Before this round, Craig Biggio had been eligible for our votes in each of the last 68 rounds of balloting. In last week’s round, he tied for 6th in the voting. But this round he received some strong early support, which seemed to encourage others to jump on a bandwagon that Biggio rode to triumph. Craig becomes the 72nd inductee into the High Heat Stats Circle of Greats. More on Biggio and the voting after the jump. Continue reading →

The Giants and Pirates franchises are among the oldest in the majors. One link they have is Barry Bonds, who accumulated 50.1 Wins Above Replacement (“WAR”, baseball-reference version) for the Bucs and 112.3 WAR for San Francisco. That 50.1 WAR is not the highest career WAR total accumulated for a team that was not the player’s highest-WAR team. Some bigger numbers are after the jump Continue reading →

With Kansas City playing the A’s in a wild card showdown, it’s worth remembering that for thirteen seasons “Kansas City” and “the A’s” referred to the same team. The years 1955 to 1967 did not comprise the most distinguished era of Athletics franchise history, but:

—Joe Gordon and Lou Boudreau are not only both Hall of Famers who have been battling for position in recent Circle of Greats voting here at High Heat Stats, they were also both managers of the Kansas City A’s.
–Three of the more productive players for the Kansas City A’s (and the word “productive” in this context is a highly relative term) were Dick Williams, who managed the A’s to two World Series championships, Dick Howser, who managed Kansas City to a World Championship, and Whitey Herzog, who managed Kansas City and managed the cross-state Cardinals to a World Series championship.

Wins Above Replacement (baseball-reference version) might suggest something like the following for an All-Kansas City A’s team, such as it is: Continue reading →

This post is for voting and discussion in the 72nd round of balloting for the Circle of Greats (COG).  This round begins to add to the ballot those players born in 1913. Rules and lists are after the jump. Continue reading →

Joe DiMaggio did not appear on 56 consecutive ballots cast, but did enjoy overwhelming support, becoming the 71st inductee into the High Heat Stats Circle of Greats. More on the Yankee Clipper, and the voting, after the jump. Continue reading →

This Circle of Greats (COG) vote is not to induct anyone into the Circle, but only to select three players who will be restored back on to the main ballot after having been previously been dropped from eligibility.  This sixth “redemption round” (we’ve been holding such redemption votes interspersed among the regular voting rounds every tenth voting round or so) gives voters a chance to reconsider past candidates who have previously fallen off the regular weekly ballot. Continue reading →

This post is for voting and discussion in the 71st round of balloting for the Circle of Greats (COG).  This round adds to the ballot those players born in 1914. Rules and lists are after the jump. Continue reading →

Roy Campanella led in the early voting, and Harmon Killebrew mid-week, but Kenny Lofton, who narrowly missed induction last round, was the leader at the end of this round, and it’s the end that counts. Lofton becomes the 70th inductee in the High Heats Stats Circle of Greats. More on Kenny and the voting after the jump. Continue reading →

This post is for voting and discussion in the 70th round of balloting for the Circle of Greats (COG).  This round adds to the ballot those players born in 1915. Rules and lists are after the jump. Continue reading →

Despite a nickname unlikely to be seen again in the major leagues anytime soon, Pee Wee Reese edged Kenny Lofton in this past week’s voting to win election as the 69th inductee into the High Heat Stats Circle of Greats. More on Reese and the voting after the jump. Continue reading →