10 Thoughts on Jon Lester Leaving the Boston Red Sox

Red Sox Nation is in full-fledged mourning with the news that longtime team-favorite, pitcher Jon Lester, has elected to join the Chicago Cubs on a lucrative free-agent contract. A lot has already been written and talked about on the matter but here are a few of my thoughts.

1.       The Boston Red Sox clearly have enough money so that they could have signed Lester if they wanted. It looks like it probably came down to the team setting a limit on the years and/or dollars they were willing to go, and tapped out when that was exceeded.

2.       Lester should not receive an iota of flak for his decision. Neither should the Red Sox. Baseball is a business and both parties made the choices they respectively thought best for themselves.

3.       In parts of nine seasons in Boston, Lester won 110 regular season games; was a big part of two World Series-winning squads; was a widely-respected teammate and community member; and kicked cancer’s butt. You can’t beat that resume.

4.       Leaving Boston doesn’t tarnish Lester’s team legacy in any way. He came, he saw, he conquered, he left.

5.       Never understood why so many fans felt Lester would potentially pass up the biggest deal to return to Boston. I am sure he enjoyed his time in the area and the fan support, but at the end of the day he worked incredibly hard to get to the point where he could command a bidding frenzy.

6.       Like any person with a career, Lester had the right and a responsibility to himself to weigh factors like compensation, future goals and opportunity.

7.       Just because the Red Sox weren’t willing to spend whatever it took to sign Lester doesn’t mean they won’t spend as much or more to bring in another ace (Max Scherzer?). Like most teams, they likely have a value assigned to available players, and Lester may not have been tops on that list.

8.       If they can pry him loose, Cole Hamels is a much better deal. The Phillies’ southpaw is due to make $94 million over the next four seasons while Lester will make $155 million over the next six. Even with prospects/players Boston would have to give up to obtain Hamels, the savings would be huge on a pitcher who has traditionally provided similar production.

9.       I bet fans will likely be surprised with how well the Boston starting rotation comes together when it is all said and done. The team has already demonstrated it is working to build a 2015 contender and there are still plenty of good arms out there to be had.

10.   I wish Lester all the best with his new team. He is certainly one of the classier guys to don a Red Sox uniform, and he will be missed.

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Rambling On Podcast: Discussing MLB’s Golden Era Hall of Fame Ballot

Check out the current edition of the Rambling On podcast with myself and Ron Juckett as we discuss the MLB Golden Era Hall of Fame Ballot. Who should get in and who shouldn't? ! No players were selected this year, and though we didn't have votes we certainly have opinions. Check out what we would have done.

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Mantle, Mays and Klinger From M*A*S*H: The Baseball Historian's Notes for the Week of December 7, 2014

Baseball lasts through the years not just because of the championships and the statistics, but also because of the memories. The game has produced so many enthralling stories that it will remain its own significant chapter in the story of America. The best way this is all preserved is by historians of the game, and this group lost a titan with the recent passing of Dick Bresciani.

In a 40-plus-year career with the Boston Red Sox, Bresciani worked in public relations and ultimately became the official team historian. So exhaustive was his knowledge of the team that club CEO Larry Luchino described him as their “intuitional memory.” He was always willing to lend a hand or a thought to a historian in need (including yours truly), and while he will be truly missed, he created a legacy that will continue for years to come.

Now, on to the notes for the week.

*It’s usually not a good sign if fans of a team are well-acquainted with the names of their base coaches, as that can be indicative of their maverick style in managing base runners. From 1997-2000, Wendell Kim manned the third base coaching box for the Red Sox. While he had an aggressive style that led to some dubbing him “Wave-‘em-Home Wendell,” he became a wildly popular figure because of his visceral love and passion for the game. In addition to his stint with the Sox, he had a lengthy career coaching and managing with various franchises (particularly in the minors).

 Sally Tippett Rains of the StL Sports Page reports that Kim is sadly in the advanced stages of Alzheimers. The first Korean-American to don a major league uniform, it’s bitter irony that the man who brought countless good memories to so many is being robbed of his own. All the best to him and his family.

*Slugger Babe Ruth gained fame belting home runs for the New York Yankees, earning him the distinction of highest-paid player in the game during much of his career. However, it was nowhere near what players are paid today. As a result he was consistently involved in ventures designed to capitalize on his fame, including touring the Vaudeville circuit and doing various speeches, skits and other buffoonery. This picture shows the Babe on such a tour. Although this is much different than what would be expected of modern players, it was an excellent way for fans around the country to see the famous player when attending games wasn’t a possibility and televisions were yet to be invented.

*Did you know that major league teams have scored 25 or more runs in a game 26 times throughout history? If random stats like that interest you, this mlb.com page of rare feats might interest you. It’s a treasure trove of tidbits about some of the landmark accomplishments in baseball.

*Dick Allen was a polarizing figure during his 15-year major league career. Playing from 1963-77 with five teams (his greatest success was with the St. Louis Cardinals), the right-handed slugger hit .292 with 351 home runs. However, he also gained a reputation for being a complicated presence. This was often because of his refusal as a black player to kowtow to those who might belittle him or treat him as lesser than during a time when baseball was still figuring out integration. Bill James once called him the second-most controversial figure in baseball history behind Rogers Hornsby.

Allen has a resume that makes him a viable candidate for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, he fell off the ballot in 1997 after failing to get the requisite number of votes during his maximum 15 years under consideration. He is now under consideration for induction by the Golden Era Committee and may get to see his plaque in Cooperstown after all. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale has a terrific piece on the proud and talented former player.

*What more could you want from a commercial than Klinger from M*A*S*H and the singing duo of Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle in bonnets? To find out what I mean, check out this vintage Blue Bonnet Margarine commercial.

*Charles “Whammy” Douglas was a right-handed pitcher who went 3-3 with a 3.26 ERA in 11 games with the 1957 Pittsburgh Pirates. Although he played minor league ball for ten seasons that was his only taste of the majors. The numbers he produced are nice but nothing special, until you take into consideration that he pitched with a glass eye.

Dylan Howlett of the Carrboro Commons has a piece detailing the career and life of Douglas, who sadly passed away in November at the age of 79. It’s a glimpse of a lesser known player from baseball history with his own very unique story, going from when he lost his sight in a school yard fight as an 11-year-old, to his feats on the diamond, including winning 27 games for the 1954 Brunswick Pirates.

*Former New York Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui once hit a home run a very long way. The tater in question came when he was playing professional ball in Japan. The majestic drive hit off the ceiling of the Tokyo Dome but still had enough to clear the wall by plenty. Seriously, you have to see it.

*The New York Post’s Larry Getlen has an interesting snippet regarding sports announcer Al Michael’s recent memoire You Can’t Make This Up concerning his former partner Howard Cosell and an off-color remark he once made to a teary Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda about his deceased friend, Ken Boyer.

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Reviewing the 2015 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot

The 2015 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot was recently released. As usual, it’s loaded with candidates for enshrinement next year in Cooperstown for their contributions and achievements in baseball. Some have more compelling cases than others, but they all had distinguished careers and made their mark on the game in some way.

Let’s do a quick rundown of all 34 of this year’s candidates and review whether or not I believe they belong in the Hall:

Aaron Boone, Third Baseman: A .263 batting average and 126 home runs over 12 seasons just won’t cut it. At least he’ll always have 2003.

Alan Trammell, Shortstop: One of the best at his position while he played, he was never a true superstar for me. His .285 batting average, 2,365 hits and four Gold Gloves are more indicative of his very good but not great status.

Barry Bonds, Outfielder: If you are going to keep Bonds, one of the five-best players in baseball history, out of the Hall of Fame because of his transgressions, you’d better start pulling out a number of inductees who were involved in even more questionable things.

Brian Giles, Outfielder: His .291 batting average, .400 OBP, 287 home runs and 136 OPS+ in 15 seasons look very impressive until realizing they came during baseball’s PED/offensive explosion era. He was never more than a second-tier star during his career (two All-Star Games), so he isn’t a Hall-of-Famer.

Carlos Delgado, First Baseman: 473 home runs in 17 years, but see McGriff, Fred.

Cliff Floyd, Outfielder: Injuries severely stunted his chances at the Hall, as he averaged just 95 games per season during his 17-year career. His .278 batting average and 233 home runs during that time are a good indication of the huge numbers he could have posted if he was on the field more.

Craig Biggio, Catcher/Second Baseman/Outfielder: Although he retired less than a decade ago, many seem to have forgotten what a great player Biggio was. With 3,060 hits, 668 doubles and 414 stolen bases, he should be a shoo-in.

Curt Schilling, Pitcher: The right hander accumulated impressive marks of 216 wins, a 3.36 ERA, 3,116 strikeouts and three World Series rings during his 20-year career. His 80.7 WAR is the 20th best mark of any pitcher in history, and his numbers might be even better if not for missing significant time with injuries over the years.

Darin Erstad, Outfielder: Other than 2000, when he hit .355 with 240 hits, 25 home runs and 28 stolen bases, Erstad was decidedly average (or perhaps even a tick below). This is borne out by his 93 career OPS+ and WAR of 32.3—which gets a major boost from his excellent glove.

Don Mattingly, First Baseman: There wasn’t a better player in baseball during the mid-1980s. Unfortunately, his peak lasted only a handful of seasons because of back troubles that sapped his production.

Eddie Guardado, Pitcher: “Every Day Eddie” may have been reliable out of the pen to the tune of 908 games over a 17-year career; he just wasn’t an all-time great. At 46-61 with a 1.32 WHIP and just 187 saves there would be some explaining to do if he made it over a number of much more qualified relievers who have not yet gained admission.

Edgar Martinez, Designated Hitter: His career marks of a .312 batting average, .418 OBP and 309 home runs in 18 seasons with the Seattle Mariners are Hall worthy. Some may point to having played the majority of his career as a DH as a reason to keep him out, but keep in mind that his 68.3 WAR is 75th all-time among hitters.

Fred McGriff, First Baseman: Ironically, the Crime Dog was criminally underrated during his career. Unfortunately, despite 493 home runs and his consistent good numbers, he falls a notch or two short of immortal status.

Gary Sheffield, Outfielder: The right-handed batter hit .292 with 509 home runs, 1,676 RBI and a .393 OBP over 22 seasons. His name appearing on the Mitchell Report will probably work against him, but there is little doubt he belongs in the Hall.

Jason Schmidt, Pitcher: The right-hander was 130-96 with a 3.96 ERA over 14 seasons, all spent in the National League. If you take out his 2003-04 seasons when he placed second and fourth respectively in the Cy Young race, his record was just 95-84.

Jeff Bagwell, First Baseman: One of the best players of all-time, I have already argued in support of Bagwell’s candidacy. Coming up short on previous ballots makes little sense given his resume.

Jeff Kent, Second Baseman: How can you deny a good-fielding player from his position that put up a .290 batting average with 377 home runs, 560 doubles and 1,518 RBIs in 17 seasons? Yeah, I didn’t think so either.

Jermaine Dye, Outfielder: An accumulator who had a .274 batting average with 325 home runs and 1,072 RBIs in 14 seasons, he falls into the Brian Giles category. If he hadn’t retired at the age of 35 and had played a while longer and padded his stats, it would have been interesting to review his case.

John Smoltz, Pitcher: Often seen as the third starter on an Atlanta Braves staff that had future Hall-of-Famers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, Smoltz actually had the best stuff of the trio. Only injuries prevented him from having significantly greater numbers than his already excellent totals of 213 wins, a 3.33 ERA and 154 saves. He should be a no-brainer.

Larry Walker, Outfielder: The left-handed hitter had an amazing .313/.400/.565 slash with 383 home runs during his career. However, he was plagued by injuries and had his stat line buffed dramatically by the .381/.462/.710 slash he had in 597 career games at hitter-friendly Coors Field in Colorado. I wouldn’t object to him being elected but also wouldn’t put up much of an argument if he wasn’t.

Lee Smith, Pitcher: The mammoth right-hander is third all-time with 478 saves. However, his 3.03 ERA, 1.26 WHIP are just not the lockdown numbers you’d expect of a Hall-of-Famer.

Mark McGwire, First Baseman: Like it or not, the slugger defined an entire era of baseball. His 583 home runs and .982 OPS should be more than enough to earn enshrinement for the first man to hit 70 home runs in a single season.

Mike Mussina, Pitcher: With 270 victories and a 3.68 ERA, the right-hander fits comfortably in with the second-tier of Hall-of-Fame pitchers like Don Sutton and Catfish Hunter. With 11 seasons of 15 or more wins, there are few hurlers with as consistent a resume as Mussina.

Mike Piazza, Catcher: Piazza’s .308 batting average, 427 home runs and 1,335 RBIs make him one of the two or three best offensive catchers in baseball history. PED rumors and innuendo are the only things that could be possible barriers on his way to Cooperstown—fair or not.

Nomar Garciaparra, Shortstop: The uber athlete was a pure hitter, as evidenced by his .313 career batting average. Unfortunately, averaging just over 100 games played over his 14 seasons prevented him from reaching his Hall-of-Fame potential.

Pedro Martinez, Pitcher: He was the most dominant pitcher in baseball in the past 50 years, and possibly had the best overall stuff of any pitcher ever. Where is any logical argument to keep him out?

Randy Johnson, Pitcher: The “Big Unit” was nearly as dominant as Pedro, but undoubtedly more intimidating. This 1993 at-bat John Kruk had against the lefty tells you all you need to know about how hitters felt when facing him.

Rich Aurilia, Shortstop: A career 99 OPS+ and one All Star nod in 15 seasons. No disrespect to this solid player, but there can be no other answer than no.

Roger Clemens, Pitcher: The pitching equivalent of McGwire, except with an even stronger resume. His 354 wins and seven Cy Young Awards, which largely occurred during the “PED Era,” should be recognized even with his own PED connections.

Sammy Sosa, Outfielder: Despite 609 home runs, which rank eighth all-time, his resume seems strangely lackluster. That’s not just because he is another PED-linked player, but because his largely one-dimensional style of play. Another player I could argue for or against without much conviction either way.

Tim Raines, Outfielder: This great leadoff hitter has never gotten his due. 2,605 hits, 808 stolen bases and a .385 OBP doesn’t leave him far behind Rickey Henderson in terms of being among the best of all time at what they did.

Tom Gordon, Pitcher: With 138 wins, 158 saves and a 3.96 ERA, “Flash” was the poor man’s John Smoltz. Unfortunately, that won’t gain him entry to the Hall.

Tony Clark, First Baseman: The massive slugger was plagued by injuries throughout his career. When he did play, he posted solid, yet unspectacular numbers, resulting in a .262 batting average, 251 home runs and one All Star appearance in 15 seasons.

Troy Percival, Pitcher: A personal favorite, the converted minor league catcher became a flame-throwing closer. His 358 saves rank ninth all time, but his 3.17 ERA is a bit more pedestrian. Not a Hall-of-Famer, but certainly a first ballot guy for the Hall of the Very Good.

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