VOLUME:XLIX ... Feb 1, 2023
LATEST NEWS
COMMISSIONER NOTES:
After a two year pause it's back to Lancaster!! This time about half of the league will be present for our annual draft. We are again back at the Holiday Inn Express in Strasburg. Joining me for the weekend will be Mark Gaudiano, Joe Jutzi, Joe Reagan, Rnady Prichard, Jim Kockler and Ed Morgans will be there all day Saturday. The weather looks like it'll cooperate for the entire weekend. Seeing everyone again in person is the best part becaue sadly, as we found out, you never know when it becomes impossible to see someone again. If you need to contact me it's 315.345.9218
The draft itself will begin on Saturday the 4th, at noon but let's get in the Rolz room around 10-15 minutes before that so we know everyone is there. We will be using Rolz.org as usual and the room name will be "RCMBA23". No space. If you haven't been on Rolz lately their home page has changed a bit. If you need some help getting to the right place on Rolz, we have directions on our website. You go to the TEAMS page and in the upper left corner you click on "RCMBA/APBA Files for download & ROLZ instructions". Scroll down that page and you'll see pictures/instructions about where to go on their homepage and what to do... Briefly it's select "Dice Rooms", then scroll down to "Try Rolz without an account", enter your team name, agree, then "Try Rolz". Once in, just top in the box at bottom of page.
You all have received the cut down rosters and new free agent files along with a draft sheet that should print on one page. If for some reason you are not going to be able to draft on the 4th at noon, please provide someone with your draft list or you will be making your selections from the trash no one else wanted.
... IMPORTANT DATES ...
- Feb 3-5: Lancaster meeting
- Feb 4 (Sat) noon EST: Free Agent Draft
- Mar 31 (Fri) 11pm EST: Cut down to 36 and end of trading
- Apr 1 (Sat): Opening Day Season 49
THE SHOW
Scott Rolen will be joining Fred McGriff in Cooperstown this year. A couple of others got close. I really wish the BBWAA would adjust their rules to only having players on their ballots for three years or less. It makes little sense to have someone be voted in after being rejected for 4-10 years. I am a "Small Hall" guy and believe that if you have to think about whether someone should be in the Hall, even just a little bit, then he shouldn't. Quite a few, maybe even a lot of the players recently voted in shouldn't be there. They are really good players but not just flat out incredible. Then there is the clown show, recurring different committee's MLB has come up with that are nothing more than groups that like their friends and put them in the Hall just because they need to do something to justify their existence.
Random notes:
- Jon Lester had a .636 winning percentage and a 3.64 ERA in nine seasons with the Red Sox.
- Jon Lester had a .636 winning percentage and a 3.64 ERA in six seasons with the Cubs.
- In 1927, Babe Ruth had 29 doubles, eight triples, 137 walks, 89 strikeouts and 60 homers.
- In 1928, Babe Ruth had 29 doubles, eight triples, 137 walks, 87 strikeouts and 54 homers.
- There were 39 nine-inning games lasted at least four hours in 2021. In 2015, there were six. In 2011, there were three. In 2004, there were none. In the shortened 2020 season, there were 11 — more than from 1901 to 1990 combined.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers used 19 starting pitchers this year 2021. The 1966 Dodgers used five: Sandy Koufax (41 starts), Don Drysdale (40), Claude Osteen (38), Don Sutton (35), and Joe Moeller (8).
- Stan Musial played from 1941-1963 and never struck out more than 46 times in a single season. In his 1943 NL MVP season, the St. Louis Cardinals legend hit 20 triples and struck out 18 times.
- On August 6, 1952, Satchel Paige threw a complete-game shutout as the St. Louis Browns beat the Detroit Tigers 1-0 in 12 innings. Paige was 46 years old at the time.
- Ted Williams hit five home runs in games that ended 1-0.
- Mickey Mantle had a 1.000 OPS through his first 1,000 games.
- Walter Johnson’s 547 hits are the most for a pitcher in MLB history. (A handful of his hits came as a pinch-hitter.)
- Chicago Cubs right-hander Bob Buhl went 0-for-69 in 1962. He drew six walks, reached on a HBP, had seven sacrifice bunts, and drove in a run with a sacrifice f
- Rod Carew had 334 hits and a .297 batting average through his first 300 games.
- Luis Arraez has 340 hits and a .320 batting average through his first 300 games.
- Andre Dawson had a .279 BA, 438 HR, 1,591 RBI, 314 SB, and a 119 OPS+.
- Carlos Beltrán had a .279 BA, 435 HR, 1,587 RBI, 312 SB, and a 119 OPS+.
- Luis Tiant allowed 3,075 hits and 1,280 earned runs.
- John Smoltz allowed 3,074 hits and 1,284 earned runs.
- Nolan Ryan walked 204 batters over 299 innings in 1977.
- Greg Maddux walked 199 batters over 1,430.3 innings from 1996-2001.
- Roberto Clemente and Joe DiMaggio combined to steal 113 bases. Babe Ruth stole 123 bases.
- Jacob deGrom has 4 career starts in which his team lost 1-0.
- Walter Johnson had 24 career starts in which his team lost 1-0.