Abstract:
Major League Baseball has a rich and storied history. Here are the top 10 most memorable regular season performances by baseball clubs en route to the playoffs.
Major League Baseball can point to its rich and storied history, which dates to before the first World Series in 1903. Over the years, a number of baseball clubs have gained fame for their memorable regular-season performances en route to the playoffs. Some of these teams made history because they overcame long odds to reach the postseason. Other squads are remembered because they dominated the competition on their way to the playoffs.
Here are the top 10 most memorable regular-season performances by baseball clubs en route to playoff appearances:
1. New York Yankees, 1998: The Yankees set an American League record by winning 114 games in the regular season. Yankees fans had much to be proud of that year, as their team would go on to win the World Series.
2. Tampa Bay Rays, 2011: The Rays were nine games behind the American League wild-card leader--the Boston Red Sox--as late as September and looked to be out of the postseason hunt. Instead, the Rays became the first club in Major League Baseball's history to overcome a nine-game deficit in September to reach the playoffs. The Rays clinched the wild-card berth on the final day of the season. The team did it in grand fashion by coming back from seven runs down to beat the New York Yankees 8-7 in extra innings.
3. Chicago Cubs, 1906: The Cubs finished the 1906 regular season with 116 wins and 36 losses. No major league team since that time has topped the Cubs' .763 winning percentage. Unfortunately, the Cubs could not parlay that tremendous regular season record into postseason success. The club lost the World Series to its crosstown rival, the Chicago White Sox.
4. St. Louis Cardinals, 2011: Most people who took a look at the major league standings on Aug. 25, 2011, probably thought that the Cardinals' season was over. At that time, the team was 10.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves for the National League's wild-card spot. Amazingly, the Cardinals would go on to win 23 of their last 31 games and secure a ticket to the playoffs (and eventually win the World Series).
5. Seattle Mariners, 2001: The Oakland Athletics capped off a superb year in 2001 by winning 102 games. However, the team finished an amazing 14 games behind the first-place Seattle Mariners. The Mariners set an American League record by winning 116 games.
6. Boston Braves, 1914: The Braves had finished 31.5 games behind the league winner in 1913. The team seemed to be heading for a similar fate in mid-July 1914. The club was ranked dead last in the National League. The Braves would go on an amazing run during the latter part of the season to win both the league pennant and the World Series.
7. Colorado Rockies, 1995: The club played its first major league game in 1993. The Rockies made it to the playoffs in the 1995 season. No other expansion club up to that point had reached the playoffs in such a short time span.
8. Arizona Diamondbacks, 1999: Under manager Buck Showalter, the Diamondbacks made history by reaching the playoffs in only the club's second year in existence.
9. New York Mets, 1969: In previous seasons, the Mets had been the epitome of a bad team. Few people expected the club to do anything of note in 1969. The Mets surprised everyone by winning 100 games and making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The squad was not done. It went on to win the World Series in that year.
10. Montreal Expos, 1981: Fans of the Expos were ecstatic when the team made its first and only appearance in the playoffs in 1981. Perhaps the club, now called the Washington Nationals, will secure its second postseason berth ever in 2012.
Sources:
Major League Baseball's official website
Baseball Reference
The author has been following Major League Baseball since he was a child and is a fan of the Atlanta Braves.
-- Anthony Hopper
#baseball #MLB #history #sports #sportshistory #baseballhistory #Braves #Mets #Expos #Mariners #playoffs #Cardinals #Cubs #Rays #Yankees
Showing posts with label baseball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baseball. Show all posts
Sunday
Tuesday
An All-Time Team Composed of Baseball Players from the 1940s
Abstract:
Major League Baseball's All-Star game is fast approaching. In honor of that event, I have compiled an All-Star team composed of some of the best players from the 1940s.
Baseball was the most popular professional sport in the United States during the 1940s, per USA Today. Like many other things, it was negatively impacted by the onset of World War II, when, according to the American Veterans Center, hundreds of major league players (and around 2,000 athletes from the minor leagues) left their baseball careers behind to join the U.S. armed forces.
Nonetheless, the 1940s witnessed some groundbreaking achievements in the sport. For instance, per the Ohio Historical Society, Ted Williams finished the season with a batting average above .400 in 1941; no major league player has accomplished that feat since. And, in 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play in the major leagues when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Here are some of the best MLB players from the 1940s. All of the information comes from The Baseball Page unless otherwise noted.
Left Field: Ted Williams (1940-1942, 1946-1949)
As his official website notes, Ted Williams interrupted his baseball career to enlist with the U.S. Navy during World War II. Even given the hiatus, he was arguably one of the best baseball players of the 1940s. Williams, who played for the Boston Red Sox, averaged .340 or better every season, and, in 1941, he became the last player to hit over .400 (finishing the season with a .406 average). He won two Triple Crowns (led the American League in home runs, batting average, and runs batted in) and two league MVP awards during the 1940s.
Right Field: Stan Musial (1941-1944, 1946-1949)
Stan Musial may have spent more time at first base or in left field than in right field; however, he did play the position on occasion, and he is too good to leave off of this list. Musial played for the St. Louis Cardinals and was an excellent hitter. His season-ending batting average never dipped below .300 during the 1940s. More impressively, he won the league MVP Award in 1943, 1946, and 1948. Musial did not play in 1945 because he was serving with the U.S. armed forces.
Center Field: Joe DiMaggio (1940-1942, 1946-1949)
Joe DiMaggio played for the New York Yankees. He was both a great hitter and an excellent fielder. His one flaw may have been that he did not steal many bases. DiMaggio hit 20 or more home runs in every full season he played during the 1940s, and he ended a year with a batting average below .300 only once. He won the league MVP Award in 1941 and again in 1947. Like many other MLB players, DiMaggio took a hiatus from baseball to serve in the U.S. armed forces during World War II.
First Base: Johnny Mize (1940-1942, 1946-1949)
Like many other players, Johnny Mize's baseball career was interrupted by World War II. During the 1940s, he played for the St. Louis Cardinals, the New York Giants, and the New York Yankees (for 13 games in 1949). As ESPN notes, Mize was an exceptional batter. He hit 40 or more home runs three times in the 1940s, and his season-ending slugging percentage only dipped below .500 once (in 1949).
Second Base: Joe Gordon (1940-1943, 1946-1949)
During the 1940s, Joe Gordon played for the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Indians. While his batting average was not that high, he was the best slugger among the second basemen of his era. Additionally, Gordon was an excellent defensive player. As a result of both his prowess on the field and at the plate, he won the league MVP Award in 1942. His baseball career was interrupted by a stint in the armed forces during World War II.
Third Base: George Kell (1943-1949)
During the 1940s, George Kell starred for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Detroit Tigers. He played one game in 1943 and began his major league career in earnest in 1944. In every season from 1946 through 1949, Kell ended the year with a batting average over .300 and an on-base percentage greater than .400. However, he is most noted for his excellent fielding skills, which separated him from other third basemen of that era.
Shortstop: Lou Boudreau (1940-1949)
During the 1940s, Lou Boudreau played for the Cleveland Indians. He was an excellent hitter. Boudreau ended the season with an on-base percentage below .400 only one time. However, what set him apart from Luke Appling and other shortstops of that era was his fielding ability. He posted the best fielding percentage among shortstops every season from 1940 to 1949. He won the league MVP in 1948.
Catcher: Walker Cooper (1940-1949)
Walker Cooper played for the St. Louis Cardinals, the New York Giants, and the Cincinnati Reds during the 1940s. He was both a good fielder and an excellent slugger. His best year came in 1947 when he hit 35 home runs with 122 runs batted in.
Pitcher: Hal Newhouser (1940-1949)
A congenital heart defect kept Hal Newhouser from serving in the armed forces during World War II. He played for the Detroit Tigers, and posted some excellent statistics. He won 17 or more games every year from 1944 through 1949. He won 20 or more games four times during that stretch. From 1942-1949, his average ERA was an impressive 2.588. He won the league MVP in 1944 and again in 1945.
Pitcher: Bob Feller (1940-1941, 1945-1949)
Bob Feller played for the Cleveland Indians. He won 20 or more games four times during the 1940s. That feat is quite remarkable given that he only played six full seasons in that decade, due in large part to the fact that he spent time with the navy during World War II. In the 1940s, he struck out 1,396 batters and recorded 28 shutouts. As a result of his impressive statistics, he finished high up in the MVP balloting on more than one occasion.
Pitcher: Bucky Walters (1940-1948)
A New York Times article contends that Bucky Walters was a star pitcher in the 1940s. He was definitely one of the best pitchers in MLB in the early part of that decade. Between 1940 and 1946, Walters, who played for the Cincinnati Reds, finished every season, except for one, with an ERA below 3.00. During that stretch, he won more than 20 games on two occasions. The remainder of the decade was not kind to Walters; however, he did enough in the first part of the 1940s to earn a spot on this roster.
Pitcher: Spud Chandler (1940-1947)
Spud Chandler played for the New York Yankees. Chandler did not pitch in as many games as some of the other names on this list. However, when he did pitch, he was usually very good. Four times during the 1940s, Chandler finished a season with an ERA under 3.00. He had a brilliant year in 1943, when he posted an ERA of 1.64, won 20 games, and took home the league MVP.
Pitcher: Tex Hughson (1941-1944, 1946-1949)
Tex Hughson played for the Boston Red Sox. A New York Times article notes that the pitcher was selected to represent the American League in the All-Star game three times in the 1940s. He finished with 20 or more wins in 1942 and again in 1946. As impressive, Hughson maintained an earned run average in the 2s from 1942 through 1946 (he did not play in 1945 because he was in the armed forces). During that period, he won 72 games.
Bench Player (Second Base): Bobby Doerr (1940-1944, 1946-1949)
Bobby Doerr played for the Boston Red Sox. He was an excellent second baseman who was both a good fielder and a dependable batter. While not as great of a slugger as Joe Gordon, Doerr twice managed to finish a season with over 20 homers during the 1940s.
Bench Player (Short Stop): Luke Appling (1940-1943, 1945-1949)
Luke Appling played for the Chicago White Sox. While he was only an average fielder, he was an excellent hitter. His season ending batting average only dipped below .300 once during the 1940s. As impressive, he finished with an on base percentage greater than .400 every year, except for one.
Bench Player (Center Field): Dom DiMaggio (1940-1942, 1946-1949)
Dom DiMaggio, who played for the Boston Red Sox, was overshadowed by his older brother, Joe. However, the younger DiMaggio was an excellent player in his own right. He posted good offensive numbers during the 1940s; however, he is better known for his defensive skills. In 1948, he broke an American League record for most putouts (throwing a base runner out) in a season.
1. Photographer: Unknown
Date: August, 1957
Title/Description: St. Louis Cardinals outfielder and Hall of Famer, Stan Musial, in a 1957 issue of
Baseball Digest.
Location/Permission: Wikimedia Commons - Copyright expired. Click on the title or caption to see
the photo, credits, and permissions.
-- Anthony Hopper
#baseball #MLB #history #sportshistory #heroes #sports
 |
| St. Louis Cardinals outfielder and HOF, Stan Musial (1) |
Nonetheless, the 1940s witnessed some groundbreaking achievements in the sport. For instance, per the Ohio Historical Society, Ted Williams finished the season with a batting average above .400 in 1941; no major league player has accomplished that feat since. And, in 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play in the major leagues when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Here are some of the best MLB players from the 1940s. All of the information comes from The Baseball Page unless otherwise noted.
Left Field: Ted Williams (1940-1942, 1946-1949)
As his official website notes, Ted Williams interrupted his baseball career to enlist with the U.S. Navy during World War II. Even given the hiatus, he was arguably one of the best baseball players of the 1940s. Williams, who played for the Boston Red Sox, averaged .340 or better every season, and, in 1941, he became the last player to hit over .400 (finishing the season with a .406 average). He won two Triple Crowns (led the American League in home runs, batting average, and runs batted in) and two league MVP awards during the 1940s.
Right Field: Stan Musial (1941-1944, 1946-1949)
Stan Musial may have spent more time at first base or in left field than in right field; however, he did play the position on occasion, and he is too good to leave off of this list. Musial played for the St. Louis Cardinals and was an excellent hitter. His season-ending batting average never dipped below .300 during the 1940s. More impressively, he won the league MVP Award in 1943, 1946, and 1948. Musial did not play in 1945 because he was serving with the U.S. armed forces.
Center Field: Joe DiMaggio (1940-1942, 1946-1949)
Joe DiMaggio played for the New York Yankees. He was both a great hitter and an excellent fielder. His one flaw may have been that he did not steal many bases. DiMaggio hit 20 or more home runs in every full season he played during the 1940s, and he ended a year with a batting average below .300 only once. He won the league MVP Award in 1941 and again in 1947. Like many other MLB players, DiMaggio took a hiatus from baseball to serve in the U.S. armed forces during World War II.
First Base: Johnny Mize (1940-1942, 1946-1949)
Like many other players, Johnny Mize's baseball career was interrupted by World War II. During the 1940s, he played for the St. Louis Cardinals, the New York Giants, and the New York Yankees (for 13 games in 1949). As ESPN notes, Mize was an exceptional batter. He hit 40 or more home runs three times in the 1940s, and his season-ending slugging percentage only dipped below .500 once (in 1949).
Second Base: Joe Gordon (1940-1943, 1946-1949)
During the 1940s, Joe Gordon played for the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Indians. While his batting average was not that high, he was the best slugger among the second basemen of his era. Additionally, Gordon was an excellent defensive player. As a result of both his prowess on the field and at the plate, he won the league MVP Award in 1942. His baseball career was interrupted by a stint in the armed forces during World War II.
Third Base: George Kell (1943-1949)
During the 1940s, George Kell starred for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Detroit Tigers. He played one game in 1943 and began his major league career in earnest in 1944. In every season from 1946 through 1949, Kell ended the year with a batting average over .300 and an on-base percentage greater than .400. However, he is most noted for his excellent fielding skills, which separated him from other third basemen of that era.
Shortstop: Lou Boudreau (1940-1949)
During the 1940s, Lou Boudreau played for the Cleveland Indians. He was an excellent hitter. Boudreau ended the season with an on-base percentage below .400 only one time. However, what set him apart from Luke Appling and other shortstops of that era was his fielding ability. He posted the best fielding percentage among shortstops every season from 1940 to 1949. He won the league MVP in 1948.
Catcher: Walker Cooper (1940-1949)
Walker Cooper played for the St. Louis Cardinals, the New York Giants, and the Cincinnati Reds during the 1940s. He was both a good fielder and an excellent slugger. His best year came in 1947 when he hit 35 home runs with 122 runs batted in.
Pitcher: Hal Newhouser (1940-1949)
A congenital heart defect kept Hal Newhouser from serving in the armed forces during World War II. He played for the Detroit Tigers, and posted some excellent statistics. He won 17 or more games every year from 1944 through 1949. He won 20 or more games four times during that stretch. From 1942-1949, his average ERA was an impressive 2.588. He won the league MVP in 1944 and again in 1945.
Pitcher: Bob Feller (1940-1941, 1945-1949)
Bob Feller played for the Cleveland Indians. He won 20 or more games four times during the 1940s. That feat is quite remarkable given that he only played six full seasons in that decade, due in large part to the fact that he spent time with the navy during World War II. In the 1940s, he struck out 1,396 batters and recorded 28 shutouts. As a result of his impressive statistics, he finished high up in the MVP balloting on more than one occasion.
Pitcher: Bucky Walters (1940-1948)
A New York Times article contends that Bucky Walters was a star pitcher in the 1940s. He was definitely one of the best pitchers in MLB in the early part of that decade. Between 1940 and 1946, Walters, who played for the Cincinnati Reds, finished every season, except for one, with an ERA below 3.00. During that stretch, he won more than 20 games on two occasions. The remainder of the decade was not kind to Walters; however, he did enough in the first part of the 1940s to earn a spot on this roster.
Pitcher: Spud Chandler (1940-1947)
Spud Chandler played for the New York Yankees. Chandler did not pitch in as many games as some of the other names on this list. However, when he did pitch, he was usually very good. Four times during the 1940s, Chandler finished a season with an ERA under 3.00. He had a brilliant year in 1943, when he posted an ERA of 1.64, won 20 games, and took home the league MVP.
Pitcher: Tex Hughson (1941-1944, 1946-1949)
Tex Hughson played for the Boston Red Sox. A New York Times article notes that the pitcher was selected to represent the American League in the All-Star game three times in the 1940s. He finished with 20 or more wins in 1942 and again in 1946. As impressive, Hughson maintained an earned run average in the 2s from 1942 through 1946 (he did not play in 1945 because he was in the armed forces). During that period, he won 72 games.
Bench Player (Second Base): Bobby Doerr (1940-1944, 1946-1949)
Bobby Doerr played for the Boston Red Sox. He was an excellent second baseman who was both a good fielder and a dependable batter. While not as great of a slugger as Joe Gordon, Doerr twice managed to finish a season with over 20 homers during the 1940s.
Bench Player (Short Stop): Luke Appling (1940-1943, 1945-1949)
Luke Appling played for the Chicago White Sox. While he was only an average fielder, he was an excellent hitter. His season ending batting average only dipped below .300 once during the 1940s. As impressive, he finished with an on base percentage greater than .400 every year, except for one.
Bench Player (Center Field): Dom DiMaggio (1940-1942, 1946-1949)
Dom DiMaggio, who played for the Boston Red Sox, was overshadowed by his older brother, Joe. However, the younger DiMaggio was an excellent player in his own right. He posted good offensive numbers during the 1940s; however, he is better known for his defensive skills. In 1948, he broke an American League record for most putouts (throwing a base runner out) in a season.
1. Photographer: Unknown
Date: August, 1957
Title/Description: St. Louis Cardinals outfielder and Hall of Famer, Stan Musial, in a 1957 issue of
Baseball Digest.
Location/Permission: Wikimedia Commons - Copyright expired. Click on the title or caption to see
the photo, credits, and permissions.
-- Anthony Hopper
#baseball #MLB #history #sportshistory #heroes #sports
Ten Things this Major League Baseball Fan is Thankful For - 2012
Abstract:
As I prepare for Thanksgiving, I realize that I have a lot to be thankful for as a MLB fan. Here are the top 10 things I am thankful for in Major League Baseball.
I have been a fan of Major League Baseball for many years. I usually take the sport for granted. However, the holiday season has put me in a reflective mood. As I prepare for Thanksgiving, I realize that I have a lot to be thankful for as a MLB fan.
Here are the top 10 things I am thankful for in Major League Baseball:
1. Labor Peace: I am thankful that Major League Baseball has not suffered a work stoppage since 1994-1995. I am glad that MLB owners and the MLB Players Association have an agreement in place that runs through the 2016 season. I do not want to endure a summer without Major League Baseball.
2. The Atlanta Braves: I am glad that there is a MLB team in Atlanta, Ga. It gives me the opportunity to root for a baseball team, located in the southeastern U.S., which is less than an eight-hour drive from my hometown.
3. Minor League System: I am glad that Major League Baseball has a minor league system. It gives people like me, who live in small cities, a chance to attend professional baseball games.
4. World Series Tradition: I am thankful to the MLB owners who, in 1903, decided the sport needed a championship game. As a MLB fan, I can ruminate on the World Series' long, storied past, while at the same time looking forward to the 2013 Series.
5. Baseball Cards: I am grateful to Major League Baseball for allowing companies to manufacture baseball cards. I loved to collect baseball cards when I was a youth. I would get excited each time I purchased a new package of cards. I could not wait to get home and see which players I had obtained.
6. Baseball is a Summer Sport: I am thankful that Major League Baseball begins in the spring and not in the fall. During my teenage years, I got the chance to spend my summer nights watching baseball games on television with my father. We could not have shared as much time together in this way if most of the MLB games were played during the school year.
7. The Boston Red Sox: I am glad that the Boston Red Sox are a MLB team. Otherwise, I would have to find a new team to dislike.
8. Hall of Fame: I love going to museums. I hope to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y., at some point in the future. I am glad that it exists.
9. Stats: I am thankful that Major League Baseball contains so many different types of statistics. I can peruse stats for pitchers, batters, runners, fielders, and even managers. As a history buff, I am truly grateful that I can look up stats for MLB games that occurred decades ago.
10. A Break: While I enjoy watching Major League Baseball games and following the sport in the news, I am glad that the MLB regular season is only 162 games. I would suffer fan burnout if the season were any longer.
Source:
Baseball-Reference
The author lives in Richmond, Va. He has followed Major League Baseball for many years and is a fan of the Atlanta Braves.
-- Anthony Hopper
#baseball #MLB #MajorLeagueBaseball #Boston #RedSox #baseballcards #collecting #Braves #Atlanta #AtlantaBraves
I have been a fan of Major League Baseball for many years. I usually take the sport for granted. However, the holiday season has put me in a reflective mood. As I prepare for Thanksgiving, I realize that I have a lot to be thankful for as a MLB fan.
 |
| Courtesy of Microsoft Office |
1. Labor Peace: I am thankful that Major League Baseball has not suffered a work stoppage since 1994-1995. I am glad that MLB owners and the MLB Players Association have an agreement in place that runs through the 2016 season. I do not want to endure a summer without Major League Baseball.
2. The Atlanta Braves: I am glad that there is a MLB team in Atlanta, Ga. It gives me the opportunity to root for a baseball team, located in the southeastern U.S., which is less than an eight-hour drive from my hometown.
3. Minor League System: I am glad that Major League Baseball has a minor league system. It gives people like me, who live in small cities, a chance to attend professional baseball games.
4. World Series Tradition: I am thankful to the MLB owners who, in 1903, decided the sport needed a championship game. As a MLB fan, I can ruminate on the World Series' long, storied past, while at the same time looking forward to the 2013 Series.
5. Baseball Cards: I am grateful to Major League Baseball for allowing companies to manufacture baseball cards. I loved to collect baseball cards when I was a youth. I would get excited each time I purchased a new package of cards. I could not wait to get home and see which players I had obtained.
6. Baseball is a Summer Sport: I am thankful that Major League Baseball begins in the spring and not in the fall. During my teenage years, I got the chance to spend my summer nights watching baseball games on television with my father. We could not have shared as much time together in this way if most of the MLB games were played during the school year.
7. The Boston Red Sox: I am glad that the Boston Red Sox are a MLB team. Otherwise, I would have to find a new team to dislike.
8. Hall of Fame: I love going to museums. I hope to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y., at some point in the future. I am glad that it exists.
9. Stats: I am thankful that Major League Baseball contains so many different types of statistics. I can peruse stats for pitchers, batters, runners, fielders, and even managers. As a history buff, I am truly grateful that I can look up stats for MLB games that occurred decades ago.
10. A Break: While I enjoy watching Major League Baseball games and following the sport in the news, I am glad that the MLB regular season is only 162 games. I would suffer fan burnout if the season were any longer.
Source:
Baseball-Reference
The author lives in Richmond, Va. He has followed Major League Baseball for many years and is a fan of the Atlanta Braves.
-- Anthony Hopper
#baseball #MLB #MajorLeagueBaseball #Boston #RedSox #baseballcards #collecting #Braves #Atlanta #AtlantaBraves
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