Category: February

Feb 26: Spring games predictable?

FEBRUARY 26, 2021 | ARIZONA & FLORIDA – Baseball is stirring in spring training camps in Arizona and Florida. Fans are filled with nervous anticipation. Besides the routine questions, there’s one they’ve never had to ask in late February;  Will they be able to see their team play in-person?

Probably not.

But they’ll be paying attention to spring training games regardless, agonizing over a loss – even in Cactus and Grapefruit League play –  punching their fists in the air for a win, even if the venue is Fort Myers or Scottsdale.

The question is, do spring training won – loss records matter? If the ultimate goal is to win the World Series, let’s see how the last ten World Series champions did in the spring of that year, as compiled by baseball-reference:  

Season   World Series champ      Spring record/Details
2020        Los Angeles Dodgers        13-7: Best record in Cactus
2019        Washington National       17-12: 3rd best in Cactus
2018         Boston Red Sox                 22-9: Best in MLB
2017         Houston Astros                  15-15: 17th best in MLB
2016         Chicago Cubs                      11-19: Only Padres worse
2015         Kansas City Royals            20-10: Only A’s won more
2014         San Francisco Giants        8-15: 6th best in the Cactus
2013         Boston Red Sox                  17-17: 6th best in Grapefruit
2012         San Francisco Giants        18-15 5th best in Cactus
2011         St Louis Cardinals             14-16: 19 teams did better

Most teams play around .500 ball in the spring. Then you have the Red Sox who out-did everyone in the spring of 2018, kept it going into the regular season culminating into a World Series championship. Don’t forget the 2016 Cubs who staggered out of Arizona with the second worst record in the Cactus League. That fall they won their first World Series in over 100 years.

Contributing sources:
MLB Spring Training won/loss records

 

 

 

 

 

 

FEB 25: LESSON LEARNED?

TODAY-IN-BASEBALL TAKES US BACK TO FEBRUARY 25, 1973, NEW YORK, NY.

Maybe major league baseball players and owners learned their lesson. There were eight work stoppages from 1972 to 1995, a span of 23 years. There have been none since – a span of 25 years.

It could be because the last work stoppage, which started in 1994, almost destroyed the game. It wiped out the entire post season, including the World Series.

Players and owners alike knew fans were becoming disenchanted, or worse, indifferent, to the annual spring labor rituals.

There was good news on this date in 1973. The players’ union and team owners announced a new three-year agreement ending a lockout by the owners at the start of spring training. The ‘73 agreement instituted what has become as common as the hit & run – arbitration. After so many years in the league a player who couldn’t agree on a salary with his team could take the issue to arbitration.

Everyone was relieved with the ’73 agreement. Players and owners alike knew fans were becoming disenchanted, or worse, indifferent, to the annual spring labor rituals. Besides 1972 and 1973, there were work stoppages in 1980, 1981, 1985, 1990 and the devastating strike in 1994-95. Since 1995 – harmony. Knock on wood.

Contributing sources:
Herschel Nissenson, Associated Press (AP), The Gettysburg Times, February 26, 1973
“Pro Sports Lockouts and Strikes Fast Facts,” CNN, May 30, 2016

A STORY FROM FEB 24 IN BASEBALL HISTORY – Tony C gone too soon

“TODAY IN BASEBALL” TAKES US BACK TO BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS FEBRUARY 24, 1990. A life of such promise ended sadly at 4:30 in the afternoon on this date in 1990. Tony Conigliaro, the youngest American League player to hit 100 home runs, died of pneumonia at the age of 45. Tony C – gone too soon [also see FEB 7th story].

The turning point in Conigliaro’s life was 23 years earlier. At the time he was on top of the world. That all changed on the night of August 18, 1967. While playing for the Boston Red Sox, Conigliaro wasn’t able to get out of the way of an inside fastball from Jack Hamilton of the California Angels. The ball hit him on the left side of his face nearly blinding him. He was out of baseball for over a year.

Conigliaro made a promising recovery in 1969. His blurred and double vision appeared to have cleared up. He hit 20 home runs and drove in 82. In 1970 he had the best year of his career – 36 home runs and 116 RBI, but by ’71 his vision had deteriorated again. He wasn’t able to play in ’72, ’73 or ’74. After an unsuccessful attempt at a comeback in 1975 he retired for good. He was 30.

A legacy of Tony Conigliaro’s beaning was players starting wearing helmets with flaps on the left side for right-handed hitters and the right side for left-handed hitters. Today such helmets are mandatory.

Contributing sources:
Associated Press (AP), Boston, Massachusetts, February 25, 1990
Tony Conigliaro

FEB 23-Dick Howser gave it all

TODAY IN BASEBALL TAKES US BACK TO FORT MYERS, FLORIDA ON FEBRUARY 23, 1987. Kansas City Royals manager Dick Howser gave it all he could, but on this date in 1987 was forced to tell his players they would have to go on without him. Howser had been diagnosed with brain cancer the previous summer. He underwent two unsuccessful operations to remove a malignant tumor.

Dick Howser guided the Royals to their only, up till that point, World Series championship in 1985.

Howser hadn’t filled out a lineup card since the 1986 all-star game. Observers noticed during that game that he didn’t seem as sharp as he normally was. It would be the last game Dick Howser ever managed.

Jump forward to this date in 1987. He put the uniform on for the first time since that all-star game just two days earlier. It was the first day of spring training. The uniform didn’t fit. He looked tired and weak. Two days later, according to the Associated Press (AP) he said, “It’s just that I need more time to rest. I can’t do it like this.” He didn’t get better. Howser died three months later, June 17, 1987.

Dick Howser guided the Royals to their only, up till that point, World Series championship in 1985. In five full seasons as a manager, and parts of three others, his teams never finished lower than second place.

Besides the Royals, he managed the New York Yankees for one full season and part of another. The Florida State University graduate had an eight-year playing career, winning the Rookie of the Year award in 1961. He played for the Royals, Cleveland Indians and Yankees. Dick Howser gave it all he could. He was 51 when he died.

Contributing sources:
The Associated Press (AP), Fort Myers, Florida, February 24, 1987
Dick Howser as manager: Baseball-Reference
Dick Howser as player: Baseball-Reference

A STORY FROM FEB 22 IN BASEBALL HISTORY – CARDINALS SIGN GUN-SLINGER

TODAY IN BASEBALL TAKES US TO ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI on FEBRUARY 22, 1938. The St. Louis Cardinals signed a gun-slinging quarterback on this date in 1938. Yes, it was the St. Louis baseball Cardinals (the football Cardinals still called Chicago home in those days) who signed two-time All-American quarterback Sammy Baugh.

Baugh had just graduated from Texas Christian University where he was an innovative quarterback who relied heavily on a seldom used offensive weapon – the forward pass. He earned the nickname Slingin Sammy.

Baugh also played third base for the Texas Christian baseball team. He was initially recruited for baseball. That was the sport he wanted to pursue. After signing with the Cardinals to play baseball Baugh was sent to the minor leagues. He didn’t excel as well in the minors as he hoped and never played a major league baseball game.

Baugh played sixteen years in the National Football League, eventually being elected to the NFL Hall of Fame.

Here are other noteworthy athletes who played more than one professional sport:

John Elway – New York Yankees/Denver Broncos
Danny Ainge – Toronto Blue Jays/Boston Celtics
Dave DeBusschere – Chicago White Sox/New York Knicks
Chuck Connors – Chicago Cubs/Boston Celtics (star of the TV show, The Rifleman)
Deion Sanders – Several NFL teams/several MLB teams
Herbert Perry – Florida Gators quarterback/MLB infielder for 7 different teams

Contributing Sources:
United Press (UP), February 23, 1938, St. Louis Missouri
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammy_Baugh#Baseball