HtP Writer Reports From 2023 London Series
PLUS: IDEAS SUGGESTED IN 1989 COLUMN HAVE TAKEN ROOT IN MLB
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Pregame Pepper
Did you know…
Entering this weekend, the 2023 Braves are hitting .271 with a .488 on-base percentage and are on pace for 898 runs, 1,505 hits and 299 homers (only the 2019 Yankees and Twins have ever had at least 300 in a season) . . .
With 26 at the half-way mark, Matt Olson is not only gunning for his first home run crown but also for the Braves franchise single-season home run record of 51, hit by Hall of Fame contender Andruw Jones in 2005 . . .
Runs scored in the first inning this season (entering play Thursday): Ronald Acuña, Jr. 27, Miami Marlins 25, New York Mets 22 . . .
Mazel tov to Domingo Germán, who retired 27 in a row for MLB’s 24th perfect game: 11-0 win for the Yankees over the pathetic Athletics in Oakland. He needed just 99 pitches — 72 of them strikes — and struck out nine to finish the first perfect game since Felix Hernandez of Seattle in 2012. It was also the first no-hitter by anyone in 2023. The amazing factor: it comes one start after Germán allowed 10 runs against the Mariners in 3.1 innings . . .
The 1.34 ERA posted by 20-year-old Miami’s Eury Perez, a 6’8” right-hander who made his major-league debut May 12, is the best by anyone in his first nine starts (minimum 40 innings) since Steve Rogers’ 1.20 in 1973 . . .
Fellow rookie Elly de la Cruz was the first Reds player to hit for the cycle in 34 years . .
Alek Manoah, on the other hand, is going in the opposite direction, giving up 11 runs on 10 hits (including two home runs) in 2 2/3 innings in his first minor-league start since Toronto sent him down . . .
Seventeen former scouts aged 55-71 have filed an age discrimination suit in Denver’s U.S. District Court against Major League Baseball, the 30 teams, and Commissioner Rob Manfred . . .
The Yankees expect the imminent return of injured lefty starter Carlos Rodon, a free- agent signee who has yet to throw a pitch in pinstripes . . .
Injuries have decimated the Yankees outfield, which has lost Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Harrison Bader, Greg Allen, Willie Calhoun, and Franchy Cordero for significant stretches at various times this season . . .
Cardinals pitchers Jack Flaherty, Jordan Montgomery, and Jordan Hicks could all be on the trading bloc before the Aug. 1 deadline . . .
Highly-respected Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell could be the most sought-after free agent this fall.
Leading Off
MLB World Tour 2023: London Series
Story and photos by Bill Pearch
Two franchises with rich histories dating back to the 19th century, the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, added a new chapter to their storied rivalry last week in jolly old England. Hoping to capitalize upon the excitement generated during the 2019 MLB London Series, a two-game set between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, the Cubs and Cardinals provided the logical encore to grow baseball’s reach into international markets.
Since the Chicago-St. Louis baseball rivalry officially dates back to 1892, the tagline “Old Rivalry, New Ground” seemed appropriate. While the Cubs can claim more regular-season wins (1,261) during head-to-head play, the Cardinals can claim more World Series titles (11).
“What struck me is that MLB is honoring these great rivalries,” said Chad Kahl, Cardinals fan and co-chair of the Society for American Baseball Research’s Central Illinois chapter. “While spirited, the Cardinals and Cubs fans have a respectful one, so it was fun to see a big turnout of fans of both teams. I was also impressed with how many fans of other teams were present.”
Initially scheduled for 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the return of baseball to London for three seasons, but MLB picked up where they left off. London Stadium, formerly known as Olympic Stadium and the Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, was originally constructed for the 2012 Summer Olympics. During the Yankees-Red Sox series, the multi-purpose facility proved beneficial for offense as the two teams clubbed a combined 10 home runs. New York swept the two games, 17-13 and 12-8, respectively.
The extended break afforded MLB the opportunity to make alterations and improvements to the playing surface. For the Cubs-Cardinals series, the center field wall was pushed back seven feet deeper while the power alley depths were increased five feet. MLB officials stated that the altered dimensions were a result of facility modifications and not as a response to the 2019 power display that resulted in 50 runs for the two-game series.
MLB organized a free three-day fan festival, dubbed Trafalgar Square Takeover, to kick off the London Series. Fans braved warm temperatures and indulged in baseball-themed activities like pitching clinics and batting cages. Participants could sample ballpark food with unique Chicago and St. Louis twists. Of course there were long and winding lines to purchase official MLB merchandise. Any fans who were unable to secure tickets for the games could enjoy live broadcasts on a large screen in Trafalgar Square.
Following the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner and God Save the King, player introductions, and assorted pomp and circumstance, the public address announcer kindly reminded fans that any baseballs hit into the seats were theirs to keep.
On Saturday, the Cubs opened the two-game series and dominated the Cardinals, 9-1. Left fielder Ian Happ and shortstop Dansby Swanson set the tone. Happ finished the game batting 2-for-5 with two solo home runs. Swanson batted 2-for-3 and added a two-run homer in the ninth. Justin Steele pitched six solid innings allowing one earned run and fanning eight Cardinals.
Prior to Sunday’s game, thanks to several SABR connections, I met with a handful of UK-based baseball fans, most of whom root for the Los Angeles Dodgers. We exchanged typical baseball banter and discussed our passion for the game. We had an opportunity for a short meet-and-greet with Dodgers broadcaster Joe Davis who provided the play-by-play for FOX Sports’ coverage of Saturday’s game.
British baseball fans (left to right) Adam Legg, Tom O’Gorman, Bill Pearch, John Baxendale, Joe Davis and Ian Blease.
I asked the locals to share their initial assessment of the Cubs-Cardinals series compared with the Yankees-Red Sox. They believed that the 2019 crowds were primarily Americans living in the United Kingdom. In 2023, the crowds heavily consisted of Chicago and St. Louis fans who made the trek across the Atlantic Ocean. They even produced this fan-focused video after Saturday’s game.
My wife and I had tickets for Sunday’s game. Being a Cubs fan, I was eager for a sweep of the Cardinals, and at the conclusion of the first inning on Sunday, that seemed imminent after hanging a four-spot on the board. St. Louis took advantage of sloppy Chicago fielding and charged back with three runs in the bottom of the second. They continued to tack on runs with one in the third, two in the fourth and an insurance run in the fifth. Chicago made the score appear much closer when Nico Hoerner hit a sacrifice fly to score Nick Madrigal.
Overall, London Stadium was a wonderful venue for baseball. From my perspective, the ballpark was easily accessible by public transit and there wasn’t a bad seat in the house. My only quibble was that fans could not easily wander around the ballpark. Fans were somewhat restricted to their aisles. All concessions were located on the main level, so fans in the upper deck had to descend the stairs, make their purchases and return to their seats.
Of course, I could not visit London without hitting a few tourist destinations. My wife and I toured St. Paul’s Cathedral, grabbed lunch at the revitalized Battersea Power Station, and even crossed the iconic Abbey Road zebra crossing.
During the series, MLB announced that the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies will play in the London Series in 2024, then games will return in 2026.
Chad Kahl, who attended Saturday’s game, and I joked that we should have flipped tickets to see our favorite team’s win. But I asked him what he will take away from the series.
“My favorite moment of the London Series was seeing a kid in the concourse who was given a ball from the bullpen,” Kahl said. “He was absolutely glowing.”
Bill Pearch, a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, serves as secretary/newsletter editor for SABR’s Emil Rothe Chapter (Chicago). He has contributed to SABR’s publications about old Comiskey Park and the 1995 Atlanta Braves. He will have two game summaries in SABR’s upcoming publication, Ebbets Field: Great, Historic, and Memorable Games in Brooklyn’s Lost Ballpark. Follow him on Twitter: @billpearch
Extra Innings
Prior to the last week’s games in London, the Cubs and Cardinals played only one other regular-season game at a neutral site. On Saturday, October 15, 1892, the Cubs and Cardinals (then known as the Colts and Browns, respectively), played a game in Kansas City, Missouri. The following morning, the Chicago Tribune described the 1-0 Chicago win as “a stupid affair” and “the spectators sat through it as grim as professional mourners at a funeral.”
The two teams have only met once in the postseason, when the Cubs won the best-of-five 2015 National League Division Series, three games to one.
St. Louis Cardinals first baseman, Paul Goldschmidt, last year’s NL MVP, notched a unusual place in baseball history when he became the first major-leaguer to play a regular-season game in five different countries (United States, Australia, Canada, Mexico and England).
Cleaning Up
Ideas Expressed in Open Letter to Bart Giamatti Have Been Adopted
By Dan Schlossberg
Every once in awhile, it’s a good idea to look back in the archives of posts published in the past. Here’s one of mine from the February 1989 issue of Sports Fans Journal:
“Though Bart Giamatti begins his term as Baseball Commissioner on April Fool’s Day, his track record suggests he won’t repeat the foolish mistakes of his predecessors.
The former Yale University president faces formidable questions:
Preventing suspension of the 1990 season by owners’ lockout or players’ walkout
Orchestrating orderly expansion into cities most deserving of big-league baseball
Calming clamoring minority elements who threaten boycotts and demonstrations if they don’t receive more management positions
Maintaining fiscal sanity in free-agent signings by clubs that have lost three collusion cases
Restoring order in ballparks that have become hotbeds of rowdyism.
Donruss card produced in memory of Baseball Commissioner Bart Giamatti, whose five-month term ended abruptly when he died of a heart attack in 1989. That tall order almost seems too much a single individual to — pardon the football phrase — tackle. But Giamatti has a tough hide. He proved that when he waited out a 10-week strike by Yale employees and again when he slapped Pete Rose with a 30-game suspension for bumping umpire Dave Pallone.
If Bart can take the heat, here are some things we’d like to see him do:
Change the All-Star voting into a three-way system that gives fans one-third, the media one-third, and the players, coaches, and managers one-third. That way, fans still will have a stake in the selections but two-thirds of the vote will be weighted in favor of those who see baseball every day.
Pass an executive order that all ballparks must have sizable family sections where drinking and smoking are not permitted.
Eliminate roving beer vendors entirely.
Convince TV interests to broadcast October weekend games in daylight — even if they conflict with football.
Realign divisions by geographic lines (Atlanta and Cincinnati to the National League East and Chicago and St. Louis to the NL West, Milwaukee and Chicago in the same American League division, and more).
Ban Saturday night games (because there are no Sunday PM newspapers, games played on Saturday night receive little publicity).
Eliminate network exclusivity (thereby allowing local teams to compete with network baseball broadcasts, providing competition that would improve the quality of both).
Restore the old box score, showing position changes and pinch-hitting results.
Without baseball’s subsidy of The Sporting News until it increases its coverage of baseball and reduces the extensive play it now provides of other sports.
Dump the DH, phasing out AL use of the designated hitter gently so that players contracted to such jobs do not suffer immediate unemployment.
Even up the size of the leagues through gradual expansion to qualified cities, including Washington in the NL.”
Except for numbers 4, 6, 9, and 10 on the above list, all of these ideas have been adopted by Major League Baseball even though the cerebral Giamatti served only five months in office before suffering a fatal heart attack traced to his heavy smoking. And 7-for-11 is a good day in the ballpark, in 1989 or 34 years later.
Here’s The Pitch weekend editor Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ is promoting his newest published book [Baseball’s Memorable Misses] while writing his next [Home Run King: The Remarkable Record of Hank Aaron]. He’s also covering MLB for forbes.com, USA TODAY Sports Weekly, Sports Collectors Digest, Memories & Dreams, and other outlets. Contact him by e.mailing ballauthor@gmail.com.
Timeless Trivia
“He’s a young player who is learning and dealing with the challenges of being a major-league player and some of the frustrations that come with it.”
— Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash on 22-year-old shortstop Wander Franco
Hank Aaron, normally a corner outfielder, hit seven of his 755 home runs while playing second base . . .
He homered against 310 different pitchers, including 12 Hall of Famers, and made a successful late rush at Babe Ruth’s record with 245 home runs between the ages of 35 and 39 . . .
When Aaron became the second-youngest player with 1,000 hits, his victim was a young left-hander named Sandy Koufax . . .
Among his myriad of records, Aaron hit the most home runs in the first inning (124), the most in the month of July (152), and most against the Cincinnati Reds (97) . . .
He averaged just 63 strikeouts a year during his 23-year career, never fanning more than 97 times in a season, and was an All-Star 21 years in a row — all but the first and last of his 23-year career (there were two All-Star Games from 1959-62).
Know Your Editors
HERE’S THE PITCH is published daily except Sundays and holidays. Benjamin Chase [gopherben@gmail.com] handles Monday and Tuesday editions, Elizabeth Muratore [nymfan97@gmail.com] does Wednesday and Thursday, and Dan Schlossberg [ballauthor@gmail.com] edits the weekend editions on Friday and Saturday. Readers are encouraged to contribute comments, articles, and letters to the editor. HTP reserves the right to edit for brevity, clarity, and good taste.