Versatile Players Make Life Easier For Clubs
PLUS: TRYING TO FIND BRAVES WORTHY OF ATLANTA ALL-STAR ROSTER
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Editor Marks Anniversary
Sixty years ago today, on May 9, 1965, I set foot on a major-league field for the first time. Three days after my 17th birthday, I went to a one-year-old ballpark called Shea Stadium to see Bobby Bragan, manager of the Milwaukee Braves, for a pre-arranged column on sportsmanship for The Hilltop Star, the Passaic (NJ) High School newspaper. It was a glorious, sunny day, successful in every respect, and definitely noteworthy as the start of my baseball journalism career. Thanks to teacher Jerry Giblin, who drove me there, and to the New York Mets for providing the press passes.
Pregame Pepper
Did you know…
Winless in his first eight starts with San Francisco, Justin Verlander’s Quixotic quest for 300 wins diminishes by the day . . .
Blue-chip prospect Drake Baldwin, understudy to veteran catcher Sean Murphy in Atlanta, won last night’s 11-inning game against the Reds by nailing Adam Dunn with a bullet throw and singling home the winning run with two outs for his first walk-off hit . . .
With first baseman Triston Casas (knee surgery) out for the season, the Red Sox had hoped Rafael Devers, their long-time third baseman, would agree to play first but found him adamant in his reluctance . . .
Boston could reunite with Bobby Dalbec, just waived by the White Sox, or ex-Yankee Anthony Rizzo, who never found a taker in free agency because of his too-high asking price . . .
Corbin Burnes (D’backs) and Blake Snell (Dodgers), the two pitchers paid the most free-agent dollars by NL teams this past winter, are both languishing on the sidelines with injuries . . .
The bad bullpen of the St. Louis Cardinals has even rubbed off on erstwhile All-Star Ryan Helsley, whose 49 saves led the majors last season . . .
The Cards have not been the same — especially defensively — since the retirement of future Hall of Famer Yadier Molina . . .
Former MVP Ronald Acuña, Jr. [Braves] is on the verge of re-joining the Braves after his second torn ACL heals but younger brother Luisangel Acuña [Mets] is playing so well that he could follow in his footsteps as NL Rookie of the Year . . .
Yuli Gurriel and Jesse Chavez, both 41, have slipped out of the majors but could be back if they stay healthy . . .
Justin Verlander, 42, and Charlie Morton, 41, are both showing their age, while Max Scherzer hasn’t even able to do that so far this season.
Leading Off
Players Who Change Positions Prove Especially Valuable
By Dan Schlossberg
You can’t tell the players without a scorecard.
A month into the new baseball season, a surprising number of star players are showing up at unfamiliar positions.
Houston moved Jose Altuve from second base to left field. Detroit fared better in the field when it moved Javy Baez from the middle infield to the middle garden.
In addition, Pittsburgh placed strong-armed shortstop Oneil Cruz in center, the Astros got good results shifting rookie Cam Smith from third base to right field, and the Los Angeles Dodgers made Mookie Betts — a three-time Gold Glover in the outfield — their everyday shortstop.
Versatility has always been valued in baseball. In fact, Hank Greenberg of the Detroit Tigers won MVP awards as both a first baseman and a left-fielder, preceding a similar feat by Milwaukee’s Robin Yount, who moved from shortstop to center field.
Perhaps the most remarkable position change was performed by Babe Ruth, a strong left-handed pitcher who proved an even better left-handed hitter.
In 1918, he was still with the Boston Red Sox when he won his first home run crown — while playing 47 games in the outfield and 13 at first base. By the time he came to the Yankees in 1920, he was an everyday outfielder.
Pete Rose actually started All-Star games at five different positions — and set another record for versatility by playing at least 500 games at five different spots. Both are major-league records.
Rose played first, second, third, and both outfield corners in All-Star play, while Paul Molitor played every position but pitcher and catcher before concluding his career as a designated hitter. He moved from second to third and eventually DH but also played first base before hanging up his glove.
Molitor never won a regular-season MVP award but did win one for the 1993 World Series. By contrast, fellow infielder Ernie Banks went the other way, winning back-to-back National League MVP trophies in 1958-59 but never reaching the Fall Classic.
Banks was the best-hitting shortstop in baseball when the Chicago Cubs, concerned about too much wear-and-tear on his arms and legs, moved him to first base. But his best days were behind him by then.
Many shortstops make position changes — usually to third base. Recent examples were Alex Rodriguez, who could not displace Derek Jeter as Yankees shortstop, and Manny Machado, still going strong with the San Diego Padres. Even Cal Ripken, Jr., owner of records for fielding and durability, eventually shifted from short to third.
Because catching is the most physically demanding position, many backstops “rest” at first base or even the outfield. Yogi Berra, for example, was playing left field when Bill Mazeroski hit the first home run to end a World Series — helping Pittsburgh win Game 7 of the 1960 Fall Classic by a 10-9 score. The ball sailed over Berra’s head.
The Yankees often moved Yogi not only to keep his bat in the lineup but also to make room for Elston Howard, another star catcher.
When the Mets moved Mike Piazza years later, it was not only to retain his power in the lineup but also to remove his leaky defense behind the plate.
Years earlier, Joe Torre made a smooth move from catcher to third base with the St. Louis Cardinals. Johnny Bench, however, couldn’t handle a similar switch when the Cincinnati Reds tried it. Nor was Carlton Fisk competent as a slow-footed left-fielder.
Carl Yastrzemski came up as a second baseman but found stardom only after the Boston Red Sox decided he’d best be deployed as the heir to Ted Williams in left field.
Miguel Cabera, the last man to win a Triple Crown, started his career at third base was much more prolific at first. The same could be said of Harmon Killebrew and Steve Garvey.
And Dale Murphy, who broke in as a catcher before developing a case of the “yips,” won his back-to-back MVP awards only after Braves manager Bobby Cox moved him to center field.
In baseball, it’s obviously better to switch than fight — especially if it helps your team win.
Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ made his own major move when he gave up his IBM Selectric to learn the computer. A self-described techno-nerd, he has managed to write most of his 43 baseball books that way. Email him via ballauthor@gmail.com.
Cleaning Up
What Braves Will Play in Atlanta All-Star Game?
By Dan Schlossberg
The host team for the All-Star Game usually has a built-in advantage when rosters are selected.
The Atlanta Braves, this year’s host for the July 15 game, definitely do not have that advantage.
This year’s team started 0-7, then managed just three hits while dropping the finale of a three-game series to the hapless Rockies in Denver. The score was 2-1.
Maddening as it must be for manager Brian Snitker, new hitting coach Tim Hyers, and the team’s media and fans, these Braves just don’t hit. They even lost a 2-1 game at hitter-happy Coors Field, mustering a measly three hits against the hapless Rockies.
The Braves are basically the same team that tied a major-league record with 307 home runs in 2023, fell off the proverbial cliff last summer, and have hardly resurfaced.
The Matt Olson we see at first base today is not the same one who hit a club-record 54 home runs two years ago. Ozzie Albies, at second, and Austin Riley, at third, are also former All-Stars whose stars are tarnished, though Riley has started to pick up the pace.
Catcher Sean Murphy, who hit .193 last season, has delivered more than a half-dozen home runs but continues to hit for a low average, just above the notorious Mendoza Line.
Marcell Ozuna, the designated hitter, runs hot and cold, though he did lead the team with 39 home runs last season. This year, he leads only in walks — not bad but not great for a No. 3 hitter.
Jarred Kelenick has been sent back to the minors, Orlando Arcia to the bench, and Michael Harris II has shown only flashes of his immense potential.
Before Austin Riley’s recent awakening, the team’s best hitters so far were the newly-signed Alex Verdugo and journeymen Nick Allen and Eli White. Ouch!
Getting back to the All-Star selections, until his last start Chris Sale has been only a shell of the man who muscled his way to the Triple Crown of pitching in the National League last year. Spencer Schwellenbach and Grant Holmes have been erratic, while closer Raisel Iglesias has been maddeningly ineffective. A near no-hitter by AJ Smith-Shawver Monday night against the Reds has opened some eyes, however.
The Braves will be a lot better off with the return of erstwhile MVP Ronald Acuña, Jr. and strikeout pitcher Spencer Strider within the next few weeks but the team is trying to get by with the likes of recycled Eddie Rosario and shaky southpaw Aaron Bummer, the bearer of an unfortunate but appropriate surname.
Since league rules require every team to have at least one All-Star, Riley or Olson appear to be the front-runners. But there’s likely to be more need for a third baseman than a first baseman, so send Matt to the mat and hand the prize to Austin.
Unless, of course, Acuña and Strider pick up where they left off, play like crazy for six weeks, and force their way onto the NL roster.
The whole situation is sad for the franchise, which sent eight players to Seattle for the 2023 All-Star Game.
Two years is a long time in life but especially in baseball, with the 2025 Braves as living proof.
HtP weekend editor Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ is among the pundits who picked the Braves to run away with the NL East crown this year. Then again, he picked the Democrats to win the election. Dan’s email is ballauthor@gmail.com.
Timeless Trivia: Notes on Tarik, Max & More
Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers came out of nowhere to win the 2024 American League Cy Young Award . . .
Skubal, who also won the coveted Triple Crown of pitching, was only 19-27 with a 4.12 ERA before a 4-0 September 2023 showing that featured a 0.90 ERA, four walks in 30 innings, and the American League’s Pitcher of the Month award . . .
When he led the league in wins (18), strikeouts (228), and ERA (2.39) in 2024, he failed to win any Pitcher of the Month awards, according to historian Bill Deane . . .
Another AL pitcher, Max Scherzer of the Texas Rangers, had a lower winning percentage than his team for the first time in 15 years . . .
Zack Greinke did that for a record 16 straight seasons (2006-21), one more than Hall of Famer Grover Cleveland Alexander (1911-25) . . .
Of the 39 pitchers to win Rookie of the Year trophies, only Tom Seaver (1967) eventually reached Cooperstown.
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.