Tagged: Chai 5
Daily Minyan – July 19, 2009
On this date in 1909, Cleveland shortstop Cornelius “Neal” Ball pulled off the first unassisted triple play in modern Major League history against the Boston Red Sox. In the second inning of the first game of a doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox, while playing shortstop, he caught a line drive hit by the Sox’s Amby McConnell. He then stepped on second base to double up Heinie Wagner, and tagged out the Sox runner, Jake Stahl, who was going from 1st to 2nd, thus completing Major League baseball’s very first Unassisted Triple Play. He also recorded 9 putouts in the game at his position, which set a record for shortstops. To date, there has only been 10 more unassisted triples plays in the Major Leagues since his feat.
His glove from that game is on exhibit at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 1907, Ball was signed by the New York Highlanders (Yankees), for whom he played two seasons. Midway through the 1909 season, he was traded to the Cleveland Naps (Indians). During the 1912 season, he joined the Boston Red Sox, for whom his final game was played June 30, 1913.
From 1913 to 1923, he was affiliated with 6 minor league baseball teams as a player and manager.
So, how did our guys do?? The relievers were like
butter!!!
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in the Dodgers win over the Astros on Saturday.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Brauny didn’t play in Saturday’s game against the Reds as a result of the sore thumb he received on Friday when he was hit by a pitch from Cincinnati’s Bronson Arroyo in the fifth inning of he Reds’ 4-0 win Friday night. The ball hit Brauny in the left forearm and deflected across his hands, catching his right thumb. X-rays on Saturday found no fracture.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig pitched a perfect 8th inning on Saturday against the Angels by striking out the side!!!! Way to go Craig!!!! That stellar effort lowered his ERA to 4.25 and makes 2 clutch relief performances in a row!!!
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott had his three-game winning streak snapped. He gave up three runs, five hits and struck out five over six innings. Although he didn’t pick up the win, that’s now five straight quality starts for Scott, who is 3-1 over those five games. His record fell to 8-3 and his ERA rose to 3.87.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John pitched a scoreless eighth inning and earned his 16th hold of the year in the Pirates 2-0 victory over Giants on Saturday. He struck out one batter and lowered his ERA to 3.24.
John has earned a Chai 5 and an Iron City Beer for his pitching.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe pinch ran for Willie Aybar in the eighth inning of the Rays win over the Royals on Saturday. He came around to score on B.J. Upton’s single and stayed in the game as the right fielder.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 1-for-4 in the Rangers loss to the Twins on Saturday. His average remained at .249.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason didn’t pitch in the Rockies loss to the Padres on Saturday.
Aaron Poreda, P – Chicago White Sox
Aaron didn’t pitch in the Chisox win over my O’s on Saturday.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott didn’t in the D-backs win over the Cards on Saturday.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 1-for-4 on Saturday against the Blue Jays and struck out twice. And in a shocking development, he didn’t walk! He lowered his average a point to .299.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Craig Breslow
Daily Minyan – June 17, 2009
In looking at the boxscores from June 17, I saw
that Scott Schoeneweis was listed as pitching,
but somehow I missed the fact that he returned
on June 9!!! Please join me in welcoming him
back!!!
Here is the complete text of an AP article about his return.
Schoeneweis returns to Diamondbacks
PHOENIX (AP)–Pitcher Scott Schoeneweis returned to the Arizona
Diamondbacks’ active roster on Tuesday, 21 days after the death of his wife.
The club reinstated the lefty reliever from the restricted list and optioned
another left-hander, Daniel Schlereth, to Double-A Mobile in a corresponding
move.
Schoeneweis said he felt it was time to return to work after spending the last
three weeks tending to the couple’s four children and handling other matters.
“The family’s good, and it’s time for daddy to go back to work,” Schoeneweis
said before the Diamondbacks played host to the San Francisco Giants.
Authorities have not determined a cause of death for Gabrielle Schoeneweis,
39, who was found dead in the couple’s home in suburban Fountain Hills on
May 20.
Schoeneweis said he initially considered sitting out the rest of the season
before deciding he needed to return.
“It’s something that I would feel unfinished for me, personally,” he said. “I think
my wife would want me to play as well.
“I wanted to make sure that my kids were OK, first, obviously,” he said. “They
have been doing well. I had a lot of things to take care of. I needed the time to
get those things taken care of. I kind of put myself on the back burner. It’s been
kind of tough on me recently. I’m running out of things to do. 8:30 at night,
everybody’s asleep.”
Schoeneweis said he’s relying on family and friends to help him care for the
family’s children. He and Gabrielle had three children together, and she also
had a daughter before she married the reliever. The couple celebrated their
10th anniversary in January.
Schoeneweis had visited Chase Field several times since his wife’s death but
had not spoken publicly. He tuned up for his return with bullpen sessions and by
throwing an inning of extending spring training last Friday.
“We’re happy to see him and get him back on our club,” manager A.J. Hinch
said. “Obviously, we still have heavy hearts for him. I know he’s going through a
lot.
“As his second family here, we’re certainly thrilled to have him back, and we’ll
provide any support that he needs as his life gets back underway and the
normal schedule that he’s used to in a baseball life,” Hinch said.
Schoeneweis told Hinch that he was available to pitch Tuesday night, when the
Diamondbacks opened a three-game series against the Giants. Schoeneweis
spoke as if he’s looking forward to his work life returning to normal quickly.
“Baseball’s pretty distracting,” Schoeneweis said. “It takes a lot of
concentration and focus, so that’ll be good for me personally. It’ll be emotional,
I’m sure. It’s just different. It’s not the same. But it’s my job and I’m fully
confident that I can get the job done.”
Schoeneweis, acquired from the New York Mets last winter, is 0-0 with a 2.53
ERA in 19 games.
Here is an excerpt from an article about his return to the
mound.
LHP Scott Schoeneweis retired the only two batters he faced
Saturday, throwing six strikes on seven pitches, in his first
appearance since his wife, Gabrielle, was found dead of
undetermined cause in the couple’s suburban Phoenix home
on May 20. Schoeneweis, 35, was given a standing ovation
as he left the field but kept his eyes down. “I couldn’t look at
anybody,” Schoeneweis said. “I couldn’t acknowledge the
crowd. I apologize. You know the old saying, ‘There’s no
crying in baseball,’ so I just kept my head down.”
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in the Dodgers’ extra-inning
victory over the A’s.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 1-for-4 on Tuesday, walked once and
scored once in the Brewers win over the
Indians. His average fell to .318.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig pitched to one batter, 1B James Loney, in
the 8th inning of the A’s extra-inning loss to the
Dodgers on Tuesday and promptly walked him!
I guess he was rusty since he hadn’t pitched in
3 games. His ERA remained unchanged at
4.50.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott earned a well-deserved day of rest.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John didn’t pitch in the Pirates loss to the Twins
on Tuesday.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe went 3-for-4, homered in his 4th straight
game, drove in four runs – which tied a career
high- and fell a double short of the cycle on
Tuesday in the Rays mashing of the Rockies.
Gabe became the third Ray to homer in four
straight games, joining Jose Canseco (five
straight in 1999)
and Julio Lugo (four in 2003)
He raised his average to .228.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian snapped out of his slump by going 3-for-4 with
two homers. He also singled and walked and
finished the game with 3 runs scored, 2 RBIs
and raised his average to .268.
Ian, who was 4-for-33 with no RBIs or runs
scored in his previous eight games, put the
Rangers ahead to stay with his fourth leadoff
homer this season. He added another solo shot in
the second off struggling Astros’ left-hander
Wandy Rodriguez.
Ian’s nine career leadoff homers are the most in
Rangers history. This was his fifth multihomer
game, and his third this season.
Manager Ron Washington never considered
taking Kinsler out of the leadoff spot.
“I have confidence in the fact that he’s been there
before and he’ll get out of it,” Washington said. “I
just hope tonight is the night that got him back
going.”
Ian gets a Chai 5 shirt and hat combo for his
efforts. He was narrowly beaten for Macher of the Day by Gabe Kapler’s
big day at Coors!
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason earned a day of rest.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott is back!!!
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 1-for-4, hit his 16th double, scored
and guess what, he walked again!!
His average fell to .330.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Gabe
Kapler
Daily Minyan – June 9, 2009
On this date in 1973, Triple Crown Winner Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes by an amazing 31 lengths. This isn’t a baseball specific post, but since baseball has a Triple Crown and this was such an historic achievement, I’m leading with it.
This is one account of his 1 1/2 trip around the track:
Secretariat emerged from an inside post position in a field of only 5 runners. The break was clean and My Gallant got out the quickest with Sham up on the outside, and Secretariat at the rail. Seeing no one to block his path and interfere with him, Secretariat went right for the lead. He assumed command almost immediately after the start, and Sham went right up with him to pressure him. The two raced together around the first turn, then Secretariat drew away, and continued drawing away. By the mid-backstretch his lead was 10 lengths. By the far turn it was 12 lengths. Secretariat turned into the homestretch at least 20 lengths ahead of the others.Chick Anderson, who called the race that day, spoke the now immortal words “…but Secretariat is moving like a tremendous machine… he’s a sixteenth of a mile ahead of the other horses!” And he continued to widen the margin. 22 lengths. 25 lengths. 28 lengths. At the wire, the official margin was an unbelieveable 31 lengths. Twice a Prince was far, far back in second place. There was no doubt about this finishing time – 2:24 flat – a new world record.
This picture shows how far back the other horses were!
This picture shows jockey Ron Turcotte glancing back at the rest of field,
This picture shows clearly why his nickname was Big Red.
Are there any possible Triple Crown winners in
the Minyan? Maybe Ryan Braun, but it’s too
early to tell.
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers had the day off yesterday.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers had the day off yesterday.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig earned his 6th hold of the year by working 1/3 of a
scoreless inning in the A’s win over the Twins. Craig
lowered his ERA to 4.70.
Craig earned a Chai 5 for getting another hold.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott, who had won his previous three outings (5-1) lost for the first
time in nine starts
and allowed four runs
on seven hits (including
2 home runs) and two
walks in six innings of
work against the Blue
Jays. He also struck out
2 batters and saw his
ERA rise to 4.01.
“I didn’t feel like it was one of my better games.”
Feldman said, stating the obvious. “I tried to
hang in there as long as I could.”
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John pitched a scoreless 8th inning, striking out one, in the
Pirates extra-inning loss to the Braves. He lowered his ERA
to 3.96.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe must have borrowed “Wonderboy”
for yesterday’s Rays loss to the Yankees because Gabe
actually hit a home run!!!! The homer, a 2-run shot off Andy
Pettitte, was Gabe’s first home run of the year and his first
since last Sept. 7, when he was playing for Milwaukee. He
finished the game 1-for-4 with 2 RBIs to bring his total for the
year to just 7 RBIs.
He actually raised his, below the Mendoza Line, average
to .173.
Gabe earned himself a pastrami sandwich at
Katz’s Deli for actually showing life with his
bat!! Dig in bubula!!!
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 1-for-4, with a walk in the Rangers win loss to the Blue Jays. His average remained at .274.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason (8-4) became the first NL pitcher with 8 victories when
he got the win by allowing two runs on 6 hits and a walk in 6
2/3 innings against the Cardinals. He struck out 4 batters
along the way and lowered his ERA to 3.98. He also leads
the league with five road victories, and has won four of his
last five starts overall.
Jason pitched for the Cardinals from 2004 to 2006, when he
won 42 games for them.
Here are some quotes about and from Jason, courtesy of the
AP and the Denver Post:
“I am proud of my record,” Marquis said. “My job is to
compete and give the team a chance to win. But I have had a
lot of help.”
“This is my fourth team so I’ve been through it enough to
control the emotions. But it still feels like I’m at home because
I played here for so long (St. Louis) and had good success.”
“He’s been brilliant. But I have seen this from him before,”
Rockies Manager Jim Tracy said.
Jason not only pitched well, he supported his cause by
singling and scoring in the 5th inning. Below, he is
congratulated by Troy Tulowitski after scoring:
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott is currently dealing with the unexpected loss of his
wife. My prayers are with him.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
The Sawx had the day off yesterday.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Jason Marquis
Daily Minyan – May 31, 2009
In honor of Matt Wieters’ first major league hit – A TRIPLE!!! I want to share with you what I found on sale at the Yards!!!
MATT WIETERS’ JERSEYS!!!!
I know that you can buy some of these guys jerseys so let’s see how they did in their actual jerseys!
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad pinch hit for pitcher Guillermo Mota in the fifth inning and ground out to the shortstop. He lowered his average to .344.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 2-for-5, and hit his 9th home run, a solo shot in the Brewers win over the Reds. He also threw out Reds catcher Ryan Hannigan at home to get the final out of the 4th inning, as seen below. His average increased to .318.
He earned a Chai 5 for his all-around play!
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig didn’t pitch in the A’s big loss to the Rangers.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
After earning his 4th victory of the year, Scott had a well-deserved day of rest.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John pitched a scoreless 8th inning to earn his 7th hold of the season in the Pirates win over the Astros. His ERA fell to 4.50. He earned a Chai 5 as well!
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe went 0-for-2 and walked once in the Rays vistory over the Twins. His average remained below the Mendoza Line and is currently .181.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 2-for-4, drove in 4 runs and scored 2 runs in the Rangers crushing of the A’s. He hit his 12th double of year, walked twice and took part in 2 double plays. His average continued to climb back up and is now at to .281.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
After pitching one of his best games this year, Jason also earned a well deserved rest.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott is currently dealing with the unexpected loss of his wife. My prayers are with him.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 0-for-4, with three strikeouts in the BoSox loss to the Blue Jays. He lowered his average to .362.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Ian Kinsler
Daily Minyan – May 28, 2009
May 28, 1946 – The Washington Senators edge the New York Yankees 2-1 before 49,917 fans in the first night game at Yankee Stadium.
May 28, 1951 – After going 0-for-12, Willie Mays connects for his first major-league hit, a home run off Braves pitcher Warren Spahn. The Giants lose the game 4-1.
Willie playing stickball
So, who used their “sticks” well or who didn’t let any sticks touch the ball?
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in Wednesday’s win over the Rockies.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 0-for-4, with a strikeout one day after getting hit on the wrist. Ryan’s batting average fell to .315.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig struck out the side in the 8th inning of the A’s loss to the Mariners on Wednesday!!! He also lowered his ERA to 5.40.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott had a well-deserved day of rest and is scheduled to pitch the second game of a double header Friday against the A’s.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John didn’t pitch in Wednesday’s Pirates loss to the Cubbies.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe went 1-for-3 and drove in 2 runs in Wednesday’s Rays’ loss to the Indians. Although he is still below the Mendoza Line (.197 average), he gets a Chai 5 for finally contributing to the Rays offense!
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 1-for-4, with his lone hit being a 2-run homer (#13) which accounted for all of Texas’ runs in Wednesday’s Rangers loss to the Yanks. His average is now .282.
I’ve added this to Ian’s hat collection for his homer!
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason is slated to pitch Friday.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott is currently dealing with the unexpected loss of his wife. My prayers are with him.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 0-for-2, with a walk, but drove in a run (RBI #29) with a sac fly in the 3rd inning of Wednesday’s BoSox loss to the Twins. His average fell to .373.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Craig Breslow
Daily Minyan – May 26, 2009
On this date in 1993, everybody’s favorite author, Jose Canseco, shows everybody how not to use your head!! This blooper is certain to be on highlight reels for all eternity!
So, who used their head on Monday? Or whose head will be fitted with a Chai 5 cap? Let’s take a looksie!
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in Monday’s big win over the Rockies.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 0-for-4, with a strikeout, in the Brewers 1-0 win over the Cardinals. This game was a pitcher’s duel between the Cardinals’ Chris Carpenter and the Brewers’ Yovani Gallardo. As a result of being shut down, Ryan’s batting average fell to .325.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig didn’t pitch in the A’s win over the Mariners.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott had a well-deserved day of rest and is scheduled to pitch later in the week.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John pitched a scoreless 8th inning, and picked up his 6th hold of the year in the Pirates win over the Cubbies on Monday. In doing so, he lowered his ERA to 4.71.
That effort earned him a Chai 5:
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe didn’t play in Monday’s loss to the Indians.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 0-for-4 on Monday in the Rangers loss to the Yanks, which lowered his average to .278. He also took part in a double play.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason is slated to pitch later in the week.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott is currently dealing with the unexpected loss of his wife. My prayers are with him.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 2-for-5 on Monday in the BoSox victory over the Twins, with both hits being doubles (numbers 12 and 13). He scored his only run after hitting his first double and drove in 2 with his second double (RBIs # 27 and 28). He raised his average slightly to .384.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Kevin Youkilis
Daily Minyan – May 24, 2009
Today marks the 70th anniversary of the death of
Barney Pelty (September 10, 1880 – May 24, 1939),
who was a major league baseball pitcher known as “the
Yiddish Curver” because he was one of the first Jewish
baseball players in the American League. Pelty was
proud of his Jewish heritage as indicated by his
nickname, and did not change his name or hide his
identity like some other Jewish players of the era.
His career ERA was 2.63, 60th-best of all pitchers in major league baseball, and through 2006 he ranks 71st in hits per 9 innings, and 48th in batters plunked.
He was one of the best Jewish pitchers in major league history, ranking first in career ERA (ahead of # 2 Sandy Koufax), 5th in wins (92), and 6th in strikeouts (693).
He was a workhorse for the St. Louis Browns, a member of their starting rotation from 1904, when he pitched 31 complete games and 301 innings, through 1911.
In 1904 he led the league in hit batsmen (20), and was 6th in wild pitches (9). In 1905 he was 14-14 with a 2.75 ERA, while the team’s other pitchers were a combined 40-85.
His peak year was 1906, when he went 16-11 with a 1.59 ERA (2nd in the AL). He also led the league in fewest hits allowed per 9 innings pitched (6.53) and lowest batting average (.206), and was 2nd in hit batsmen (19). He especially was dominant against the World Series champion 1906 White Sox, allowing one run in 32 innings. In one three-game series against Chicago, Pelty pitched every game, including a 0-0 tie in 10 innings. His 1.59 ERA is the lowest in the history of the Browns/Baltimore Orioles franchise.
In 1907 he lost a league-high 21 games and hit a league-high 19 batters, while pitching 5 shutouts (6th best in the league) and 29 complete games (also 6th best).
In 1908, the right-hander improved to 7-4, 1.99 in a reduced role.
In 1909 he pitched 5 shutouts, 5th-best in the AL. He also was 10th-best in the league in fewest hits allowed per 9 innings pitched (7.13)
On June 11, 1912, he was purchased by the Washington Senators from the St. Louis Browns. He finished his career with the Senators that year.
He gave up 22 home runs in 1,908 innings in his career. He did not mind pitching inside, leading the league in hit batsmen in 1904 and 1907. While he gave up only 558 earned runs lifetime, errors by his teammates (and by him — he had 12 in 1906) let in nearly another 200 unearned runs lifetime.
Pelty pitched 22 career shutouts, but was shut out 32 times, including nine 1-0 defeats due to poor offensive support.
Yesterday, we a couple of modern day “Yiddish Curver” do well, so read on and you’ll see how they did!
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in yesterday’s extra-inning Dodgers win over the Angels.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 2-for-4 to raise his batting average to .336. However, Ryan made an errant throw in the 3rd inning, which eventually led to two Twins runs in their victory over the Brewers.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig’s second appearance in an A’s uniform didn’t go quite as well as his first one as he was the losing pitcher in yesterday’s D-Backs extra-inning victory over the A’s. He pitched a scoreless 10th inning and allowed the leadoff hitter to single in the 11th, but got him on a fielder’s choice. He was then relieved by Santiago Casilla, who allowed that runner and two others to score.
Craig’s record fell to 1-3 and his ERA actually fell to 5.94.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott pitched a season-high 6 and 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on five hits and two walks. All three runs scored on home runs. He also struck out 5 batters.
His effort impressed Astros manager Cecil Cooper, who said, “His command was much better. The last time we faced him, we beat him up pretty good.”
Scott was also featured in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated as one of the athletes asked to answer questions for “The Pop Culture Grid,” where he said the animal that he most resembles is a Labrador retriever! Here’s a comparison:
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John didn’t pitch in yesterday’s Pirates loss to the ChiSox.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe went 0-for-2, with a walk in yesterday’s Rays victory over the Fish. His average fell to .190. New picture of Mario Mendoza below!
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian got a day off for the first time this season after slumping for the last week.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason (6-3) allowed three runs on six hits, and a walk and struck out four in 7 and 2/3 innings to win his second straight start. He threw 103 pitches to the Tigers before coming out of the game.
“I had to battle through some things early, but I felt like I cruising from about the fourth inning on,” Marquis said. “I had my good fastball tonight and I was able to keep it down in the zone.”
“He didn’t give us much of a chance tonight,” Tigers 3B Brandon Inge said. “That was the key tonight, he just shut us down.”
Jason gets a Chai 5 for the win!
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott is currently dealing with the unexpected loss of his wife. My prayers are with him.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 1-for-3 and drove in both of Boston’s runs the BoSox loss to Mets. His average fell to slightly to .388.
Youk has earned a Chai 5 for that effort!
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Scott Feldman
Daily Minyan – May 23, 2009
1926 – Hack Wilson smacks a fifth inning home run off the Wrigley Field scoreboard, situated at ground level, to start a 14-8 rout of the Braves. Wilson is the first player to hit a ball off the scoreboard, which, in 1937, will be moved atop the newly built bleachers.
Picture of Wrigley Field showing the field level scoreboard – a rare find!
Let’s see if any of the boychiks got a few good hacks in themselves!!
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play in yesterday’s Dodgers loss to the Angels.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 2-for-4, and drove in his 31st RBI of the year. He raised his batting average to .331.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning in his debut in an A’s uniform! He faced one batter and induced an inning ending double play. He now has gone three straight appearances not allowing a runner on base after allowing at least one baserunner in each of his previous 11 appearances. He lowered his ERA to an even 6.00.
Craig had earned a Chai 5!
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott is scheduled to pitch later today against the Astros.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John didn’t pitch in yesterday’s Pirates loss to the ChiSox.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe pinch-hit for BJ Upton in yesterday’s Rays victory over the Fish. He went 0-for-1 and drew a walk to lower his average to .197. Which means that this charming picture of Mario Mendoza remains!
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 0-for-5 and took part in 2 double plays in the Rangers extra-inning victory over the Astros. His average continues to fall and now stands at .287.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason is scheduled to pitch today against Detroit.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott is currently dealing with the unexpected loss of his wife. My prayers are with him.
The article below is courtesy of AP.
The Diamondbacks will be represented by several pitchers at Monday’s memorial service for Gabrielle Schoeneweis.
The funeral is in the morning at the Messenger Pinnacle Peak Mortuary in Scottsdale, Ariz.–and Arizona will be getting ready to play a home day game against San Diego.
“It’s obviously a tough time for everybody,” manager A.J. Hinch said Saturday before the Diamondbacks played the middle game of a weekend series against the A’s. “We want to be there for him. If it were a night game we’d have chartered a bus.”
Schoeneweis returned to the Phoenix area after his wife, Gabrielle, was found dead at their home Wednesday. The team still had little information about her death, Hinch said.
“I assume they’re going through the medical procedures,” he said. “We’re respecting his privacy. Our thoughts and prayers are with him.”
Schoeneweis was placed on the bereavement list and left the team when he received the news before a doubleheader at Florida on Wednesday.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 0-for-3 and struck out 3 times, however he was hit by a Johan Santana pitch! His average fell below .400 to slightly to .390.
After Santana hit Youk on the elbow they exchanged words. Youk said he reacted by saying, “‘That hurts.’ I was joking around.” He also said Santana wasn’t throwing at him.
But Santana took it seriously.
“Two outs, two strikes, there’s no way I’m going to try and hit somebody,” Santana said. “I hit him and he started looking at me. If you look at me, I’m going to give it back.”
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Ryan Braun
Daily Minyan – May 22, 2009
Today marks the 64th anniversary of death Jake Atz, of one of the first Jewish players in Major League Baseball history.
John Jacob Atz, born Jacob Henry Zimmerman in Washington, D.C. (born July 1, 1879 — May 22, 1945) was one of the first Jewish players in Major League Baseball. Early in his career he changed his name from Zimmerman to Atz. Atz was an second baseman for the Washington Senators (1902) and Chicago White Sox (1907-1909). He also was the most successful minor league managers of the 1920s, winning all or parts of the Texas League championship in seven consecutive seasons (1919-25) as skipper of the Fort Worth Panthers.
In four major league seasons, he played in 209 games, had 605 at bats, 64 runs, 132 hits, 21 doubles, three triples, 49 RBIs, 23 stolen bases, 69 walks, a .218 batting average, .304 on-base percentage, .263 slugging percentage, and 33 sacrifice hits.
Atz’ first managerial assignment was the Providence Grays of the East League in 1911, and he failed dismally, losing 69 of 108 games (.361). Three years later, in 1914, he took over Fort Worth. His Panthers had winning records in his first 13 seasons. During their seven-year skein as kings of the Texas League, the Panthers won over 100 games five times – with records of 108-40 (.730) in 1920, 107-51 (.677) in 1921, 109-43 (.717) in 1922, 109-41 (.727) in 1924, and 103-48 (.682) in 1925. In 1926, the Panthers fell to third and Atz would not win another pennant until 1939, with Henderson in the Class C East Texas League, three levels below the Texas League. His career record as a manager in the minors over 27 seasons was 1,972 wins, 1,619 losses (.549), still one of the best winning percentages among longtime minor league skippers.
He died in New Orleans, Louisiana, at age 65.
Let’s see how the the modern day Jewish ballplayers did yesterday.
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad didn’t play yesterday because the Dodgers were off.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 2-for-4, including his first triple of the year in yesterday’s Brewers win over the Astros. He drove in his 30th run of the year and scored his 31st run of the year – vert nice balance! His average rose to .326.
But perhaps the highlight of his night was when threw out Astro’s first baseman Lance Berkman at home. Berkman didn’t like the call as was ejected by Umpire Delfin Colon.
Ryan threw home and catcher Jason Kendall tagged Berkman as he slid and touched the plate with his left hand. When Berkman was called out he jumped and screamed in the umpire’s face. Astros Manager Cecil Cooper then ran out of the dugout, pushed Berkman away and started yelling at Colon, who took offense and ejected Cooper as well.
Craig Breslow, P – Oakland A’s
Craig, 28, will be joining his fifth major league team. He was a surprise success in the Twins’ bullpen last season, posting a 1.63 ERA in 42 games after getting claimed off waivers from Cleveland.
Until then, he was probably better known for his academic resume. As mentioned previously in this blog, Craig graduated from Yale and majored in molecular biophysics and biochemistry.
“I’m excited about taking a look at him,” A’s manager Bob Geren said. “He’s a left-handed guy that’s experienced. He’s had some success at this level.”
The A’s had seven right-handed relievers and no lefties for Wednesday’s 7-6 victory over the Rays. Though Geren typically downplays the need for a lefty specialist, he acknowledged it will be convenient having that option with Breslow.
Lefties were hitting .211 against him this season and righties .226. But Breslow has battled control problems in 17 appearances, walking 11 in 141/3 innings
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott didn’t pitch in yesterday’s Rangers loss to the Tigers.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John didn’t pitch in yesterday’s Pirates loss to the Nats.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe went 1-for-3, clubbing his 7th double of year, recorded an RBI and scored a run. All of Gabe’s action occurred in the 2nd inning, when he knocked in the Rays first run and scored their second run in their victory over the A’s. His average is now right on the Mendoza line, .200. Thus, Mario Mendoza’s card will remain.
However, I’m feeling generous, so I’m awarded Gabe a Chai 5:
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 1-for-5 and stole his 10th base of the year as the Rangers lost to the Tigers. His average fell to .295.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason is scheduled to pitch this weekend in Detroit.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott is currently dealing with the unexpected loss of his wife. My prayers are with him.
The article below is courtesy of AP.
Schoeneweis was back in suburban Phoenix, where his wife was found dead at their home Wednesday. Police said the cause of death hadn’t been determined. The pitcher released a statement late Thursday through his agent Scott Boras.
“On behalf of my and Gabrielle’s entire family I want to express my deepest appreciation for the prayers and support of my current and former teammates, front office and team personnel and dear friends both inside and outside of the baseball community,” Schoeneweis said. “Your support is needed and appreciated during this most difficult time. We want all of you to know how important your love and friendship is to all of us.”
Funeral services were scheduled for Monday at the Messenger Pinnacle Peak Mortuary in Scottsdale. The family asked that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Ronald McDonald House of Phoenix.
Schoeneweis left the team when he received the news before a doubleheader at Florida. He declined an offer to have teammate Jon Garland accompany him home.
“It’s a long flight,” Garland said. “It was completely up to him, and he felt he would be all right. I couldn’t even imagine what he’s going through.”
Hinch told the team 30 minutes before Wednesday’s doubleheader about the death of Schoeneweis’ wife, Gabrielle, who was 39. The couple celebrated their 10th anniversary in January and had three children together.
“It lets you know the things you have, you need to cherish,” Garland said in the clubhouse before Thursday’s game. “I think everybody at that moment put that in perspective. It was a weird feeling in here. Everybody was quiet and sitting around. The guys handled it in a professional manner and went about their business.”
The Diamondbacks and Marlins split a doubleheader that ended at 1:48 a.m., with Arizona winning the second game in 13 innings.
“It was quite a day,” general manager Josh Byrnes said. “We’ll move forward, but it was a tough day.”
Schoeneweis was placed on the bereavement list. The Diamondbacks were scheduled to conclude their series at Florida on Thursday before flying to Oakland for a weekend series.
“It’s impossible for any of us to not think about Scott and his family,” Hinch said. “On the professional side, the schedule doesn’t stop. We have to play and find a way to play a baseball game time and time again.
“Are we playing with heavy hearts? Yes. Are we playing with one of our own struggling through one of the worst tragedies you can imagine for your family? Yes. But these guys will show up and be ready to play.”
And the message Hinch texted to Schoeneweis?
“Just letting him know we’re here and supporting him and thinking about him,” Hinch said.
Hinch and Schoeneweis worked out together last offseason and have known each other since college, when they were Team USA teammates.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk went 1-for-3, drove in a run, scored and walked in the BoSox victory over the Blue Jays. His average fell slightly to .402.
Youk also earned a Chai 5.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Ryan Braun
Daily Minyan – May 18, 2009
This Date in Baseball History (with an Orioles slant):
1957 – Dick Williams of the Orioles hit a ninth-inning, game-tying solo home run against Chicago’s Paul LaPalme seconds before 10:20 p.m. — a time set as a curfew so the White Sox could catch a train out of Baltimore. If Williams had done anything else, Chicago would have won. The game was replayed from the beginning and Baltimore won.
The White Sox obviously weren’t fans of this T-shirt slogan:
1990 – The Baltimore Orioles tied an American League record with eight consecutive singles in a seven-run first inning against Bobby Witt to beat the California Angels 13-1.
So, how did our guys do on Sunday?
Brad Ausmus, C – Los Angeles Dodgers
Brad went 1-for-5, scored a run and struck out twice in Sunday’s Dodgers’ win over the Marlins. Brad is now batting .346.
Brad was catching Clayton Kershaw, who had a no hit bid broken up in the 8th inning.
Ryan Braun, OF, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan went 1-for-3, hitting his 8th double, earning a walk and scored 2 runs in Sunday’s Brewers win over the Cardinals. He also was hit by a pitch and scored when Prince Fielder blasted his 9th homer. His average held steady at .320.
Ryan earns a Chai 5 for his day.
Craig Breslow, P – Minnesota Twins
Craig didn’t pitch Sunday in the Twins 3rd straight loss to the Yanks.
Scott Feldman, P – Texas Rangers
Scott pitched six scoreless innings in Sunday’s shutout of the Angels, allowing four hits and two walks along with getting three strikeouts. He left with the game tied 0-0 and Jason Jennings got the win. His effort lowered his ERA to 4.04.
The Rangers shut out the Angels in Texas for the first time since 2003 and had their first home shutout since last September.
John Grabow, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
John didn’t pitch Sunday in the Pirates win over the Rockies.
Gabe Kapler, OF – Tampa Bay Rays
Gabe went 0-for-2, knocked in a run, scored a run and drew a walk in the Rays victory over the Indians. His average fell to .220.
Ian Kinsler, 2B – Texas Rangers
Ian went 1-for-3, scored a run and knocked in one. He also walked (but was immediately picked off) and slugged his 11th double of the year. His average rose to .314.
Jason Marquis, P – Colorado Rockies
Jason was preparing for his Monday start against the Braves.
Scott Schoeneweis, P – Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott didn’t on Sunday because the D-backs game against the Braves was postponed to rain.
Kevin Youkilis, 1B, 3B – Boston Red Sox
Youk is on the 15-day disabled list–retroactive to May 5– and is eligible to return from the disabled list on Wednesday.
Macher (Big Shot) of the Day – Scott Feldman
Jews on First 