Twitter Tuesday

Thanks to Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers for striking out 7 Astros last night.

My FOX Baseball Hot Streak is now at 3. My pick today is the Tigers Justin Verlander, 5+ K's.

Today is Twitter Tuesday.

Baseball fans truly show their passion for the National Pastime with each and every one of their tweets. 

Watching a baseball game and watching fans reaction on Twitter is just too much fun.

On Tuesday's I'll be posting some of my thoughts about the people, players, and teams that I come across on My Twitter page, @freehan11. You can also follow my tweets on the right hand side of this blogs homepage.

Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays hit his big league leading 19th home run last night.

You can follow the big league home run hitter on his Twitter account, @JoeyBats19

Happy Birthday today to @BradPenny of the Detroit Tigers, who turns 33 today.

Did You know? Brad Penny's fiance is Karina Smirnoff of "Dancing With the Stars."

One of the most active, and funny baseball players on Twitter is Logan Morrison...@LoMoMarlins of the Florida Marlins.

Morrison loves for baseball fans to interact with him, and he will send you a tweet thanking you for following him.

One of my favorite twitter baseball fans that I follow is Church of Baseball, a baseball fan who will give you  terrific coverage of Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals baseball.

As I mentioned, I love Twitter, and would love to hear from you about the fans and players who you follow, if you do, on Twitter, just post them in the comment section of this post.

Until next time, enjoy today's baseball.

Monday Mop Up

This past weekend we had the first weekend of inter league play, capped off by the Boston Red Sox defeating the Chicago Cubs, 5-1, in the first match up between the two teams in Fenway Park since the 1918 World Series.

I like inter league play, but I think it might be time to tweak the schedule.

While I like the Yankees-Mets, and the Cubs-ChiSox(always rooting for the Cubs), the Brewers-Rockies, and Astros-Blue Jays aren't compelling games.

Speaking of the Jays, Tony Bautista continues to hit home runs, and now leads the big leagues with 18.

Since the start of the 2010 baseball year, Joey Bats has smacked 72 homers, most in the big leagues.

Right on his tale is another unlikely HR hitter, the Yankees Curtis Granderson, who has 16 long balls.

As a Tigers fan, I didn't like the trade of Granderson to the Yanks after the 2009 season, because Granderson was, and still is a terrific player.

The Tigers traded Granderson because they felt they needed a better leadoff guy, and Granderson was striking out to much for their liking. 

As the Tigers offense continues to struggle, Granderson would look very nice at the top of the Tigers line up right now.

The Boston Red Sox are 25-20, winners of 8 of 10 games, and have officially put the rest of the A.L. East on notice that the Red Sox, after a miserable start, are still the team to beat.

The Red Sox have to much talent not to win the East, especially when you look at the Yankees pitching staff. Other than C.C Sabathia, does anyone fear anyone else in that rotation? 

How did the Cleveland Indians get 7 games in front of the pack in the A.L. Central, and the Minnesota Twins get in last place, 14 1/2 games behind them?

Matt Joyce of the Tampa Bay Rays leads the A.L. in batting, at .355. Another former Detroit Tigers player who the team gave up on to soon.

Chase Utley returns to the Phillies today.

The All-Star 2nd baseman hasn't played this season, and the Phillies are in 1st place, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Florida Marlins. 

The Phillies great starting pitching has done it's job, and with the return of one of their best hitters, the Philadelphia is, in my opinion, still the team to beat.

Today is the start of a three game series between the Tigers and the Rays, in Detroit.

It's also the start of three straight games that I will have to watch the worst play by play announcer in baseball, Dewayne Staats.

Because of the MLB blackout policy, I cannot watch the Tigers broadcast on my computer, as the Rays, some 5 hours away from my home in Jacksonville, Florida, are protected.

I will have more about Staats in an up coming article about my favorite, and not so fave, baseball broadcasters.

I need Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers to strike out 5, or more, batters tonight in Houston in my FOX Baseball Hot Streak pick 'em.

Harmon Killebrew passes away

One of the great power hitters in big league baseball history, Harmon Killebrew, has passed away from esophageal cancer at the age of 74.

Killebrew, to me, is the face of the Minnesota Twins, of of the most powerful hitters in baseball history.

Growing up as young baseball fans we all knew the home run numbers...744 for Hank Aaron, 714 by Babe Ruth, 660 by Willie Mays, 586 for Frank Robinson, and 573 for Harmon Killebrew.

"Killer"  made his big league debut for the Washington Senators in 1954, at the tender age of 17, the start of a 22 year big league career,

I always remember Killebrew being one of only 4 men to ever hit a ball on the left field roof of Tiger Stadium, along with Frank Howard, Mark McGwire, and Big "Daddy Cecil" Fielder.

His 1972 baseball card was my favorite.

Harmon Killebrew Official Web Site

Want to win a FREE book on baseball?

Of course you do!

Over at The Hall of Very Good they have an article with author Dan Epstein who's written a new book about baseball during the 1970's titled...

Big Hair and Plastic Grass: A Funky Ride Through Baseball and America in the Swinging '70s.

I can't wait to read this book, and relive the decade of cookie cutter stadiums, astro turf, and softball uniforms.

Head over to The Hall of Very Good, read the interview, and comment on the article, and you could win a copy of the book.

What are you reading?

As a reader of this blog you know how much I love baseball, and that includes books written on America's Pastime.

I enjoy reading books on all big league clubs, and cannot pass on a book written about the Detroit Tigers, or players who've played for the team.

I'm currently reading a book about Don Larsen's Perfect Game in Game 6 of the 1956 World Series, by Lew Paper.

It's a fascinating book that looks at the players and coaches that made up Game 6 of the 1956 World Series.

As I read the book, I was wondering what some of you baseball fans out there are reading this spring.

In today's USA Today Sports Section there's an article on George Vecsey's new book on Stan Musial, and it looks like a great book, can't wait to read it.

Comment if you would on what your reading now, or tell me about a book on baseball that you've read in the past that you really liked.

 

My favorite Marlin... Jeff Conine

Happy Baseball Birthday!  to my favorite Miami Marlins player, Jeff Conine. 

▪▪▪this is an update on a blog post from 2011, "My Favorite Marlin."

I continue writing about my favorite ball players, and I'm  in the N.L. East, with my favorite Florida Marlin, Jeff Conine.

Jeff Conine was just one of those guys, when you saw how he played, you just said there goes a big league ball player.

Conine was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 58th round of the 1987 big league player draft.



Jeff made his big league debut for the Royals on September 16th, 1990.

After playing in 37 games for the Royals, Jeff was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the Expansion Draft of 1993.

Jeff played in all 162 games for the Marlins  in 1993, getting 174 hits, batting .292, with 12 HR, and 79 RBI, placing him 3rd place in the N.L. Rookie of the Year voting.

Conine would play for the Marlins through the 1997 season, when he and the Marlins, as a Wild Card, went on to win the teams first World Series Title, over the Cleveland Indians.

In that span, from '93-97, Conine established himself as the Marlins best player, batting .300 twice, hitting 98 home runs, driving in 422 runs, playing in 2 All-Star Games, winning the MVP of the 1995 All-Star Game, coming off the bench as a pinch hitter, and hitting the game winning HR in the 8th inning.

After the '97 World Series, the Marlins sold off and traded most of their team, including Conine, who was sent back to the Royals for the 1998 season.

From 1999-2003 Jeff played in Baltimore, where, as usual, he became a fan favorite, just as he had in Florida.

On the trade deadline in 2003 the Orioles sent Conine back to the Marlins, where Jeff became part of the Marlins 2nd World Series Championship team.

I always enjoyed watching Conine play, and  regardless of the players who have come after him, he is, and always will , be Mr. Marlin,"  the face of the Marlins franchise.

Conine last played for the Marlins in 2005, and yet his name is still high up in the Marlins record book.

Jeff Conine is 2nd in career games played for Florida, with 1,104, 2nd in hits, 1.005, 2nd in RBIs, 553, 3rd in total bases, 1,579, 7th in Marlins HRs, with 120, and 8th in batting average, at .290.

I used to get into arguments with friends about Conine being the Marlins best player in his early years, when Garry Sheffield was a teammate of Conine.

I'll take one Jeff Conine as a player on one of my teams over a hundred Sheffield's.

The stats were all Sheffield's, but the heart, the passion, the ball player, for me, was Jeff Conine.

The annual JEFF CONINE AWARD is presented to the Marlin of the Year by the Miami chapter of the Baseball Writers Associationof America. 

Happy Baseball Birthday!  Jeff Conine, my Favorite Marlin!


PLAY BALL! 

Red Wings are done, all baseball the rest of the summer

Sports fans like myself, who grew up in the Midwest, and follow sports all year long, are now down to one sport, baseball.

Well. maybe I'm just speaking for myself, but for the rest of the summer, it's all about the National Pastime, the great game of baseball.

Now, that doesn't mean that I won't look in on the Stanley Cup playoffs, I will, it's just that after my Detroit Red Wings were eliminated, the nightly watching of games until the wee hours of the morning are over.

Today is the start of summer baseball watching, I have no interest in the outcome of the Stanley Cup winner, or the winner of the NBA Finals...although I will say that I am hoping any team other than Miami wins.

Baseball and the summer, they were meant for one another, "The Boys of Summer," as Roger Kahn wrote.

I'm a fan of the Detroit Tigers, who, after winning 5 straight games, are just 4 games behind first place Cleveland, and a 1/2 a game behind the KC Royals, who come to Comerica Park for a weekend series.

Mr. No-No, Justin Verlander, takes the mound for the first time tonight since his 2nd career no-hitter last Saturday in Toronto against the Blue Jays.

It's also that time of year, the time when the baseball media trot out all the superlatives, all the hype that surrounds the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry.

All 3 games are on prime time TV, tonight on the MLB Network, Saturday on FOX, and Sunday night, of course, on ESPN.

Tonight it's all about Verlander, and the Tigers of course, but I'll check in on the Yanks-BoSox.

I hope to be posting more starting this weekend, as I've been lax in posting over the past month, due to my health, and general lack of any real reason to write.

I'll be bringing back my articles on my favorite players from all current, and past big league teams.

Look this weekend for my post on my fave Florida Marlin player, "Mr. Marlin," Jeff Conine.

You can check out previous fave player posts by entering "my favorite players from all 30 Big League teams" in the "search box" on the lower left hand side of this blog.

Here is the one on the Tampa Bay Rays Rocco Baldelli

I will also be doing some other posts, re-designing some things on the blog, trying to get back into the groove, so to speak.

Some notes...

Please remember, if you're a fan of the Detroit Tigers, please check out Detroit Tigers Scorecard Blog, written by my friend, Austin Drake.

I do write some things on occasion, but Austin is a fantastic, vibrant young Tiger fan, who's passion for the Motor City's big league team reminds me of myself some 30+ years ago, before the internet, of course.

Follow me here on my Twitter page  or on my Facebook page for my thoughts on baseball and life in general.

Thanks to all of you who continue to read this blog, believe me, it's very much appreciated.

I love the game of baseball, and it's glorious history.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander no-hits the Blue Jays

I just had to call my Uncle Bob.

He remembers Virgil Trucks, a journeyman pitcher in the 1940's and 50's who threw two ho-hitters for the Detroit Tigers in 1952.

Nicknamed "Fire," Virgil Trucks was the only Tiger pitcher to throw 2 no-hitters for the Tigers.


Until today.


Today at Rogers Center in Toronto, right hander Justin Verlander dominated the Blue Jays, tossing his second career no-hitter, as the Tigers beat Toronto, 9-0.


Justin Verlander is the best pitcher the Tigers have had since Jack Morris, and when he's done pitching, he'll simply be the best pitcher the Detroit Tigers have ever had.


Allowing only an 8th inning walk , Verlander faced the minimum, 27 batters, retiring Blue Jays catcher A.J. Arencibia, the recipient of the walk, on a double play.


Justin Verlander no-hits the Blue Jays


The Tigers pounded out 11 hits, including home runs by Jhonny Peralta and Alex Avila, in the Tigers 9-0 win.

 

Who's the best baseball player ever?

I'll make this short, mostly because i don't feel very good today.

It's time for another poll ranking the best baseball players of All-Time.

ESPN has asked baseball fans to pick the greatest baseball players of All-Time.

For me, this is always a tough call.

What do you do with Bonds, A-Rod, Clemens, and the rest of the steroid era players who have, and continue to, erase legendary numbers.

There are always going to be those who say the Cobbs, Ruth's, and Gehrig's of baseball never had to face black and Latin players, and that the quality of pitching is better today.

All I know is the best hitter of All-Time was Tyrus Raymond Cobb, the best pitcher was Cy Young, and the best all around player was Babe Ruth.

Before you all come back with Mays, yes, The Say Hey Kid was great, but he didn't win 94 big league games as a starting pitcher.

It's almost impossible to agree on the best ball players ever, but that's what makes the game so great.

Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, Honus Wagner, Joe DiMaggio, Bonds, Greg Maddox, Mike Schmidt, Mickey Mantle.

The list goes on...and on...and on.

Happy Mendoza Line, er, Cinco de Mayo Day!

I really don't pay attention to days like today.

May 5th has always been just another day to me, but it's probably because I don't drink. Never have. 

However, as I've been seeing all day on my Twitter page it's Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican festival/ holiday that celebrates Mexico's victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862.

So, as I was thinking about all the tweets and comments on my Facebook page, I suddenly thought hey, what about some of the best of the best of the Mexican ball players who have come and gone through big league baseball.

 

132 players, if I counted right, have come to the big leagues from Mexico, including the great Fernando Valenzuela, Ruben Amaro, Bobby Avila, Vinny Castilla, Teddy Higuera, and of course, the infamous Mario Mendoza.

Mario Mendoza's  Baseball Almanac.com page is here.

Mendoza was a good fielding,  light hitting infielder with a lifetime .215 batting average who became part of baseball lore after Kansas City Royals star 3rd baseman George Brett commented about looking through the box scores to see the players hitting below "the Mendoza line," or, under .200.

Other Mexican baseball players who made good in the big league include Sid Monge, Aurelio Lopez..."Senior Smoke" of the 1984 Detroit Tigers, Hector Torres, Oscar Robles, and Mel Almada, who became the 1st ever Mexican to play in the big leagues, when he made his debut on September 8th, 1933.