Friday Fastballs...Good Friday 2016

As we head into Easter weekend I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you all a blessed time with family and friends on this Holiest of times.

⚾ Let's look at some baseball stuff I've come across this week.

⚾ Baseball Card of the Day...actually, two cards, for Easter.

⚾ Today's Happy Baseball Birthday! former Detroit Tigers owner John Fetzer, who was born on March 25, 1901.

Mr. Fetzer was the Tigers owner when I first learned about baseball and the Tigers.

Mr. Fetzer owned WKZO Radio in my hometown of Kalamazoo, and that's how I followed the Tigers as a boy growing up, with Ernie Harwell and WKZO.

Here's a terrific article on Mr. Fetzer by Scott Ferkovich of the Detroit Athletic Company Blog.

⚾ As I write this I'm watching the Cardinals-Mets game on ESPN.

I give ESPN grief in many things...covering big league baseball is the #1 thing they do best.

John Kruk, although not at the game, was still great to listen to today. ..how can you not like Kruk? 

My favorite analyis at ESPN is Tim Kurkjan, all 5 foot nothing of him...no one at ESPN knows the game of baseball like Kurkjan does...I could talk baseball for hours with Tim.

⚾⚾⚾ My Top 5 Baseball TV analyst/Writer types.⚾⚾⚾

#1...Bob Costas, NBC, MLB Network 

#2...Peter Gammons, MLB Network 

#3...Tim Kurkjan, ESPN 

#4...Ken Rosenthal, MLB on FOX, MLB Network 

#5...J.P. Morosi, FOX, MLB Network 

Honorable Mention...Kruk, ESPN, Eric Byrnes, MLB Network, Aaron Boone, ESPN, Brian Kenny, MLB Network, Mark DeRosa, MLB Network, Jessica Mendoza. 

⚾ Speaking of ESPN, the network unveiled their Top 100 Baseball Players, with, as expected, Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim coming in at #1.

The ESPN Top 10 big leaguers...

#1. Mike Trout, Angels

#2. Bryce Harper, Nationals 

#3. Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers 

#4. Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks 

#5. Andrew McCutchen, Pirates

#6. Zack Greinke, Diamondbacks 

#7. Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays

#8. Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins

#9. Jake Arrieta, Cubs

#10. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers 

OK, first off...I get Trout and Harper #1 and #2, however...

...Josh Donaldson should be #3...and, my biggest problem...Miguel Cabrera...the reigning American League batting champion, widely considered the best hitter in baseball...is tenth...tenth...are you kidding me.

Miguel Cabrera belongs in the Top 5...put him where you want, 1-5...but put him there...oh, and to have Arrieta, a one half of a season pitcher last year  ahead of Cabrera...terrible...just terrible. 

The complete 100 best baseball players according to ESPN can be found here.

⚾ The Yankees Assistant to the Travelling Secretary,  George Costanza, has his own baseball card...finally...




⚾ The best article of the week goes to Mike Piellucci of Vice Sports Straight out of Tokyo: Tony Barnette's Long Road to the Majors.



Locally, new Jacksonville Suns owner Ken Babby is investing $1.8 Million to The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.



That's going to do it for this week.


Have a great Easter weekend and enjoy the baseball....Play Ball!

Baseball Bulletin...March 24, 2016

It's been a busy week of baseball so far, and it's only Thursday.


Let's start off with our Happy Baseball Birthday! today, former Michigan Baseball and St . Louis Browns Hall of Famer,  George Sisler.

⚾Most of the discussion of baseball has been President Barack Obama's visit to Cuba, and his attendance at the game between the  Cuban National Team and the Tampa Bay Rays in Havana. 



Here are a few terrific articles by some great baseball writers. ..


J.P. Morosi of FOX and the MLB Network... Major League Baseball returned to Cuba and it was a sight.


Rodger Sherman at SB Nation... The President of the United States is at a ballgame in Cuba...


Tim Brown at Yahoo Sports... The lasting impressions of three days in Cuba....


Joel Sherman at the New York Post writes about the Rays Chris Archer,  the breakout star of the historic game in Cuba...


It was a  great few days of baseball involving the Rays trip to Cuba, and from whatI've seen and read, it was a complete success from the baseball side, regardless of any political issues.

I hope the trip by Mr. Obama helps in our country's relationship with Cuba..and, as usual, baseball, our National Pastime, was front and center.

Here's to an annual visit by American teams playing in Havana against the marvelous talented players of the Cuban team.




⚾⚾⚾Other than the game in Havana, here's some baseball stuff I saw around social media...



⚾ As you may know, I love baseball history, and that includes the Negro Leagues.

I came across this marvelous article on former Negro League ballplayer Leon Day, over at the blog The Negro Leagues Up Close.




⚾ Former big leaguer Joe Garagiola passed away on Wednesday.

Joe Garagiola was a huge part of my baseball youth, watching tge NBC Game of the Week and World Series games on TV.

Back in 2013 I wished Mr. Garagiola a Happy Baseball Birthday!

And yesterday I I wrote a small piece on his passing.




⚾ If you happen to have around $400,000 lying around, you can now purchase the home of Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig.




⚾ The Adam Laroche story has continued this week...my blogger friend Steve Gierman  wrote about it beautifully over at White Sox Cards.




⚾ If you've ever wondered how likeable all the MLB owners are, Dave Tobener over at The Comeback has a nice list.

My Tigers owner, Mike Illitch and his family, came in at #3...awesome! 




⚾⚾⚾ That's about all I have for now...tomorrow marks 11 days and counting until my Detroit Tigers play baseball for real.

Have a great weekend of baseball everyone... Play Ball! ⚾⚾⚾

Joe Garagiola... 1926-2016

As I was watching baseball this afternoon news broke of the passing of one my favorite baseball broadcasters, Joe Garagiola.

As a teenager watching NBC's Game of the Week, in the mid 1970s, Joe and Tony Kubek together in the booth was as good as it got.



In 2013 I wished him a Happy Baseball Birthday!




My thoughts and prayers go out to the Garagiola family for the loss of Joe, one of the finest baseball men we've ever had.




The great ballgame in Heaven has a marvelous new addition today.

God Bless you Joe Garagiola!  



Play Ball! 

This Week's Sports Illustrated regional covers...2016 Baseball Preview

With just two weeks until Opening Day of big league baseball, the annual Sports Illustrated 2016 Baseball  Preview issue has been released, with 4 regional covers.




The New York Mets are the Eastern cover.

The Chicago Cubs in the Midwest.

The Houston Astros in the Southwest.

The San Francisco Giants have the West Coast covered.

Slight Senior Circuit slant with a 3-1 cover favoring the N.L. ...and the Astros heave only been in the American League a few years.



I think S.I. could've had the Boston Red Sox w/ David Price...oh, and where are the defending champion Kansas City Royals? 




K.C. will probably use the S.I. covers as motivation for another run at the WorldSeries.


Enjoy the baseball coverage in the S.I. issues,  they've always done a terrific job, especially with the 1969 Baseball Preview.

Play Ball! ⚾

Baseball Today...Tampa Bay Rays vs Cuban National Team

The most anticipated baseball game of the spring happens today in Cuba when the Tampa Bay Rays play the Cuban National team in Havana, Cuba.

The Rays will become the first big league baseball team to play in Cuba since the Baltimore Orioles in 1999.

ESPN will televise the game this afternoon at 1:30 pm, with coverage beginning at 12 NOON.




There has been several articles about the game today...here are a few that I've read.



⚾ John Thorn, Our Game... Cuba, the U.S., and Baseball : A Long if Interrupted Romance.



⚾ The New York Post, Joel Sherman... The Cuba pride, passion, and fears from baseball-fan mecca.



⚾ FOX Sports, J.P. Morosi... I traded baseball hot takes with the locals in Cuba and it was fantastic.



⚾ SABR... Fidel Castro and Baseball.



⚾ MLB... Archer gives fan thrill of a lifetime in Cuba.

⚾ ⚾⚾ Here's a list of Cuban born big league baseball players and managers.




I hope you all enjoy the game today...Play Ball!

Happy Baseball Birthday... Twitter

Today we say Happy Baseball Birthday! to Twitter, which celebrates it's 10th Birthday today!

The social media giant went live 10 years ago today, March 21, 2006.


All 30 big league teams and all Minor League Baseball teams use Twitter today, it's the best way by far to communicate with their fans...


As a baseball fan on Twitter you start by following Major League Baseball... @MLB ,@MLBNetwork , ⚾ ESPN Baseball,  @BBTN ⚾ FOX Baseball, @MLBONFOX and @FS1⚾ 


...I follow my beloved Detroit Tigers... @tigers , my local Jacksonville Suns... @SunsBaseball , and my favorite college team, the Michigan Wolverines... @umichbaseball ...

...and I get to follow my favorite baseball players on Twitter as well, like the @tigers ... @JustinVerlander and @MiguelCabrera , the @Marlins and @ChristianYelich and @Giancarlo818 .



⚾⚾⚾All big league baseball players on Twitter can be found right here on Baseball Reference.⚾⚾ ⚾



I started on Twitter around 2010, and 6 years later it's the biggest part of my day, a place where I get all the baseball news, and where I can talk with great baseball fans, players, and teams from all over the world.



Twitter also allows fan to follow the baseball media, the men and women who cover the game on a daily basis...

...All the teams beat writers, national writers, and if course, great baseball bloggers who get to write anout their passion of America's National Pastime are on Twitter as well, and being able to interact with them has been terrific.


If you'rea baseball fan on Twitter,  look me up... @freehan11 ...let's talk baseball, big leagues, minor league baseball, or college baseball...PING!

Have a great werk baseball fans!




Happy Baseball Birthday! Twitter....PLAY BALL! 



#LoveTwitter 

Happy Baseball Birthday... Glenn Close

Today we say Happy Baseball Birthday! to award winning actress Glenn Close.

Glenn Close was born on March 19, 1947, in Greenwich, Connecticut.


Ms. Close is one of my favorite actresses, and was in two of my favorite movies, The Big Chill, and The Natural.

The Natural gets Ms. Close today's Happy Baseball Birthday! wishes, as she appears in the best baseball movie ever made. 



Ms. Close plays Iris, who grows up with Roy Hobbs, played by Robert Redford.



Iris, not wanting Roy to fail, makes this one of the most memorable scenes in the movie.

Happy Baseball Birthday! Glenn Close... Play Ball! 

Happy Baseball Birthday... J.T. Realmuto

Happy Baseball Birthday! wishes go out today to Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto. 

Jacob Tyler Realmuto  , who turns 25 today, played right down the street for the Jacksonville Suns in 2013 and 2014.



In the 2014 Southern League Championship Series J.T. was 10-26, 3 for 6, batting .346 as the Suns won their 5th league title in a 3 game sweep over the Chattanooga Lookouts.

J.T. made his big league debut on June 5, 2014 with the Marlins vs the Tampa Bay Rays, going 2-4, with 3 RBI.



J.T. is one of my favorite players to ever play for the Suns, and it was an inevitable choice for me...J.T. wore uniform #11 and was the Suns catcher.



It was easy for me to like J.T. here in Jacksonville, and I still follow him with the Marlins.


J.T. isn't far from my side during the baseball season.

J.T.'s 2015 Bobblehead giveaway last year at Bragan Field was one of the best Suns giveaways ever.

It's almost time for another big league season, and I'll be following J.T. again, as he has become the Marlins starting catcher, and, as always, I try to follow as many former Suns players as possible.



Maybe I'll make it down to Miami for a game and get a chance to meet J.T.


Now that would be awesome!


Happy Baseball Birthday! J.T.



PLAY BALL!  

The Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame

What better way to say Happy St. Patrick's Day and talk baseball than write about the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame.

Located at Foley's NY Pub and Restaurant  on 18 West 33rd Street in New York City, the IABHOF honors the Immigrants of our great country and the game of baseball.


⚾⚾⚾Foley's calls itself  "An Irish Bar with a Baseball Attitude. "


Foley's was opened in 2004 by a man named Shaun Clancy, who named the bar after famed baseball writer and official scorer, Red Foley.


The original IABHOF Induction, including Red Foley, was in 2008.


Last year's inductees included former big league manager Jack McKeon and actor Bill Murray.



Foley's has today, on this St.Patty's Day, become the newest item on my baseball bucket list.


I'm sure they're having a swell time at Foley's today, I wish them all the best of luck.


Play Ball!

Baseball Bulletin...March 16, 2016

Happy St. Patrick's Day! baseball fans, its that time of the year again, when our favorite teams dress in green baseball caps and uniforms during Grapefruit and Cactus League games.

Lot's of stuff going on in baseball this week...these are a few things I've come across.



⚾ ESPN will...finally...broadcast baseball spring training games starting tomorrow night.

Awful Announcing's Joe Lucia has you covered on all 6 ESPN games, including next Tuesday's Rays vs Cuban National team in Cuba.

⚾ ESPN will also be follow retiring Red Sox slugger David Ortiz all season long.

ESPN does a great job covering baseball once the regular season starts, and I'll be watching the Ortiz specials.

I was once a big fan of Ortiz...Big Papi... until it was revealed that he was in the 2005 Mitchell Report that named players who tested positive for PEDs.

I've been on record many times that any player who took steroids or PEDs shouldn't be allowed to be rewarded for their decision to dishonor the game.

It's amazing how Ortiz has not been held in the same scrutiny that Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens has.




⚾ Over at Dodgers Blue Heaven you can read all about Jackie Robinson's first game, today in 1946 in Daytona Beach, Florida.





⚾ The March digital edition of Baseball Magazine is now available.





⚾ One of my favorite Twitter follows is Jessica Jenson  (@JessicaFastball )... Here's Jessica's recommendation on the best Women baseball fans to follow for all 30 big league teams.





⚾Chicago White Sox veteran Adam Laroche  has decided to retire after the ChiSox asked him to not have his son at the ballpark so much.


I've always liked Adam, he's been a good big league ballplayer...

Walking away from $13 Million Dollars this year because you want to spend every day possible with your child is admirable to say the least.

Here's hoping the best for Adam and his family...Here's Adam's Baseball Reference page.





⚾ Starting with minor league outfielder Bud Fowler, born on March 16, 1847, here's all of Today's Happy Baseball Birthday's!



⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾Have a great day tomorrow....please be safe in your celebrations...and PLAY BALL!