2008-2009 DOMINICAN LEAGUE BASEBALL – Licey Matches Aguilas With Title #20

ANDERSON HERNANDEZ strokes another hit in the Dominican Republic

(This article was originally written just as the 2008-2009 Dominican League season wrapped up in January for a print publication, but it ended up on the editing room floor so I’m posting it here)

A sacrifice fly off the bat of Anderson Hernandez helped the Tigres del Licey beat the Gigantes del Cibao last December 2 in a Dominican League record-tying 18-inning affair.  Then, less than eight weeks later, Hernandez’ misplayed single ended a 12-inning contest to oust the Gigantes in a best-of-nine Domincan League final series that took all of 37 innings to complete.

 

Licey equaled the league record with their 20^th championship in an anti-climatic final series marred by a forfeit in game three and a rain-shortened one-run game in game four.  Nevertheless, they swept the series 5-0 by winning the four games decided on the field by a total of five runs.

 

It’s fitting that Hernandez took the final swing of the season, as the 26-year-old Washington Nationals infielder topped the circuit in hits, doubles, triples and runs scored during the regular season.  Though his .365 batting average was officially second best, it’s worth noting that he played almost twice as much as league leader Pablo Ozuna (.390).  In 22 playoff games, Anderson hit .344, including a .474 performance in the finals.

 

Licey crawled into the round-robin playoff tournament after a so-so 26-24 regular season that saw their pitching staff post a horrific 5.53 ERA.  Considering Licey’s Jorge Sosa (6-2, 2.53) was arguably the league’s top pitcher, you can imagine how ineffective their other hurlers were.  It was a different story in the post-season, as Licey pitchers worked to a 3.02 ERA in the 18-game round robin semis, followed by a 2.43 mark in the finals.

 

The high-scoring Gigantes used the long ball to get to the finals:  95 of them in 69 regular season and semi-final games.  Cincinnati Reds prospect Juan Francisco was particularly outstanding, managing 17 homers in 251 at bats with a .343 overall average including his post-season numbers.  The Gigantes pounded the Toros del Este 12-7 in a one-game playoff to reach the finals, but then their bats went cold.  After losing game one on a controversial (read bad) call, then blowing a 6-2 lead in game two, the Gigantes forfeited game three when they learned leadoff hitter and 2B Felix Martinez had been suspended for the series after an incident with an umpire.  To their credit, they played Licey closer than a five-game sweep would indicate, dropping a pair of one-run games after returning to the field.

 

The Aguilas Cibaenas made news during the regular season when veteran Luis Polonia became the league’s career hit leader, and Victor Diaz whacked 17 home runs to set a single-season record.  However, Diaz went just 2-30 (.067) in the playoffs with 15 strikeouts as the Aguilas lost their last 12 games and missed out on a chance to defend last year’s title, finishing the semi-final tournament an embarrassing 2-16.  Their offense was inept, but the 6.93 ERA posted by the pitching staff certainly has to share in the blame.

 

by Malcolm Allen

malallen@live.com

BALTIMORE ORIOLES Designated Hitters on Opening Day

SAM HORN swings away

Twenty-five men have been in an Opening Day lineup for the Baltimore Orioles a Designated Hitter.  There’s been a Hall of Famer (Eddie Murray), ten other All-Stars (Tommy Davis, Lee May, Ken Singleton, Harold Baines, Bobby Bonilla, Brady Anderson, Joe Carter, Jeff Conine & Javy Lopez), and a few guys that I don’t exactly recall as DH-types (Tony Muser, Rich Dauer, Alan Wiggins).  The rest…were somewhere in between.

It all started in 1973, when Terry Crowley stroked a pair of opposite-field singles in four trips in a 10-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Memorial Stadium.  For the next 16 years though, Orioles DH’s batted a measly .145 in season openers.  Lee May’s triple in 1979 was the only extra-base hit, and only John Lowenstein managed an RBI.  “Steiner” didn’t even have to swing the bat to do it, instead drawing the fourth straight free pass issued by Texas Rangers knuckleballer Charlie Hough in the 1985 opener.  (Hough didn’t allow a hit in six innings, but departed after walking eight!).

Things finally started to change in 1990.  On Opening Day in Kansas City, Sam Horn clobbered a three-run homer off defending Cy Young winner Bret Saberhagen in his first Orioles at bat.  Horn added a pair of singles before the afternoon was through, and added another three-run shot off reliever Steve Farr in the eighth to send the game into extra innings.  (The Orioles won in eleven when Cal Ripken’s two-out single was mishandled)

Starting with Horn’s big day, Orioles starting DH’s have batted .348 in the first game of the season, though only Marty Cordova managed to join the home run parade (in 2003).  Overall, they’ve combined for a .264/.361/.392 (.753 OPS) line in thirty-six openers. 

Here are some of the standouts:

• Ken Singleton became the first to start three straight openers as a DH (from 1982-84).  Though he batted just a combined .100 in three contests, he did set an Opening Day club record for DH’s by walking three times in 1982.
• Horn matched Singleton with his third straight start in 1992, going 2-2 with a walk in the first ever game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards to raise his Opening Day average as an Orioles DH to .667.
• Harold Baines started the next three openers, then became the only Orioles DH to start the season’s first game four times in his final tour of duty with the team in 2000.  He had a pair of two-hit games & a pair of 0-fors to finish at .267 overall.
• It took 24 years, but Bobby Bonilla finally stroked the first Opening Day double by an Orioles DH in 1996.  Joe Carter (ninety-eight) & David Segui (2004) have since joined him.
• Segui, in 2004, and Brady Anderson in 1997 are the only players hit-by-pitches.  On a more positive note, they’re also the only players with three-hit games (Segui in 2002 & Anderson in ‘97) outside of Horn’s four-hit masterpiece.

Here’s the complete list of Opening Day Orioles Designated Hitters:

Four times – HAROLD BAINES

Three times – KEN SINGLETON & SAM HORN

Twice – TOMMY DAVIS, LEE MAY, LARRY SHEETS & DAVID SEGUI

Once:  TERRY CROWLEY, TONY MUSER, EDDIE MURRAY, RICH DAUER, JOSE MORALES, JOHN LOWENSTEIN, MIKE YOUNG, ALAN WIGGINS, BOBBY BONILLA, BRADY ANDERSON, JOE CARTER, JEFF CONINE, CHRIS RICHARD, MARTY CORDOVA, JAY GIBBONS, JAVY LOPEZ, KEVIN MILLAR & AUBREY HUFF

by Malcolm Allen

malallen@live.com

 

1954 Baltimore Orioles Memories – DICK KRYHOSKI

Dick Kryhoski of the 1954 Baltimore Orioles

 

The Orioles went just 54-100 in the 1954 season that marked Baltimore’s return to the major leagues.  Things to cheer about were scarce, and most of the players are unknown even to today’s most fervent Orioles fans.  Occasionally I like to try to do something about that.  Today, I’m thinking about Dick Kryhoski.

Kryhoski, described by The Sporting News as a “big, blond New Jersey resident”, debuted in the Yankees chain as a 21-year-old in 1946 after serving in World War II.  A Baltimore Sun article for the 50th anniversary of the ‘54 O’s noted that:

“Kryhoski’s ship, the USS Ticonderoga, had been struck in a kamikaze attack, killing more than 100 seamen.  The nightmares lingered for years, accompanied by Kryhoski’s screams of ‘Fire!  Fire!” that terrified his roomates on road trips.”

Anyway, the lefty-hitting first baseman reached the majors with the Yankees in 1949, played the next two seasons with the Tigers after a trade, then wound up with the St. Louis Browns after another deal.  He had his best season in 1953, walloping 16 homers in 338 at-bats before the franchise moved to Baltimore.

Kryhoski fractured a wrist in spring training and later cracked a rib, and couldn’t seem to stick in the lineup after the Orioles purchased a better fielding first-sacker who also hit from the left side in Eddie Waitkus.  On June 9 at Fenway Park, however, Kryhoski’s pinch-hit single off in the ninth inning of a tie game off Frank Sullivan began one of the most memorable performances of Baltimore’s 1954 season.  Waitkus turned an ankle the next day, and Kryhoski hit safely in 18 straight starts to extend his hitting streak to 19 before Cleveland’s Mike Garcia stopped him at Memorial Stadium on June 30.

Now, the 1954 O’s won nine games all season in their final at-bat, but Kryhoski stroked walkoff game-winners three times in five days from June 23-27, and also scored to end another contest in the same stretch! 

On June 23, Baltimore coughed up a four-run ninth inning lead to the Red Sox, and the game remained deadlocked until the bottom of the 17th.  That’s when Kryhoski ended the madness with a bases loaded fielder’s choice that Boston’s second baseman couldn’t make a play on to conclude what was the longest game in American League history at the time (4 hours, 58 minutes).  The Philadelphia Athletics came to town next and, after Baltimore’s Duane Pillette went the distance to win the opener, Kryhoski got busy again.  He singled home the tying run in the bottom of the 10th on a Saturday afternoon, then raced home with the winning tally on a wild pitch two batters later.  In the Sunday doubleheader that followed, Kryhoski smoked a two-out single through the box to decide the opener in the bottom of the 11th, then helped the O’s complete the sweep with an opposite field game-winner with two outs in the bottom of the ninth in the nightcap!  If that’s not Orioles Magic, I don’t know what is.

Unfortunately, Kryhoski struggled through a .185 July with only 2 RBI as the O’s went 9-21 that month.  When the team suffered through a miserable 7-25 August, he received only 24 at-bats.  In September though, he showed Orioles fans a couple more tricks.  His 9th inning single on September 5 drove in the winning run at Detroit and, with the team back at home for a double-header the next day, his 10th inning, bases loaded single to left off Early Wynn salvaged the Orioles a split.

All told, Kryhoski delivered four of the 1954 Orioles game-ending hits.  Not bad for a guy who started less than half the games and tallied only 34 ribbies all year.  Overall, Kryhoski batted .260 in 100 games (300 at-bats), but hit only one home run for the Birds.  After the season, he was traded back to the Yankees in a massive 17-player deal, then traded to the Athletics (who’d moved to Kansas City), just before opening day.  He got into just 28 games in 1955, which proved to be his last season.

Kryhoski died of cancer at the age of 82 in 2007, but he deserves to be remembered for providing some of the most exciting Orioles moments in 1954.

by Malcolm Allen

malallen@live.com

VICTOR DIAZ breaks the Dominican single-season Home Run Record!

New HR champ VICTOR DIAZ of the Aguilas Cibaenas

Professional baseball returned to the Dominican Republic in 1951 after a 13-year absence, and nobody hit more than 14 home runs in any winter league season…until now.

Last night in Puerto Rico (during an interleague contest against Santurce), Victor Diaz of the Aguilas Cibaenas smashed his 15th long ball of the season to establish a new record. Dick “Dr. Strangeglove” Stuart’s mark of 14 dingers in the winter of 1957-58 stood for half-a-century, matched only by native Dominican Freddy Garcia in 1998-98. Now, that pair of former Pittsburgh Pirates will have to settle for second place.

Diaz may set the new record far out of reach before he’s finished, as his ballclub still has more than a week’s worth of games remaining in the regular season. The Aguilas are making lots of history in pursuit of their league record 21st title, with Luis Polonia becoming the circuit’s all-time hit leader last month and Mendy Lopez needing just three more dingers to become the Dominican’s all-time home run champion.

Here’s a blow-by-blow look at Victor Diaz’ record:

1 – Pinch-hit two-run homer to tie season opener off southpaw Neal Musser (Escogido/Royals)

2 – two-run blast off big league veteran Victor Santos (Escogido) in 15-6 victory

3 – solo blast of RHP Franklin Nunez (Gigantes)

4 – Third straight day with HR: two-run shot off reigning league strikeout king Joselo Diaz (Toros/Royals)

5 – solo bomb in losing cause on Halloween off lefty Dusty Hughes (Escogido)

6 – Ninth inning shot off league’s save leader, ex-big league Julio Manon (Toros), to tie score

7 – solo shot in blowout win off former White Sox RHP Agustin Montero (Escogido)

8 – Takes Cuban RHP Amaury Sanit (Licey) deep with the bases empty

9 – Two-run shot in first inning off former Rays & A’s RHP Ruddy Lugo (Toros)

10 – Takes youngster Henry Sosa (Giants/Estrellas) deep with two aboard

11 – RHP Joe Bateman (Toros) serves up this three-run bomb

12 & 13 – Victimizes Henry Sosa (Estrellas) two more times with a man aboard on each

14 – Equals record off Spike Lundberg (Estrellas) with a solo shot that puts the Aguilas ahead by a run

15 – Dominican record falls in Puerto Rico versus ex-Pirates lefty Shane Youman (Santurce)

A.J. BURNETT & The Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles finished next-to-last in the American League with a 5.40 team earned run average in 2008, and Maryland resident A.J. Burnett (an 18-game winner who led the AL in strikeouts) is a free agent. It certainly seems like a match made in heaven, doesn’t it?

Lots of Orioles fans certainly think so, and it’s no secret that the ballclub’s had an eye on the 6′5″ right-hander for years, with a near trade awhile back for Daniel Cabrera to prove it. What’s money in a crumbling economic climate when the owner’s an octogenarian who hasn’t had a winning team on his payroll for more than a decade?

Hell, as a fan, I’d love to see the Orioles sign Burnett. I’ll still be poor whether they do or don’t, and a potential increase in ticket prices won’t keep me from going to games any more than my toddler already does. He’d give them a good chance to win whenever he went to the mound, and that’s all I’m realistically hoping for from my team in 2009.

The guys actually spending the boss’s money, however, ought to be a little less cavalier; and I won’t fault Andy MacPhail and the boys in the least if they determine that matching an Atlanta Braves offer rumored in the 4-year/$60-million range isn’t in the best interests of the franchise. Let’s face it. Burnett will be 32 on opening day, and consistency and dependability are hardly the first two words that’s come to mind if you stare at his baseball-reference page.

In fact, a visit to that very page ought to make Orioles fans think long and hard about whether they really want their hopes (symbolized by Peter Angelos’ dollars) invested so deeply A.J. Burnett after checking the ten most similar pitchers to him through age 31. Three of those names wore Orioles black ‘n’ orange not too long ago.

First, let me state for the record that I understand all the howls of protest about using similarity scores to make any type of projection. That’s really not what I’m doing at all. It’s just that Burnett’s 87-76, 3.81 in just over 1376 innings through his 31st birthday has been most closely approximated in baseball history by the 10 guys on the list. Since eight of them are now retired, I think it’s interesting to see what happened after they turned 32.

Erik Hanson (a former All-Star) and Jose Guzman never won another game. All-Stars Juan Guzman (who was an Oriole when he turned 32) & Wilson Alvarez, plus Kirk McCaskill, averaged about 14 more wins and 270 innings apiece before they called it quits. Another ex-Baltimore pitcher, Pete Harnisch, fared a little better, making 62 more starts and winning 25. Six-foot-five Stan Williams lasted until age 35 by moving to the bullpen. Ex-Oriole Mike Boddicker was pretty good until he turned 34, then went 6-13 before retiring. That leaves Randy Wolf –whose age 32 season comes next year– and Hideo Nomo, the least statistically similar of the 10 who won 54 games after turning 32. However, Nomo was actually much more accomplished professionally than Burnett before that age as he also put up big numbers in his native Japan.

The bottom line is that if the rest of A.J. Burnett’s career goes anything like the average of his numerical peers, he won’t have even another 400 innings or 25 wins in his powerful right arm. For $52-million, $60-million, $75-million…whatever he winds up getting, that would be pretty disappointing.

Now I hope he obliterates the chart and wins 17 or more for five straight years in an Orioles uniform. I certainly wish the guy good health wherever he winds up. If he doesn’t come close, I won’t say I told you so, but…well, you know.

Strange Doings In the Dominican Republic: Winter League Baseball Weirdness

Victor Diaz Follows Through On Another Home Run Swing

I’ve been meaning to put together a comprehensive, team-by-team post about winter league baseball in the Dominican Republic since play began five weeks ago.  With the regular season schedule more than halfway complete, that post still isn’t ready but I have to comment on something I’ve noticed that’s largely slipped under the radar.

In 2006-2007, the league ERA was 3.56.  Last season, it dropped to 3.33.  This winter -through games of November 22-  the league earned run average is an astounding 5.40!!!  As a former big league hurler from the DR used to exclaim, whatdehellwhatdefuck?!?!?!

As you might expect, home runs are up and former major league Victor Diaz (of the defending champion Aguilas Cibaenas) is leading the charge.  Diaz rapped 12 longballs in 280 at-bats for the 2005 Mets, when teammate Pedro Martinez let reporters know his nickname was “Little Manny” in the D.R.  Unfortunately, high strikeout totals, indifferent defense and un-Mannyesque lack of plate discipline conspired to keep Diaz in the minors for all but 43 games the last three seasons.  He hasn’t seen big league action since blasting 9 homers in just 104 at bats for the Rangers in 2007.  He pounded out 25 dingers with 107 RBI for two clubs in the Pacific Coast League this summer. 

The soon-to-be 27-year-old Diaz may be hitting himself back into the Show, however.  So far this winter, he’s put up a .346/.417/.757 line, good for a 1.174 OPS backed by 11 home runs and 32 RBI in just 28 games!  Then again, he is striking out once every 2.8 at bats.  When he makes contact, Diaz is batting .536!

Right behind Diaz in the scoreboard power stats is teammate Mendy Lopez, with 9 home runs and 30 RBI.  With a good week, or a great game for that matter, Lopez can become the circuit’s career home run champion.

Jake Fox is batting .413 playing most of the time, while the Nationals Anderson Hernandez is at .398 with a league-leading six triples among his number one hit total.  About the only pitcher really having an outstanding campaign is Jorge Sosa, who’s 5-0 with a 1.50 ERA.  Don’t get too excited, his 12 strikeouts in 30 innings pitched are on the underwhelming side. 

I’ll be back with more after the American Thanksgiving holiday, but check out the Dominican League if you get an opportunity.  It’s shaping up to be an exciting season for evrybody but pitchers, and things are sure to heat up as more major leaguers join the action in December.

Major League Pitchers Never Stop Learning

Pitchers get advice from plenty of guys who have enough trouble hitting

I ruined any snowball’s chance in hell I may have had of being a big league pitcher by stubbornly refusing to put much thought into my repertoire until I was in my mid-20’s.  Since my fastball topped out in the 86-87 mph range, that didn’t get me very far, and I still look back wistfully at the 100-or-so-degree day that I discovered the changeup out of necessity rather than let myself get taken out of a game.  Why, oh why, couldn’t I have wised up when I was 16 instead of 26 and already a has been by any standard with illusions of major league glory?

I haven’t played organized ball in over a decade now, but I still hunger to learn all I can about the science of pitching.  One thing that fascinates me is the awareness that a lot of young stud hurlers hyped up by Sickels, Baseball Prospectus, etc. are practically as bullheaded and clueless as I was in their youth.

That’s why I never hesitate to ask big league pitchers what they learned about pitching AFTER they reached the majors.  Some of them actually answer, and the responses are occasionally (to me, anyway) fascinating and often full of exclamation points.   One day I want to dig them all up and put them in a book, but for now I’ll share the ones close at hand with my faithful reader…or is it readers?

LHP Danny Boone (5′8″ with career 3.36 ERA):  “Always stay aggressive, don’t back down, keep hitter off-balance.”

LHP Don Carman (53 career wins):  “Be relentless.”

LHP Jerry Don Gleaton (12 year career):  “I learned that you need to be aggressive, throw strikes and keep composure at all times!”

LHP Darold Knowles (pitched in all 7 1973 World Series games):  “Throwing strikes”

RHP Terry Leach (3.15 career ERA):  “Don’t think that the hitters are better than you.”

RHP Dyar Miller (23 wins & 22 saves in 7 years):  “I learned in the major leagues that it’s the best place to play.  Much tougher and better than the minors.”

RHP Stu Miller (led each league in saves):  “That hitters are idiots.”

RHP Sergio Mitre (10 major league wins so far):  “Most important thing is that you can never stop learning.  Make sure to be prepared and know that you tried everything to be successful.”

LHP John Morris (11-7 over 8 years):  “Always believe it can happen!!”

LHP Rob Murphy (3.64 ERA in 597 relief outings):  “Don’t throw strikes that are too good.”

LHP Randy Niemann (7-8 over 8 years):  “Throwing strikes & having a put away pitch!!”

RHP Mike Parrott (14-game winner in 1979):  “I learned the importance of making the most out of each day and opportunity.  Life is short, enjoy what God has given you.”

RHP Duane Pillette (first Orioles to win a game, 1954):  “That it’s more with the head than with the arm.  Also, if the legs aren’t in good shape, then the arm is overworked.”

RHP Bob Savage (WWII vet won 16 games):  “Learning how to pitch!!”

RHP Bob Scanlan (20 career wins with 17 saves):  “Location, location, location and be committed to your pitch.”

LHP Buddy Schultz (15-9 with 12 saves career):  “Experience matters.”

RHP Bob Sebra (15 big league wins):  “The most important advice I can give to you is to learn how to pitch to the situation –score of the game, inning you’re in– and to just go out to the mound and go as hard as you can for as long as you can!  Don’t try to be a hero and let your defense work for you!  Work Fast, Throw Strikes, Have Fun!!!”

RHP Al Severinsen (3.08 career ERA):  “It was important to know when to challenge hitters as a relief pitcher.  You wanted to get beat on your best stuff.  I tried to stay ahead in the count making the hitters hit my pitch.” 

LHP Bobby Shantz (1952 AL MVP):  “The most important thing I learned about pitching was how to change speeds on my fastball and curveball.  Getting the hitters off balance is very important because they all look for the fastball.”

RHP Scott Sullivan (40-28 in 10 seasons):  “Keep the ball low!”

RHP Mike Torrez (20-game winner 1975):  “Being positive all times.”

RHP Dave Veres (95 career saves):  “Throw strikes!!!”

RHP Al Worthington (110 career saves):  “I learned to concentrate – always be ready to pitch – always keep the ball down – and believe in yourself.”

RHP Jim Wright (1981-82 Royals):  “Still throwing my fastball as hard as before or as I always had, but throwing it exactly where I wanted to in the strike zone and out of the strike zone.  That was the most important thing I learned about pitching after entering pro ball.”

If you enjoyed reading these, please let me know, and I’ll dig some others out of the archives when I go back home over the holidays.

Mike Mussina Retires, Orioles Fans Exhale & Cooperstown Awaits

Rookie Mike Mussina in action - 1991 at good ol

I wish the Moose well, first of all, and wish him contentment and happiness in his newly announced retirement.  Like many Orioles fans, I felt like I’d been stabbed when he left a lost-at-sea Orioles franchise after the 2000 season to join the hated New York Yankees, winners of three straight World Series at the time.  We all feared the rich were getting richer, and dreaded the prospect of seeing one of the toughest right-handers in all of baseball come out of the wrong dugout at Camden Yards.

The Yankees certainly got their money’s worth, as Mussina went 123-72 over eight seasons, plus a 3.00 World Series ERA when his teammates got him to the Fall Classic.  On the other hand, he never got his ring, and had to wait until his last start of his last season to achieve his holy grail 20-win season.  Though he fashioned a 10-8 record against his old Baltimore mates, his 4.83 ERA against them was his highest against any team that faced him for at least 35 innings. 

I never shared the unabashed hate for Mussina held fiercely by a number of O’s fans based on the belief that he was a traitor.  Don’t get me wrong.  I hated those stinking pinstripes and NY road grays more than ever, but I actually hoped he’d pitch well while the other guys in his clubhouse foiled his championship plans.  I guess you could say that’s what happened.

Now that it’s over, I don’t feel compelled to write why I believe Mussina’s a worthy Hall of Famer.  To me, it’s not even debatable and even having the discussion is somehow a slap to the man.  If you don’t believe me, go make a list of all the pitchers in major league history that won at least 100 more than they lost that aren’t in the Hall and get back to me. 

I had a good view from the upper deck behind home plate when Mussina whiffed 10 Texas Rangers over eight three-hit innings to earn his first major league victory on 8/14/1991.  I’ll always remember the first inning homer he surrendered to Juan Gonzalez, and the fact that Baltimore’s Jose Bautista got the last three outs in what proved to be his last appearance in an Orioles uniform.  Also, the feeling that I was seeing a really good pitcher.  That feeling never left.

Even on July 1, 1994 –when I watched the California Angels blast five homers off Mussina in just five innings– I still saw a guy who somehow managed to improve his record to 12-4.  (Sure, those half-dozen Orioles longballs in retaliation had something to do with it). 

In 1997, I saw him best Randy Johnson in his prime at Camden Yards, and face down John Smoltz in the Orioles interleague debut series in Atlanta when they swept the mighty Braves.  Later that year, Mussina put on the finest post-season pitching exhibition I’ve ever seen.  In the Division Series, he beat the Big Unit -not once, but- twice to lead Baltimore into the ALCS, where he held the powerful Cleveland Indians to a single earned run in 15 innings of four-hit work while striking out 25!!!  Yet, the Orioles scored a grand total of one run in his two starts, lost both games in extra innings and dropped a heartbreaker of a series.  So, I don’t want to hear any crap about Mussina not being a Hall of Famer because he doesn’t have a ring.

He’s was a pitcher in every sense of the word, one of the best I’ve ever seen, and a smart guy whose answers tended to rise or sink to the level of the questions he was being asked.  He was also an autograph collector’s dream for what it’s worth, and by all accounts a standup guy you’d be proud to have in your family.  I just hope the folks in Cooperstown will put an orthonologically correct Orioles bird on his Hall of Fame plaque instead of that cursed “NY”…and I live in New York!

Mussina as an Oriole = 147-81, 3.53 in 2009 2/3 innings

Mussina as a Yankee = 123-72, 3.88 in 1553 innings

P.S. – In case you didn’t know, you can buy a Moose bar (among other things) at www.mikemussinafoundation.org

Hit King LUIS POLONIA – The Aguilas’ Atomic Ant Breaks Dominican Hit Record

Luis Polonia shows off his record-breaking form

Luis Polonia smiles after breaking the record

 

Luis Polonia passed Miguel Dilone as the Dominican League’s all-time leader in hits last night.   Considering the league’s official website calls Polonia “la Hormiga Atomica” (roughly the Atomic Ant), I was tempted to say he crawled to the top of the leaderboard, but anybody who’s seen Little Looie race around the basepaths knows that wouldn’t really be accurate. 

Besides, he wasted little time piling up three hits yesterday in classic Polonia fashion:  a broken bat single in the first, then a roller through the right side, and finally a line drive up the middle for the record breaker.  Polonia’s historic hit came off left-handed reliever Joe Thatcher, who’s spent parts of the last two seasons with the San Diego Padres.

As for Polonia, he hasn’t been spotted in the majors since 2000, when he notched a single in two at bats to help the New York Yankees win their third straight World Series.  He also earned a ring with the 1995 Braves, and batted .293 overall in 12 big league seasons from 1987-2000.  He was a pesky singles hitter who finished in the American League’s top five in stolen bases for three consecutive years in the early nineties.  He often wore uniform number 22, which one former teammate joked represented the title of the book about hitting 100 fly balls in Polonia’s direction.  Catch 22.  Unfortunately, he’s probably better remembered in the USA for an incident with an underage girl on a road trip to Milwaukee early in his career, but at home in the Dominican he’s baseball royalty.

Consider he’s been a .308 hitter for the last 25 years (!) for the Aguilas Cibaenas, one of the baseball mad nation’s two most popular teams.  No one in league history has hit more triples, and Polonia is likely to shatter another of Dilone’s career marks in a few days by becoming the circuit’s all-time leader in runs scored.  Since Polonia first suited up for the Aguilas, they’ve won 12 of their league record 20 Dominican League championships and were runners up for five more.  Polonia and the Aguilas show no signs of slowing down.  His three hits last night raised his batting average over .360 and helped his teammates move into a first place tie with their ninth win in 10 tries!

Dethroned hit king Miguel Dilone is worth a mention as well.  Like Polonia, he made his mark in the black and yellow colors of the Aguilas as a weak-armed oufielder with speed to burn and an affinity for stroking singles.  Dilone also spent a dozen years in the majors where, despite an alleged attitude problem, he batted .265 and stole 267 bases.  His best season came with the Cleveland Indians in 1980 when he hit .340 and stole 61 bags.  One Dominican League record of Dilone’s that seems safe is his stolen base mark.  Polonia is in second place in that category, but a whopping 215 steals behind!

by MALCOLM ALLEN

malallen@live.com

DOMINICAN LEAGUE ALL-TIME HIT LEADERS (through 11/15/08)

878 – Luis Polonia

877 – Miguel Dilone

865 – Jesus Alou

822 – Rafael Batista

800 – Manny Mota

768 – Winston Llenas

689 – Matty Alou

684 – Pedro Gonzalez

The return of the BALTIMORE Orioles

Nick Markakis & Adam Jones model the Orioles new unis

“I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t witness it myself!”

“I never thought I’d live to see this day!”

No, I’m not talking about Barack Obama winning the election. (Well, that too).  I’m talking about the BALTIMORE Orioles new road jerseys, unveiled today at a rally in downtown Baltimore.

Following the 1972 season, then-owner Jerry Hoffberger dropped the city’s name from the uniforms with the excuse that he didn’t want to alienate Washington-area fans who might be looking for a new team to support after being abandoned for the second time by their own Washington Senators. 

Through several ownership changes, “Orioles” was all you’d see on the Baltimore club’s uniforms.  In 2005, Washington, DC became the new home of the Montreal Expos and proudly outfitted their new Nationals in caps with a “W”, road jerseys with “Washington” on them and alternate digs featuring a “DC”.  Good for them.  I lived in DC for years and very much liked it. 

However, that turn of events made it more and more imperative (at least to me and a decent portion of the fanbase) that the Orioles embrace their own hometown and show “Bodymore, Murderland”, or “Bal’mer” if you prefer, a little love.  Whereas late PA announcer Rex Barney once proudly name the starting lineup of “your Baltimore Orioles”, the ballclub left the city’s name off all official corresposndence, with the business card I received from GM Andy MacPhail only referencing Baltimore in the mailing address.  I wrote to owner Peter Angelos and told him so, called the club’s public relations office a few times and signed a handful of petitions. 

An off-season or two ago, rumor had it the the club was about to make the change, but childishly changed their mind when premature media reports leaked the good news.  Ridiculous (if true).

Today’s announcement makes me smile, though, even if I haven’t lived in the Baltimore area full-time since the team still played in Memorial Stadium.  I dig the Maryland flag patches they’re putting on the sleeve, and don’t even mind the almost imperceptible, what’s the point-type tinkering with the orthonologically correct bird on the cap.

The Orioles got this one right, so hat’s off to them!  It might take them a while to resemble the 1969-71 juggernaut when the umpire hollers “Play ball”, but at least they’ll look a little more like them in visiting ballparks.