The 1944 MLB Season: How Another World Conflict Affected Baseball 3/13/20

Hey baseball fans!

With the recent delay of Opening Day by Major League Baseball because of the spreading coronavirus, it got me thinking about how the MLB season has been changed in the past. 9/11 paused the 2001 MLB season for about a week, while the strikes of 1981 and 1994/1995 erased games and even introduced new playoff formats. But another historic event, World War II, didn't stop the MLB from playing its games, creating a wild race for the World Series, specifically in 1944, the penultimate year of the war.

President Franklin Roosevelt issued something called the "Green Light Letter," which asked baseball to continue operations amidst the global conflict known as World War II. The United States entered the war in December of 1941, after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. So, to help the war effort, the US military issued a draft for males ranging from 18-37 years old. Well, even though the MLB didn't stop for World War II, the age of the eligible draftees made it so plenty of MLB players were drafted into the military. In total, over a period of five years, 500 major league and over 2,000 minor league players were drafted into the deadliest war in human history. For reference, the MLB was only 16 teams at the time, and major league roster sizes were 24 players, meaning that a massive, incomprehensible percentage of the MLB rosters at the time went to serve overseas. Some of the more famous MLB and WW2 veterans include Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Yogi Berra, Hank Greenberg, and Stan Musial (pictured below in his sailor's uniform).

But Stan the Man didn't serve until 1945, meaning he was still on the Cardinals roster in 1944 to help lead them to the top of the National League. The 1944 St. Louis Cardinals were without future Hall of Famers Red Schoendienst (which is harder to spell than Yastrzemski, by the way) and Enos Slaughter, but still managed to win 105 games and the NL pennant on the back of baseball's best pitching staff, which allowed only 3.1 runs per game, and 1944 MVP and slick-fielding shortstop, Marty Marion. Those 105 wins (and 49 losses because of the 154-game season back then) actually proved to be baseball's best record, only because the rest of the league did absolutely nothing! After the Cardinals, the Pirates finished in second among the 16 teams in '44 with only 90 wins. And the AL was even worse! No team finished above 89 wins because of the shortage of talent, meaning that at the end of the season, it was the rest of the AL looking up at the St. Louis Browns.

Yeah, that's right: the St. Louis Browns, the present-day Baltimore Orioles! The AL, especially, was so dry of the talent that made baseball so beloved, that one of the worst teams in baseball history up to that point made their first World Series appearance. Of course, the Cardinals won the Series in six games, giving them their second of three titles in a five-year span from 1942-1946, but at least the Browns got to call themselves the best of the worst, you know?

Eventually, the MLB and the United States rejoiced in an Allied victory, and baseball returned to normal. The Browns moved to Baltimore for the '54 season and won the franchise's first championship in 1966. Thanks for reading this post and I hope you enjoyed it. Check back soon for more of "all the buzz on what wuzz."

A Study on Teams in the Spring Training States 2/29/20

Hey baseball fans!

2020 Spring Training is officially upon us, which means we don't care about the American and National Leagues right now. It's all about Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues! During Spring Training, the eastern MLB teams head to Florida, while the teams in the west head to Arizona. What's interesting about this is that Florida and Arizona were some of the last states to get baseball teams. Why is that important? Read on to find out!

It's no coincidence that the Rays, Marlins, and Diamondbacks are three teams that could look to relocation in the coming future. Just this week, it was released that the D-Backs have talked about moving to Vancouver, having visited the Canadian city and hometown of Seth Rogen twice in the last two years. I actually really like the Diamondbacks stadium and their attendance is only so-so, not dwindling like the Rays and Marlins. So, why the potential move? Well, in 1946, when Bill Veeck convinced the Indians and Giants (then in New York) to play some Spring Training games in Phoenix, wanting to rid his franchise (he had just bought the Indians) of the African-American discrimination of Florida, he inadvertently created the Cactus League. The Grapefruit League was formed years before, some claiming as early as 1913. So, by the time the Marlins (1993), Rays, and Diamondbacks (both 1998) came into existence, for four to six weeks of every February and March, Floridians and Arizonans got front row seats to their favorite teams outside their state.

The Yankees and Dodgers have well-known fan bases in Florida, dating back to when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn. "Dodgertown" in Vero Beach, Florida became a hub for Dodger fans in the eastern part of the country as early as 1948. Meanwhile, the Yankees have been playing in George M. Steinbrenner Field since 1996, two years before the Rays moved into the exact same metropolitan area. As for the Diamondbacks? Well, the Cactus League had as many as nine teams playing Spring Training games in Arizona in 1989, also the year when two western teams, the Giants and A's, were in the World Series. My point here is that the MLB placed expansion teams in cities where a lot of fans rooted for other teams. Now, all three teams have made the World Series in the 20+ years of their respective existences, but their current success is satisfactory at best (and even worse for the Marlins).

So, I raise the point again, just like I have so many times before: relocation and expansion is how to keep a sport from going stale. Arizona to Las Vegas, Tampa to Montreal, and Miami to Charlotte or Nashville (not to mention Oakland to Portland). Leave the Sunshine and Grand Canyon States for baseball in the winter. Thanks for reading this post and I hope you enjoyed it. Check back soon for more of "all the buzz on what wuzz."

Five Teams That Need New Threads 2/21/20

Hey baseball fans!

MLB The Show 20 comes out next month, and one of the biggest additions to the latest edition of the beloved video game franchise is the long-awaited chance to change a team's entire identity in Franchise Mode. In honor of this new option, let's talk about teams that need a rebrand in the current MLB landscape.

#5: New York Yankees
Why? Don't hate on my idea just yet. Obviously the Yankees look is iconic, but it's time for some updates to the formula. I'm not saying they should change their main color to pink, but maybe an alternate uniform with some pizazz is in order. They should really use their logo with the baseball and the bat as the leg of the "K" more often, for starters.

#4: Los Angeles Angels
Why? Among all the teams that could use a name change, "The Angels Angels" is towards the top of the list. I also wouldn't mind seeing the Halos go back to their powder blues or their midnight blue hats. I'm just not a fan of the red right now.

#3: Chicago Cubs
Why? Same reason as the Yankees. It's about time the Cubbies updated their uniforms in a drastic way. I mean, their logo is a bear. Why not try something brown? I know it sounds bad, but the Padres certainly pull it off. Also, what do cubs (or Bears) have to do with Chicago? I know the Cubs got their name from their young roster when the name was decided, but Chicago is such a unique and historical city that I'm surprised the Cubs moniker has stuck around for so long.

#2: Colorado Rockies
Why? The purple just hasn't worked in Colorado and the name is just a mountain range. I mean, their mascot is a Triceratops, so maybe that could establish a name. "Colorado Carnivores" sounds a lot more intimidating than "Colorado Rockies." And what kid doesn't go through a dinosaur phase?

#1: Seattle Mariners
Why? You want to talk about a team that has an allegorical name? Well, the Mariners' front office is on a sinking ship. The teal is great, but the name isn't, especially considering its association with the only remaining team to never reach a World Series. I put this at number one for the dire situation the franchise is in. I actually like the Mariners uniforms and name, but the threads and name are sadly associated with losing. Sometimes, a new look is all a team needs to break through.

What other teams need a rebranding? Let me know in the comments section below. Thanks for reading this post and I hope you enjoyed it. Check back soon for more of "all the buzz on what wuzz."

The Evolution of the MLB Postseason 2/11/20

Hey baseball fans!

Yesterday, Commissioner Manfred announced that the MLB was planning to expand the postseason from ten teams to fourteen teams (from five in each league to seven). Now, I don't feel it's right to judge this until the plan becomes official, but I do feel it's right to discuss the history of the MLB playoff bracket before assessing this potential decision.

From the start of the World Series in 1903 to 1968, the MLB postseason was the World Series. Before expansion in 1961, there were only eight teams in each league, so having the AL and NL pennant winners duke it out for the title just made sense. There were plenty of 100-win teams that didn't make the Fall Classic because they came in second in their respective league, but for the most part, the most deserving teams were in the World Series.

Starting in 1961, the MLB began to grow by a lot. From 1961-1998, Major League Baseball almost doubled, going from sixteen to thirty teams. Over that time, divisions were created and changed, so the playoffs needed some alterations as well. Starting in 1969, each league was split up in two divisions, an East and a West. The winners of each division would compete in a Championship Series against the other division winner in the same league, and the CS winners would go on to the World Series.

The playoffs would stay like this until 1995 (really 1994, but the '94 strike cancelled the '94 postseason), except for 1981, when a mid-season strike shook up the playoffs entirely. Even though each league still used a two-division model in '81, a new Division Series was added to compensate for each completely different half of the season. So, the first-half division champs and the second-half division champs made the postseason in 1981. This proven four-team playoff structure was implemented for good in 1995, when each league expanded to three divisions and a Wild Card was also put into the postseason. In 2012, a second Wild Card and a Wild Card Game were added to the postseason to get us to our number now of ten total teams in the MLB postseason.

The trend seems to be that adding more teams is the biggest catalyst for expanding the postseason. In 1969, four teams were added to the MLB (Brewers, Mariners, Padres, and Royals) and the postseason grew from two to four teams. In 1993, two more teams were added (Rockies and Marlins), and the very next year, the postseason doubled again. So, my advice to Major League Baseball would be to expand the league before expanding the postseason. 32 teams and 14 spots in the postseason makes more sense than 30 teams and 14 spots. So, as long as the MLB adds some teams, I see no problem with expanding the postseason. But again, let's see if this really happens, before we judge this.

Thanks for reading this post and I hope you enjoyed it. Check back soon for more of "all the buzz on what wuzz."

My Thoughts on the 2020 Hall of Fame Class (Part 2) 1/28/20

Hey baseball fans!

Our Hall of Fame class for the year of 2020 has officially been elected! I gave my thoughts on the Veterans Committee vote a month ago, but now, here are my opinions on how the BBWAA vote went.

Jeter: One Vote Short
396 votes out of 397 balloters isn't bad at all for one of the greatest players of my generation, but Jeter should've been unanimous! Whatever. At least he got in. Not that anyone thought he would be anything less than a first ballot Hall of Famer. Congrats, Captain!

Larry Walker Finally Gets His Respect
I wasn't expecting Walker to get in this year, but that doesn't mean he's not deserving of the election. He made it by less than ten votes, but 75% is 75% when it comes to HoF voting, and Walker broke the benchmark. Justice is finally served for one of the best hitters of the 90s.

Schilling Barely Misses Induction By 5%
The should-be Hall of Famer missed the mark again, but his 70% on the ballot is a step in the right direction. Because of the weak first-comers next year, he should be in the Hall by 2021, despite his off-field antics.

Big Boosts for the Fielders
Omar Vizquel and Scott Rolen were sixth and seventh on the voting this year, which is quite interesting given their expertise in fielding. You can say anything you want about their hitting, but it's their gloves that boosted them up so much on the ballots. Don't get me wrong, I love a Gold Glover, but fielding metrics are still very new to the Cooperstown scene, so I'm still a little skeptical about their inductions. Give me a few years, and then maybe I'll warm up to them more.

Todd Helton: The Next Alan Trammell?
Ok, maybe I'm a little biased here, but it seems that Helton will be the next should-be Hall of Famer to hover around 20%-30% for the next several years, just like my Hall of Fame birthday buddy, Trammell, did for his time on the BBWAA ballot. Helton is worthy!

No Love for Paul Konerko
2.5% for Paul Konerko officially knocks him off the ballot for future years, which is really such a shame. Konerko will be a Hall of Famer, but it stinks that it'll now be a VC election rather than a BBWAA election. Just look at his stats and think about what he did for the South Side of Chicago. A legendary slugger, indeed.

What did you think of the Hall of Fame vote last week? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below. Thanks for reading this post and I hope you enjoyed it. Check back soon for more of "all the buzz on what wuzz."

If I Had A Hall of Fame Ballot 2020 1/21/20

Hey baseball fans!

It's time for the main event! If I had a ballot for the 2020 Baseball Hall of Fame vote, who would I put on it? Let's find out!

Derek Jeter
At the top of everybody's list should be Jeter. Check out my last post by clicking here to see why I think he's a Hall of Famer and why he'll be unanimous.

Curt Schilling
Schilling has messed himself up in a lot of ways off the field, but on it, he was one of the best pitchers at the turn of the century. He helped both the Diamondbacks and the Red Sox win World Series championships, pitching masterful performances in each Series. Overall, for his career, Curt posted a 3.46 ERA with 216 wins and 3,116 strikeouts. The one thing that goes against him is ERA, but given Mike Mussina's induction, that high an ERA is HoF-worthy.

Todd Helton
You can talk about the Coors Effect all you want, but Todd Helton is "Mr. Rockie," meaning that he's probably the best player in the team's history and was a fan favorite during his tenure in Colorado, which goes a long way in my book. Helton finished his career with a .316 batting average and and a .953 OPS. No matter what era or ballpark a hitter plays in, those stats are out of this world. He averaged 148 hits a season over his 17-year career and made six All Star Games.

Larry Walker
Another Rockie (this time, not for his entire career) who had a great batting average and an even better OPS. Walker was a three-time batting champ and hit over 35 homers in a season four times. The five-time All Star is appearing on his last BBWAA ballot, but even so, he deserved induction a long time ago.

Jeff Kent
No, I don't care who he hates. Kent is a Hall of Famer because of his career accomplishments as a second baseman. A notably powerless position, Kent averaged 22 homers and 89 RBIs a season in a 17-year career that saw him become one of the biggest names for the position. His .290 batting average ain't half-bad, neither.

Billy Wagner
He is sixth on the all-time saves list. That's it! That's all Wagner needs to be a Hall of Famer. However, closers have a little stigma on the Hall of Fame ballot, but just ask the Sandman if that stigma will stay forever. And don't forget his 2.31 career ERA, which is lower than Trevor Hoffman's!

Paul Konerko
From 1999-2014, which only excludes his half-seasons with the Dodgers, the White Sox legend averaged 27 homers and 86 RBIs a season. The six-time All Star is an absolute legend on the South Side, and was one of the bigger reasons for their curse-breaking season of 2005.

Andruw Jones
Weirdly-spelled name aside, Jones was one of the best hitters on a Braves team famous for its pitching. He smacked 434 career home runs and made five All Star Games. Oh yeah, he's also a ten-time Gold Glover, receiving the awards in consecutive seasons.

Omar Vizquel
I'm not a huge Vizquel fan, but no one can ignore his eleven Gold Gloves at shortstop. I would put him on my ballot because, frankly, I have the spot to do so. He seems more like a Veterans Committee inductee, but many people love him.

To anyone who isn't on my ballot, you know why. Thanks for reading this post and I hope you enjoyed it. Check back soon for more of "all the buzz on what wuzz."

Is Derek Jeter Worthy of a Unanimous HoF Induction? 1/11/20

Hey baseball fans!

Happy New Year! It's January, which means we are less than a month away until the 2020 Hall of Fame inductees are announced. In honor of the Hall-iday season, it's time we dive into the votes. As is customary here in Baseball with Matt, I'll do an "If I Had a Hall of Fame Ballot" post later in the month, but for now, let's look at some individual players, like the Captain himself.

Derek Jeter is a Hall of Famer, no question about it. He's a fourteen-time All Star, five-time Gold Glover, five-time Silver Slugger, five-time World Series champion, 2000 World Series MVP, and currently sits at sixth place on the all-time hits list with 3,465 career base knocks. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that Jeter will get the 75% required for Cooperstown induction. But that's not the question on everyone's mind. The real question revolving around Jeter that will be a hot topic of debate for years to come is the title of this post: will Jeter's induction be unanimous and does he deserve it? In my opinion, yes and maybe.

First off, Jeter should be unanimous. Many people who I've talked to argue that Jeter isn't the best shortstop ever or that he's not the best contact hitter ever, so that's why he won't get 100% of the BBWAA vote. But that's a holistic approach to the Hall of Fame that I dislike. Here's how I think of the Hall of Fame vote: if three out of four people think you're a Hall of Famer, you're a Hall of Famer. It's as simple as that. With Jeter, each individual person asks themselves if he's deserving of Cooperstown and purely based on the audience, let alone his numbers, everyone should think so. The BBWAA is composed of writers and media, hence the "W" in the BBWAA, and Jeter was known for being great with the press. Sure, his tenure in the front office with the Marlins has been putrid at best, but many people like Jeter as a person and the people who don't will respect him and his career stats. He was never in any steroids talk and was the King of New York for two decades. Literally no one is saying he's not a Hall of Famer, meaning he'll get 100% of the vote.

Now, whether or not he deserves the honor of a unanimous election is questionable. Mariano Rivera, Jeter's teammate for almost their entire careers, got in unanimously, the first player to do so. Many people thought Mo was deserving of this unique classification because he's the best closer baseball has ever seen. Jeter, like I mentioned before, is not the greatest anything. He's not even the greatest Yankee and surely not the greatest front office person. The problem with this new "unanimous" talk is that it's so new. There's no real precedent for it, compared to overall Hall of Fame voting. And even if there was precedent, unanimous elects will be a part of an elite and exclusive club. We'll have very few examples for comparison for this category in a hundred years, let alone right now.

So, again. Everyone will think that Jeter is a Hall of Famer. It's the question of whether he truly is a "unanimous" Hall of Famer that will be raised for years to come. And who knows? Saves are so common now compared to when Mo broke records that maybe we won't consider him unanimous in fifty years. Either way, I'm very excited to officially see one of my childhood heroes join the other Yankee greats in Cooperstown in July. Thanks for reading this post and I hope you enjoyed it. Check back soon for more of "all the buzz on what wuzz."