My 2013 Baseball Awards...American League

Every year I participate in the annual post season baseball awards for the Baseball Bloggers Alliance (BBA).

First up is the American League.

Connie Mack Award (Manager of the Year)...John Farrell, Boston Red Sox

Willie Mays Award (Best Rookie)...Will Myers, Tampa Bay Rays

Goose Gossage Award (Best Reliever)...Koji Uehara, Boston Red Sox

Walter Johnson Award (Best Pitcher)...Max Scherzer, Detroit Tigers

Stan Musial Award (Best Player)...Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers.

As I am doing this from my phone, I won't be doing my usual breakdown of each award.

The Baseball Bloggers Award winners will be announced in November, and I wil follow up a comparison of my ballot and the actual winners...if I get a computer.

Enjoy the World Series.

1969 Detroit Tigers Yearbook.

44 years later I still remember getting this Tigers Yearbook, which celebrated the 1968 World Series Champions.

Thanks to the folks over at We Love Ernie Harwell Facebook page for the photo.

Cabrera, Verlander, Tigers beat A's on ALDS

Great headline from Detroit Free Press..

This weeks SI cover...The Uptons

Clever baseball cover for this weeks Sports Illustrated.

I guess the lovely Kate Upton, who once dated Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, has moved her baseball loyalties for the upcoming baseball playoffs.

The Duke of Flatbush

I saw this photo of Duke Sinder on my Facebook page, and though I'd share it with you.

The Brooklyn Dodgers are my favorite old school extinct baseball team, so when I saw the Duke of Flatbush on that 1955 Sports Illustrated cover, well, I started smiling.

Thanks to the staff at We Love the Game of Baseball , on their Facebook paage, for sharing this awesome baseball item with us.

Play Ball!

Miguel Cabrera HR #40

Last night Detroit Tigers 3B Miguel Cabrera hit a walk off HR as the Tigers defeated Kansas City, 6-5.

In today's first at bat, on the first pitch Cabrera saw, he hit a 2 run HR to start the Tigers on their way to a 6-3 won over the Royals.

Two pitches, two homers, for baseball's best hitter.

Today's first inning blast was Cabrera's 361st  big league home run, tying him with NY Yankee great Joe DiMaggio.

The Bambino

65 years ago today the original Sultan of Swat, George Herman "Babe' Ruth, passed away at age 53.

No one played baseball with more joy and gusto than The Babe.

He was bigger than life, loved children, and was baseball's biggest star.

The debate about who the best of the best of big league ballplayers was, it seems to always come down to Ruth, Ty Cobb, Willie Mays, or Ted Williams.

To me there is no clear cut winner.

Cobb is the best hitter who ever grabbed a bat.

Ruth is the best power hitter ever, and he changed the way baseball was played,  from the station to station of the Deadball era to today's power game.

Williams was a great hitter who missed five years if his prime to two wars, a man who pioneered how batters approached the game.

Mays is, some argue, the best all-around player when the five tools, hitting, hitting for power, base running, defense, and speed are considered.

Then there's Henry Aaron, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Roberto Clemente, Honus Wagner, and Joe DiMaggio.

A case has been made over the years for all of the above players.

When it comes right down to it, hitting 714 home runs, batting .342, AND winning 94 ball games as one of the best pitchers in baseball, well, the Great Bambino is hard to beat.

Play Ball.

Happy Left Handers Day...Baseball Style.

Today is officially "Left Handers Day."

I have to admit, until today, I didn't really know their was a day just for the lefty's, nor did I know there was a web site just for left handers.

So, with baseball fan writing blog posts, sending Tweets, posting Facebook "likes",  about their favorite left handed hurlers, I thought I'd send a shout out for a Detroit Tigers hero.

Mickey Lolich is the best left handed pitcher the Tigers have ever had.

 Mickey won 217 big league ball games, 207 wearing the old English "D" for 13 of his 16 years in the bigs.


Mickey was the 1968 World Series Most Valuable Player, winning three games, besting Cardinals ace Bob Gibson in Game 7, 4-1.

Mickey was traded to the New York Mets for OF Rusty Staub after the '75 season.

He won 8 games for the Mets in 1976, losing 18.

Mickey finished his big league career with the San Diego Padres in 1978-79.

The number Mickey Lolich wore, #29, has continued to be issued by the Tigers.

38 years.

From Steve Foucalt To Danny Worth, the Tigers have somehow managed,  without just cause by this fan, to allow the number to be worn by subpar players.

One day it would be great to look out to those famous statues and see Mickey and Bill Freehan immortalized in bronze. 

I think Tiger fans need to remember that the Tigers have been an American League institution since the start of the league, in 1901.

The Tigers have done a terrific job putting together a World Series contending team

That said, the Tigers need to honor the past as well.

After the Cardinals Tim McCarver popped up the final pitch of the World Series, the ball fell safely into the mitt of Tigers catcher Bill Freehan.

Freehan turned around after catching the laat out, turned around to celebrate, and caught Mickey Lolich jumping with joy into Freehan's arms.

The Tigers need to honor that moment, those two baseball heros, Detroit Tigerd heroed.

This what the statue should look like.

Go Tigers!

#retire Mickeys29

#11belongstoFreehan

1968 World Champion Detroit Tigers

Thanks to the Detroit Athletic Company for this photo of the 1968 Champs from the Motor City.

The Detroit Tigers won 103 games and ran away with the '68 American League Pennant.

The '68 Tigers were the last pennant winning A. L. team before baseball expansion in 1969.

In the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Tigers rallied from a 3 games to 1 Cardinals series lead,  winning the final three games.

The Tigers victory was the third in team history.

The 1935 and 1945 Tigers teams were Detroit's previous big league champions.

The Tigers have played in 12 World Series.

Besides the above mentioned champs,  the Detroit Tigers also won the 1984  World Series.

Who's your favorite player from the '68 team?

Is it the Series MVP, LHP Mickey Lolich?

How about the Hall.of Fame right fielder,  Al Kaline, or Mr. Grandslam,  Jim Northrup.

If you follow this blog, you know my answer.

GO TIGERS!

Vin Scully ESPN Sunday Night Baseball promo

Vin Scully, Voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers,  Tweeted this link for ESPN Sunday Night Baseball this week.

The Dodgers host the Tampa Bay Rays at 8pm.

Terrific is an understatement for the promo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPyX9xZamRc&feature=youtube_gdata_player