HtP Weekend Editor Wows Senior Center
PLUS: AARON JUDGE SEEKS MVP THREE-PEAT PLUS FIRST TRIPLE CROWN
Pregame Pepper
Justin Verlander took $15 million from the Giants and has yet to win a game . . .
The last Giants player to reach 30 home runs was Barry Bonds in 2004 . . .
Five Giants first basemen in the Hall of Fame: Orlando Cepeda, Willie McCovey, Johnny Mize, Bill Terry, and George “Highpockets” Kelly . . .
Surprise, surprise: Lance McCullers, Jr. is on the Houston injured list again . . .
Also idled at the moment is Tylor McGill, the surprise strikeout leader of the under-rated Mets pitching rotation . . .
Back soon: switch-hitting outfielder Jurickson Profar, recipient of a three-year, $42 million Atlanta contract, returns from an 80-game PEDs suspension July 2 . . .
Thanks to interleague play, which launched in 1997, the defending MVPs in both leagues homered in the first inning of the same game for the first time (thank you, Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge) . . .
Though his number is retired, Jerry Koosman has more losses than any other Mets pitcher . . .
Contact hitter Jacob Wilson of the Athletics is the front-runner for American League Rookie of the Year . . .
After his 44-homer season for the Orioles brought him a megabucks pact (five years at $92.5 million) from the Blue Jays, Anthony Santander hit .188 over the first two months this year . . .
Pittsburgh made a major faux pas when it replaced a Roberto Clemente tribute at PNC Park with an ad for an alcoholic beverage – a decision that had to be reversed after a rebellion by fans.
Leading Off
Dan Schlossberg’s Book Talk Makes Big Hit
By Paul Semendinger
Last week I attended a great author's talk in Fair Lawn, New Jersey given by the always wonderful Dan Schlossberg, who was speaking about his most recent book The New Baseball Bible.
As always, Dan brought his "A-Game," entertaining and educating the audience with many tales about baseball, its history, the players, and more.
Dan began the presentation by reminding the audience of The Sporting News which, at one time, was called “the bible of baseball.” Dan explained that his book honors the spirit of the great old publication with its subtitle.
He then went on to tell stories about such greats as Walter Johnson, Shohei Ohtani, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Josh Gibson, and more. Dan shared baseball tales about the Major Leagues, the minor leagues, the Women's Professional Baseball League, and the Negro Leagues. He told stories about the players, their accomplishments, the World Series, when the Giants and Dodgers left New York, and so much more.
What was remarkable was that Dan told all of these stories and related all of this history without any notes. He knew all of this, by heart. (And I use the words "by heart" because whenever someone talks with Dan, it becomes very clear that he absolutely loves baseball.) Dan also entertained questions from the audience and was able to answer all of the questions, as well, without needing to refer to any notes. The man knows this game.
While I was there, I began to read through The New Baseball Bible. What a book! This text, which took Dan over three years to complete, is one of the most comprehensive, and fun, baseball books I have ever read. The book is full of baseball anecdotes, statistics, photographs (many taken by Dan himself), and humor. It is a treasure trove of information that belongs in everyone's baseball library.
At the conclusion of Dan's great presentation, he had opportunities to meet the audience and sign copies of this book. To a person, a great (and educational) time was had by all.
Dr. Paul Semendinger was an educational administrator for over 25 years. Paul serves as an adjunct professor at Ramapo College and still plays baseball. On Father's Day he raised his record to 3-0 after pitching five solid innings. The Yankees might want to consider giving him a call real soon. He can help them reach and win the World Series.
Cleaning Up
Aaron Judge Could Add Triple Crown To MVP Trophy Shelf
By Dan Schlossberg
Maybe he should be named Hank Aaron Judge.
He leads the baseball world — or at least the American League — in just about everything, including batting, slugging, on-base percentage, and a myriad of other hitting categories.
If not for Cal Raleigh, star catcher of the Seattle Mariners and sudden slugger, Judge would be leading in home runs too. By season’s end, he probably will be, since playing half his schedule with Yankee Stadium’s short right-field porch is a definite help.
While it’s true Judge would be even more devastating if he batted left-handed, he’s so strong that a plethora of his powerful pokes go to the opposite field.
At age 33, the 6-7, 282-pound California native is a lock to win his third MVP trophy in four years and second in succession. He’s also certain to go to the All-Star Game for the seventh time.
No one has won the Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera in 2012. Before that, we have to go all the way back to Carl Yastrzemski, driving force behind Boston’s Impossible Dream pennant drive of 1967.
In the National League, nobody has won a Triple Crown since Joe Medwick of the 1937 St. Louis Cardinals.
That’s right: Aaron, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Frank Robinson, and so many others never led their league in home runs, batting average, and runs batted in simultaneously.
It seems winning a Triple Crown is harder than deciphering a butterfly ballot.
For Judge, however, his ability to make contact sets him apart from teammate Giancarlo Stanton and other long-ball practitioners. And he’s making better contact this year than ever before.
He hit a career-best .322 last year but that trailed Bobby Witt, Jr. by 10 points and was one point behind runner-up Vladimir Guerrero.
This year, he flirted with .400 for the first two months but is currently carrying an average of .366 — light-years ahead of his opposition in the batting title chase.
No wonder he usually bats second in Aaron Boone’s lineup. Getting him up in the first inning is vital to the success of the first-place team in manufacturing immediate leads.
Judge is simply the second coming of Mickey Mantle, a rare slugger who makes contact and is capable of beating the opposition in so many different ways.
And Mantle, not surprisingly, won a Triple Crown. So did earlier Yankee hero Lou Gehrig.
Judge may not have enough years left to threaten the lifetime home run records owned by Barry Bonds, who hit 762 with alleged artificial assistance, and Hank Aaron, whose 755 were achieved with sheer talent.
The strong-armed Yankees rightfielder already owns the American League single-season record of 62 and is always a threat to create a new one.
He is also a threat to carry the Yanks to their first world championship since 2009.
It will be fun to watch.
HtP weekend editor Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ covers baseball for forbes.com, Sports Collectors Digest, USA TODAY Sports Weekly, Memories & Dreams, and other outlets. He’s also the author of 43 books. Email him at ballauthor@gmail.com.
Timeless Trivia: Late-Starting Rookies Of The Year
Could this year’s top rookies still be lurking in the minors?
Baseball history shows numerous players who won Rookie of the Year awards despite mid-season recalls . . .
Willie McCovey launched his Hall of Fame career on July 30, 1959 with a 4-for-4 outburst against a fading Robin Roberts, then went on to hit .354 with 13 homers in 52 games for the Giants . . .
McCovey’s 219 plate appearances were the fewest ever recorded by a Rookie of the Year winner but he still won the trophy by unanimous vote . . .
Bob Horner (1978), Ryan Howard (2005), and Yordan Alvarez (2019) also won the honor after arriving in the middle of the season . . .
Can the Red Sox trio of Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Mayer follow suit in the American League? Or maybe just-promoted Kaycee clouter Jac Caglianone? . . .
In the National League, lefty-hitting catcher Drake Baldwin of the Braves has his sights on the award even though he’s fighting for playing time behind veteran Sean Murphy.
Know Your Editors
HERE’S THE PITCH is published daily except Sundays and holidays. Benjamin Chase [gopherben@gmail.com] handles the Monday issue with Dan Freedman [dfreedman@lionsgate.com] editing Tuesday and Jeff Kallman [easyace1955@outlook.com] at the helm Wednesday and Thursday. Original editor Dan Schlossberg [ballauthor@gmail.com], does the weekend editions on Friday and Saturday. Former editor Elizabeth Muratore [nymfan97@gmail.com] is now co-director [with Benjamin Chase and Jonathan Becker] of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America, which publishes this newsletter and the annual ACTA book of the same name. Readers are encouraged to contribute comments, articles, and letters to the editor. HtP reserves the right to edit for brevity, clarity, and good taste.
Trevor is a reliever on different team. Tylor is Mets starter (brothers)