Al Rosen passed away last Friday at the age of 91. The 4-time All-Star third basemen for the Indians in the first half of the 1950s, Rosen compiled an impressive 32 WAR in a career of only 7 seasons as a regular. After his playing days, Rosen served in an executive capacity for three franchises, guiding all of them to post-season appearances, including two pennant-winning seasons.
More on Rosen after the jump.
The Dodgers have operated continuously since their founding in 1884 as the Brooklyn Atlantics of the American Association. Brooklyn transferred to the National League in 1890, adopting the nickname Dodgers in 1911 and 1912, and returning to that moniker for good in 1932.
The Dodgers are the seventh of the original NL clubs in our Mount Rushmore series. Your task is to choose the four players who best represent this franchise. Have fun!
This post is for voting and discussion in the 88th round of balloting for the Circle of Greats (COG). This round adds to the list of candidates eligible to receive your votes those players born in 1902. Rules and lists are after the jump. Continue reading
The 87th round of voting for the Circle of Greats inducts Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig, winning election in his debut on the COG ballot. The original Ironman was a near-unanimous selection, appearing on the first 28 ballots cast en route to a final vote share just shy of 90%.
More on Gehrig after the jump.
Picture a team that suffered these losses:
Suppose those eight gave 60% of team WAR in the title year, plus World Series shares of 3 wins, 62% of team hits and 73% of the RBI — but that their value to the team’s next 3 years (including trade progeny) averaged less than 1 WAR apiece.
What if that ravaged team not only repeated, but took a third title in year four: Just how much talent was there at the start?
This post is for voting and discussion in the 87th round of balloting for the Circle of Greats (COG). This round adds to the list of candidates eligible to receive your votes those players born in 1903. Rules and lists are after the jump. Continue reading
The 86th round of voting for the Circle of Greats inducts Hall of Famer “Steady” Eddie Murray. Proving that slow and steady wins the race, Murray earns induction more than a year after first appearing on the COG ballot with those eligible from the 1956 birth year.
More on Murray after the jump.
Minnie Minoso died on Sunday at the age of 89. The Cuban-born third baseman and outfielder broke the color barrier for the Chicago White Sox in 1951, en route on to an All-Star career with the ChiSox and Indians.
More on Minoso after the jump.
Baseball America last week issued its annual list of top 100 prospects for 2015. At #8 on that list is 22-year-old Joc Pederson, who the Dodgers have penciled in as their starting center fielder this coming season. Pedersen put up very impressive numbers in AAA this past season, and was rewarded with a September call-up, though he started only three games for the big club. A question that occurred to me in considering the Dodgers’ choice, for now at least, of the rookie Pederson as their new starting center fielder is, historically, how have previous eighth-ranked prospects, as designated by Baseball America in its annual pre-season Top 100 prospects list, actually turned out? A history of that #8 spot in the Baseball America ranking is after the jump. Continue reading
This post is for voting and discussion in the 86th round of balloting for the Circle of Greats (COG). This round completes the addition to the list of candidates eligible to receive your votes those players born in 1904. Rules and lists are after the jump. Continue reading
