized they were overflooding the market with a mass quantity of cards that they started making a limited release, which is why cards today are so expensive. Full common sets are still there, but no one really wants them. The specialty sets all have limited runs, which makes cards even more valuable.

 

I pulled a card out of Topps Triple threads that had 6 pieces of Ty Cobb's bat in it (or one piece layered under a 6-piece cutout). It was one of 200 cards. I thought "I'm putting this in a safety deposit box" but the price guide said it was only valued at $200. Why would a card that has pieces of Ty Cobbs bat, where only 200 are made, be valued at only $200? Because there were only 200 made of that particular card in that color (Brown). there were 150 made in purple, 100 in blue, 75 in red, 50 in green, 25 in yellow, and so on and so forth. all in all there were probably closer to 750 cards.

 

And the reality is there's gonna be more cards with pieces of his bat in it later in life. It wasn't entirely unique. I sold it for $150.

 

They also have signature cards now, lots of autographs out there... but what they mostly do is send packs of stickers to ball players and they sign each sticker then they stick them on the card, so they'e not actually signing the card. They've figured out how to mass produce their value, is what it amounts to. And with the advent of grading scores, it makes cards even more valuable. a Ken Griffey Jr Upper Deck rookie card, without grading comes in at about $60-$80 (haven't checked in a while). I've seen them go with a perfect 10 grading for as high as $2,000

 

It's no longer a kids hobby. It's expensive as [rackum frackum]

[Benchwarmer]

Kinda said that already. Topps had a monopoly on the market until the late 70's and Fleer, Donruss, etc.. jumped in. There's not a better smell to take you back to your childhood than Topps cards w/Bazooka bubblegum.

 

Speaking of collectibles..I think there was an old SNL bit of a guy goes into a store and asks:

 

"Do you have Moses' burning bush?"

 

"Signed or unsigned?"

 

"Signed."

 

"Come back tomorrow."