Major League Baseball thread

[bigtrain45]

Maybe Ohtani picked the Angels so he can spend his off-days at Disneyland. Stanton to the Yankees makes me wonder who Jeter is really working for. How could anyone think the Marlins franchise is worth $1.2 billion? They don't draw, they don't own the stadium, and they are going to suck for at least the next few years, while Washington dominates the division and the Phillies, Mets, and Braves rebuild, with much sharper minds making their decisions.

[Arturo2nd]

Originally Posted by tsunamiSD

Back in the early 1980s I was talked into helping one of my father's friends coach a Little League team. In preparation, I took a short course from the San Diego School of Baseball. Among the instructors were Tony Gwynn (outfield play), Ned Yost (catching), Randy Jones (pitching) and Alan Trammell (infield). What are the chances that two of the few players who spent their entire careers with one team would be on a staff like that? Bob Cluck (who ran the school) sure knew how to pick them.

It's good to see that he made it into the Hall of Fame, even if he wasn't directly voted in.

Trammell Gets His Call to Hall



****

On another note, it's a bummer that Shohei Ohtani didn't select the Padres...

Padres turned down by Shohei Ohtani



I wonder what that 'connection' is?

That was quite a faculty you had. Bob Cluck is one of those baseball lifers that keeps the game going behind the scenes. Thanks for bringing him up in this thread.

It is too bad the writers screwed up and failed to put Alan Trammell in the hall. IMO that was a great injustice. On the other hand, Jack Morris does not seem to really deserve induction, but worse selections have been made.

Ohtani's connection to the Angels likely comes from two factors. 1) As an AL team, the Angels can DH him on the days he is not pitching. NL teams were always a bit of a reach. 2) the Angels have the most "international slot" money, which I gather means they can pay him more than anyone else. West Coast teams always have an advantage with Asian players, because those cities have large communities of Asian immigrants to ease homesickness and the discomfort of living in a foreign culture.

[tsunamiSD]

MLB has announced the 2018 Hall of Fame class, there were 4 of them (too bad it wasn't 5 - guess some still don't want to add any players who were mostly DHs.)

It took two years longer than it should have, but Trevor Hoffman has made it.

The others voted in are:

Chipper Jones
Vladimir Guerrero
Jim Thome

They were announced in that order, with Trevor last. Don't know if that reflects the number of votes received or not>

[tygrkhat40]

Electees are announced in order of votes received. And don't forget the two veteran's selections, Jack Morris and Alan Trammell.

[tsunamiSD]

San Diego Union-Tribune had a lot of nice coverage in this morning's edition:


Trevor Hoffman Elected to the Hall of Fame


Trevor's Time is also San Diego's Time


Trevor's call included lots of chest-puffing Padres on the line


Trevor was key to team's chemistry – on and off the field


Trevor Hoffman career timeline, statistics, numbers, and 'Hells Bells'


*****


Here are a couple of YouTube vids (there are well over a hundred) on his game intros:


from Major League Baseball: Trevor Hoffman records his 479th career save

From a fan: Trevor Time



..

[Arturo2nd]

No doubt Trevor Hoffman would have racked up even more saves if the Padres had better general managers.

[Faceman675]

I grew up in LA. The first real sporting event I remember watching as a child was the 77 World Series. After watching the Yankees beat my Dodgers I quickly developed a hatred for the Yankees and became a Red Sox fan as well as a Yankee hater.

In 78 I ran home from school just in time to see that little shit Bucky Dent hit the homerun to beat the Red Sox. They went on to win the ALCS and beat my Dodgers for the second year in a row in The Series.

In 76 my parents bought their first home in Sunland CA. The kids in that neighborhood were all a year or 2 older than me. They were all Angels fans which led me to be an Angels fan as well as the Dodgers and the Sox. When they play each other I usually root for the team that needs the win the most

[Arturo2nd]

Originally Posted by Faceman675

I grew up in LA.

They were all Angels fans which led me to be an Angels fan as well as the Dodgers and the Sox. When they play each other I usually root for the team that needs the win the most

You need to move north and become a Giants fan to be saved. Following the A's is optional. Not all of us are geared to becoming self-flagellants.

[Ennath]

I'm the enemy. A Yankee fan who doesn't care for any of the California teams (though not as much as I loathe the Red Sox). Bucky Dent's homer remains one of my favorite baseball memories, coming as it did after that great comeback from 14 1/2 games back.

[Arturo2nd]

Originally Posted by Ennath

I'm the enemy. A Yankee fan who doesn't care for any of the California teams (though not as much as I loathe the Red Sox). Bucky Dent's homer remains one of my favorite baseball memories, coming as it did after that great comeback from 14 1/2 games back.

Oh, you are not the enemy. You are a Yankee fan. I live in the Bay Area and became a Giants fan at the age of 9, when they moved here in 1958. I follow the A's, but do not live and die with them.

I'm just teasing Faceman675 and understand that where he grew up determined his loyalty. It is like my friend Jeff who grew up in SoCal and knows the entire 1958 Dodger roster. It is really remarkable that we have space for anything else with all the baseball stuff in our heads.

Despite the Giant fandom, those of us who grew up in the Fifties and early 1960s have nothing but admiration for Mantle, Berra, Stengel, et al. So many Yankee legends were from here: Billy Martin, Gil McDougald, Joe Dimaggio, Frank Crosetti, Lefty Gomez, Tony Lazzeri. And who cannot but wonder at Ruth and Gehrig.

It does bother me that Steinbrenner's kids seem to think that their dad is more important than the players and managers that created the Yankee legend long before he bought the team. "The Boss" never came close to the ownership tenures of Ruppert, Topping, and Webb in terms of sustained dominance..