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Pregame Pepper
Did you know…
With all four of their plus-35 starters injured or idled, the New York Mets could be the most likely team to sign struggling southpaw Madison Bumgarner, the 33-year-old former World Series MVP designated for assignment by the Arizona Diamondbacks . .
Hard to believe nobody wants Jose Iglesias, a solid shortstop who hit .292 in 118 games for Colorado last year, or Andrelton Simmons, a four-time Gold Glover at the same position . . .
Cubs manager David Ross is taking heat for his handling of the bullpen this year . . .
Congratulations to news Cubs centerfielder Cody Bellinger, who recorded the first five-hit game of his career against the Athletics earlier this week. Continuing to show glimpses of his 2019 MVP form, he collected a hit in each of his plate appearances, notching a double and four singles to extend his hitting streak to seven games . . .
Yes, Brandon Nimmo of the Mets had a five-hit game a few days ago . . .
Entering play Friday, Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña, Jr. is on pace for 68 stolen bases . .
Unless the Angels catch fire, Shohei Ohtani will ride free agency into the sunset — and almost certainly find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Leading Off
Accepting the New Rules
By Ray Kuhn
Baseball is back, and oh man is it a great thing. Spring is here and we can rejoice in knowing that we have six months of exciting and nightly (for the most part) baseball action ahead of us.
While this is not exactly breaking news, this is my first time in this space since Opening Day, so why not focus on the positive.
Heading into the season, beyond all of the excitement and positive feelings about the new year, there was a lot of stress and drama associated with some new rule changes for 2023. Now that what we have three weeks of baseball under our belt, have things changed? Can we begin to look at things differently?
I will be honest here, that in the interest of full disclosure, I was not happy about these rule changes. Maybe that made me a cranky old man despite being, albeit barely, on the short side of 40, but so be it.
In many situations, I might not be the most open party when it comes to change and accepting it. When it comes to baseball, the bar for me is that much higher, and I was not pleased.
At this point though, does it really matter? Was all of that frustration even worth it or was it a waste of time?
I want to be clear about something though as this is not about statistics. In 2023, especially when it comes to baseball, that seems like a pretty wild and crazy thing to say, but sometimes they can be misleading and crippling.
Numbers to me are very exciting, and they play a large part in my baseball fandom, but sometimes I just want to take a step away from them. In fact, one of these rule changes was designed with that in mind, but in some cases, there is something about just sitting back and enjoying baseball. We do not also always need to dissect every angle of the game from a statistical standpoint to appreciate and enjoy it.
Yes, the bases are bigger. Yes, pick-off throws are limited. Yes, there are now limitations on shifts. Yes, there is a pitch clock
No, I did not want these changes to take place.
However, guess what, it does not matter. Baseball is still great, and other than when it is talked about on a broadcast, when you happen to glance at the clock, or you see an automatic ball or strike applied, you would never know. I will allow that at times, such as the game Cody Bellinger had an automated strike called against him, it can be annoying.
Sure, it is obvious that there are more hits by left-handed pull hitters, the fielders are lining up differently and there are more stolen bases, but did those things really change the game?
You can take any stance you want on the length of games, and when attending games live you do not want the fun to go by too fast, but other than that, I do not know that any of that matters.
The game of baseball is still great, and the complexion of the action on the field has not really changed. If anything, eliminating the shift has been a good thing as the action feels more natural, but that is about it.
I know that there are plenty of stats and metrics out there that can quantify these arguments, but ultimately there are always numbers to be found that can support your viewpoint on either side of things.
There is plenty of negative out there in the world, and we should not let this be one more thing. Let us all just embrace the fact that we have another season of baseball in front of us.
Ray Kuhn can be found writing on Fantasy Alarm and podcasting at Friends With Fantasy Benefits after previously covering the Houston Astros as part of the FanSided network at Climbing Tal’s Hill. Reach him at @ray_kuhn_28 or raykuhn57@gmail.com as he is always interested in talking or writing about our great game.
Cleaning Up
First Yankee Stadium Would’ve Marked 100th Birthday This Week
By Dan Schlossberg
I’m old enough to remember the original Yankee Stadium, the one built in the Bronx with money generated by Babe Ruth’s first three explosive years as a Yankee.
I was there when Chris Chambliss hit a pennant-winning home run, there when Reggie Jackson hit three homers in a World Series game, and there when legends like Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, and Yogi Berra earned their pinstripes on the way to Cooperstown.
I remember riding in the press elevator with people like Henry Kissinger and George Steinbrenner. I even asked George whether he enjoyed his portrayal on Seinfeld and whether he ever filmed an episode himself.
“I’m a huge fan,” he said, “but I wound up on the cutting room floor.”
It was Steinbrenner who took over the media parking lot for one day after hearing reports of abuses. A writer drove up, pleaded his case, and said, “But I’m a good friend of George Steinbrenner’s!”
Maybe not so much after that event.
Many of my trips to the ballpark resulted from my friendship with late, great blind sportswriter Ed Lucas. I served as his sighted escort and was honored to do so. He knew everyone in the game and knew as much baseball trivia as I did. Plus his jokes were legendary.
The old ballpark is long gone but memories remain.
Built at a cost of $2.5 million — less than the average salary today — the stadium was renovated in 1974-75, years when the Yankees borrowed Shea Stadium from the Mets, and eventually demolished to make way for the “new” Yankee Stadium in 2009.
Fittingly, Ruth hit the first home run in the old ballpark as the Yankees beat the Red Sox, 4-1, on April 18, 1923. The crowd of 74,200 would have been bigger but fire marshals turned thousands away.
Players through the decades were amazed at the dimensions. Roy White, whose autobiography has just been published, came up in 1965 and was immediately dumb-struck at the 463-foot sign, posted on the wall to the left of the monuments, which were then in fair territory.
''It was like three blocks away,” he said of the distance from home plate. “You needed two relays to get it back to the infield.”
The old ballpark was the site of 11 no-hitters, including three perfect games. When it closed for good after the 2008 season, it had hosted 100 of 601 World Series games.
The original stadium’s birthday was feted before Tuesday night's game against the Los Angeles Angels — but at the current version on the other side of 161st St.
Former AP sportswriter Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ is working on a Hank Aaron tribute book, due next year, and is promoting Baseball’s Memorable Misses, published this spring. E.mail him at ballauthor@gmail.com.
Timeless Trivia
Signing pitchers to long-term contracts is usually a bad idea. Here are some reasons:
Barry Zito, a former Cy Young Award winner, went 43-61 with a 4.55 ERA after signing a seven-year, $126 million contract with San Francisco in 2007.
Lefty Mike Hampton proved to be a better hitter than pitcher for Colorado, signing for eight years and $121 million in 2001 but pitching so poorly that he was traded to Atlanta two years later and injured after two good years there.
Wayne Garland, the poster boy for bad-pitcher contracts, signed a 10-year, $2.3 million pact with Cleveland in 1977, then delivered a 28-48 mark and 4.50 ERA over five seasons before drawing his long-overdue release.
Denny Neagle, like Hampton a lefty lured to Colorado in 2001, got five years, $51 million, a year-long stay on the disabled list, and an arrest for soliciting a prostitute but at least had a 19-23 record and 5.57 ERA to show for his trouble.
Carl Pavano hurt his elbow shortly after signing with the Yankees for four years and $39.95 million in 2005. Idled all of 2006, he started nine times over the next two seasons combined, winning a total of nine games while his contract was in force.
The Yankees should avoid Japan like the plague after hitting bottom with pitchers Hideki Irabu (1997) and Kei Igawa (2007). The former threw righthanded but went only 31-25 and 5.10 during the four years of his $12.8 million deal, while the left-handed Igawa delivered almost nothing after the team spent $26 million on a posting fee and gave him $20 million more, spread over five dreadful years.
Know Your Editors
HERE’S THE PITCH is published daily except Sundays and holidays. Brian Harl [bchrom831@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.