MLB Showdown Obsession

 Call it fate, or coincidence, but I've been holding out *forever* for the Bot to update logos to correctly reflect the Angels of 1984 before I did this...and just as they finally updated, I happened to notice a gap in my scheduled posts that had today wide open for a post. So instead of queuing up the eventual Mike Witt post for almost a year from now, we can now enjoy it immediately! As the 1984 season was coming to a close on September 30, both the California Angels and the hosting Texas Rangers were already eliminated from the playoffs as they met in Arlington Stadium. Between the meaninglessness of the game couple with the fact that the Dallas Cowboys were also playing that day, not a lot of people cared to show up to watch the game. Even during the game, there weren't many cares to go around. Sportswriters were busy doing a season wrap-up article or playoff preview when they looked up in the 5th or 6th inning and realized that something was up. Rangers players would also...

 The Hall of Fame failed to bring in new blood in 1958, so '59 was a welcome sight to see someone new, even if by new it was an old timer voted in by the Veterans Committee...Well, Zack Wheat was actually voted in the the committee in 1957, but there was a rule in place that said he needed to be out of baseball for at least 30 years for the VC to vote him in. You think that that rule would've been enforced BEFORE Wheat was even on the ballot, but checking their work was still a bit in the future for HoF voting...

 Nolan Ryan pitched for so long that I wouldn't have been surprised if he pitched to a man and then years later struck out that man's grandson. George Brett won batting titles across three different decades. Cal Ripken's playing streak extended beyond countless full careers. Great players have names that stay with you through the years. But that's such a small sliver of the players. On the other end of the spectrum, there are the guys who only get that cup of coffee. Here today, and never seen again after. For whatever reason, they show up and even succeed, but then they never get a second game, let alone a long career. Here are some of those guys... In 1920, the "defending champion" Reds were in 3rd place and out of the pennant race on the final day of the season. The Reds decided to send in newbie Monty "Dazzy" Swartz to face the Cardinals. He actually took a 3-2 lead into the 9th, but the Cardinals were able to scratch a run across to tie the game...

 The rotation at this time for Hall of Fame voting turned into the BBWAA and the Veterans Committee taking turns voting in new members of the Hall. For the odd numbered years, the Veterans Committee took charge while the BBWAA had the even numbered years. For 1957, the Committee added one player; "Wahoo" Sam Crawford, baseballs all time leader in triples. And they also added one manager; Joe McCarthy. Also inducted: -Joe McCarthy (Manager - New York Yankees / Chicago Cubs / Boston Red Sox)

Nothing compares to when the Yankees had Monument Park in the old stadium. Most teams just put numbers up in the upper deck and out of the way, but Yankee Stadium had an honored space reserved for their legends that fans could even visit. And the original version of the stadium had Monument Park in the field of play. But all that's gone now. Monument Park is still a thing in the new stadium, but it's practically hidden. Today, you can make an argument that the best way a team displays their retired numbers is now Kauffman Stadium, with the numbers displayed under the big scoreboard that is unavoidable whenever you see a deep fly ball. The Kansas City Royals have a handful of World Series runs to their name. But with 2014/15 still a bit too close to have any of their talent on that team garner a number retirement, their honored numbers have a very distinct 1980-1985 look to them. #5 - George Brett George Brett needs no introduction to Royals fans. Or Yankees fans either, for dif...

 I'm a big fan of the baseball nomad. Guys who go from one team tot he next over the course of many years. One guy can represent several teams over a career that a collection of his baseball cards will be so varied that it reflects a Power Rangers lineup more than a single mans timeline. Plus, it makes it more fun to chronicle a players career here when it's not the same one or two teams a dozen straight years. Enter Roberto Kelly. A potential star when he started in the majors, his career took a hard left turn and he was relegated to obscurity, best known for the man he was traded for and what happened to his former team as a result rather than his own accomplishments. Kelly was born in Panama and the Yankees saw potential in him when they signed him in 1982. In 1987, after working his way up the system, he got his chance when Rickey Henderson got hurt and he used his 10 on-base to make an impact in his limited playing time. The Yankees weren't ready for Kelly in 1988 and ...

 A rock solid defense can be the biggest check on the other teams hitters. Not every pitcher can blow high heat by the opposition, but a pitcher who pitches to contact sometimes is only as good as the men in the field behind him. A good example is Derek Jeter, who had an incredible talent for being so in sync with pitcher Andy Pettitte, that he knew where to set up in the field based on where Andy was pitching the ball. As a result, he was always in a prime spot to field grounders hit his way and made it all look easy. The drawback for Jeter is since he rarely had to make diving plays, people thought that meant he *couldn't* do them as opposed to never *having* to do them. The Bot works off the same prejudices, a big example to why you can rattle off all the numbers and sabermetrics you want, but it's the *intangibles* that separate the greats from the all time greats. But, for every one the Bot gets wrong, there are plenty of examples where the Bot not only gets it right, but...

 Baseball fights are frowned upon nowadays, but they always take centerstage on Sportscenter. Here are more memorable fighting situations in history... The rivalry between the Dodgers and Giants didn't simmer down when they both moved out of New York. Things were just as intense in 1965 when they met in the heat of a pennant race. Both teams began their day with the aces on the hill, Koufax vs Marichal. The Dodgers didn't appreciate the knockdown pitches Juan was throwing, and with Koufax not being the type of guy who liked to hit batters, Catcher John Roseboro decided to send a message himself. With Marichal batting, Roseboro caught an outside pitch, but when he threw it back to Koufax, he made sure to throw it right by Marichal's head, buzzing his ear. That set off tempers and in the resulting brawl, Marichal would use his bat and hit Roseboro over the head. So that blow to the head resulted in quite a lot of blood, and required stitches. But did Roseboro cower away after...